By Jared Gudnason 

Writer/Reporter 

Joyce Manor is from Torrance, California. Their demonstration recordings were released in 2009, and since then, they have risen to the top of their respective genre. Last week they played Minneapolis’ Varsity Theater, a Live Nation venue, and played at least 20 songs, which were career-spanning.  

The band is comprised of Barry Johnson, Chase Knobbe, Matt Ebert, with touring drummer Jared Shavelson, and rhythm guitarist Neil Berthier. Johnson and Knobbe are the founders, and Ebert is their long-time bassist. The tour is in support of their newest effort, Epitaph Records “I Used To Go To This Bar,” released on January 30 of this year.  

Unsurprisingly, they played eight songs from the newest album, which truthfully speaking, I haven’t spent a lot of time with. Some personal highlights, however, were from their first and third studio records; 2011’s self-titled album, and 2014’s “Never Hungover Again.” The first time I saw them, it was in a state fair-style building in Santa Barbara, California, the year their first studio record was released. That day was filled largely with heavy bands, as in songs written without regard for commercial status or sales. The overall trajectory of Joyce Manor’s career has been that of honest, somewhat autobiographical, and underdog-like song composition. 

When you’re a band from southern California, it’s almost impossible to escape the influence of Brian Wilson, and his Beach Boys. While Joyce Manor’s lyrical content differs wildly from the 1960s pop band, the aural similarities are incredibly present, which is why they were one of the standouts that day back in 2011.  

At this point, their first full-length studio record is considered a classic to their fanbase. Songs from that record they played included “Constant Headache,” “Derailed, Orange Julius,” “Leather Jacket,” and “Beach Community,” which may or may not have references to the 1998 movie “The Big Lebowski.” Off 2014’s “Never,” tracks included “Christmas Card,” “Falling In Love Again,” “Catalina Fight Song,” and the best from that record, “Schley.”  

Specific to that era, there were notable absences from their second studio release, “Of All Things I Will Soon Grow Tired,” which was released in 2012. It’s ironic because their backdrop was the typeface from that album, and the entire record totals less than 15 minutes. “Constant Headache” is arguably their most well-known song, with 67 million streams on Spotify.  

It’s good to know that relatable lyrics are in no short supply regarding that statistic.