Once indie-rocks best-kept secret, it wasn’t long before Djo‘s musical moniker was quickly associated with his acting career. With many hearing the delightful synths of ‘End Of Beginning’ before even making the Joe Keery connection – fans were able to discover his music organically, away from his Stranger Things fame.
With a discography that boasts an impressive trio of records – the most recent being The Crux – Djo presents an eclectic range of genre-capabilities. Tracks such as ‘Delete Ya’ and ‘Basic Being Basic’ demonstrate his knack for witty pop cuts, where ‘Chateau (Feel Alright)’ shows his softer side. Taking his musicianship on the road with the “Back On You World Tour” in support of his latest record, Djo’s latest stop sees him take over Manchester’s o2 Victoria Warehouse.
Joining Djo on tour were Illinois outfit Post Animal – a line-up Joe Keery was once part of but had to leave due to acting commitments. Performing a handful of cuts from deep within their discography, fans were treated to all corners of the Post Animal world. From heavier rock cuts such as ‘Dirtpicker’ and ‘Gelatin Mode’, to the softer melancholies of ‘Caving In’, the quintets set aptly warmed up fans for the approaching musical concoctions of Djo.
Djo’s hour-and-a-half set was nothing short of completely captivating, and despite the setlist being heavily dominated by ‘The Crux’, he still managed to enthrall fans old and new with his insatiable stage presence. His emergence onto the stage was met with a defeaning roar of silence, so loud the opening of ‘Runner’ was muffled by excitement. ‘Runner’ allowed Djo to show exactly how the night would proceed – with a carefully selected set of delectable synth pop beats.
‘Gloom”s unexpectedly extended outro quickly gave way to the catchy riffs of ‘Link’ – a track drenched in nostalgia and reflection. With the lyrics echoed back at Djo, the crowd truly immersed themselves in every word and hook, lending to an undeniably electric atmosphere that filled every corner of the reformed warehouse.
Arguably the stand-out track ‘Basic Being Basic’ – from The Crux – offered a witty commentary on society and rejections of fame (“I don’t want your money, I don’t care for fame I don’t wanna live a life where that’s my big exchange”). It was here that Djo introduced himself and his band to the crowd – not that introductions were much needed – before he deep-dove into the effervescent soundscapes of ‘Mortal Projections’ – a delightful and much-welcomed exclusive tour debut.
The rest of Djo’s set consisted of tracks plucked from throughout his last six years releasing music with highlights coming in the form of the overtly upbeat and Beatles-esque ‘Charlie’s Garden’ and the stripped-back approach to pop, ‘Figure You Out’. What Djo never did, despite the intermittent slower-cuts, was ever let the energy in the room falter – his ability as an onstage performer – though arguably aided by his acting career – is unmatched.
Where most encores consist of an artist’s most played tracks, Djo opted for a different approach. Having treated fans to an earlier-than-expected performance of ‘End Of Beginning’ – ‘Back on You’ and 2019’s ‘Flash Mountain’ saw the Manchester leg of Djo’s “Back On You World Tour” draw to a close, much to the dismay of his adoring fans, but proved, beyond doubt Djo’s impressive multi-faceted approach to his career.
Words and photos by Lana Williams
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