One of the more lively shows I have been to recently has to be the Joe P spring tour that I got to attend on April 30th at The Foundry in Philadelphia. Even as a listener of both Joe P and, opener, Peter Raffoul, I was not prepared for what the evening had in store. It started off mellow and melodic with a lovely acoustic set by Peter Raffoul. The richness of Raffoul’s songs like “Cigarette Holes” and “Bad For Me” really were amplified by the raw acoustics. Raffoul’s harmonic voice blanketed a quiet crowd and enveloped the room in a stunning performance.
Following Peter Raffoul’s absolutely delightful opening set, Joe P took the stage in frenzied excitement. From the moment of entrance to the end of the set, energy simply flowed in a consistent stream through the venue. Each song performed with more gusto than the next, Joe P was sure to keep the crowd moving. Including songs from his 2022 EP, French Blonde, and his earlier release, Emily Can’t Sing, Joe P’s set was full of variety. With great lighting and tech, the show was kept vivid and dynamic through the movement of the set. Joe Parella had an unbeatable stage presence that made the show even more lively.
Towards the end of the evening, Joe Parella shared a humorous and inspiring story of his experience going to college for music and then dropping out to continue to follow his dream. During the tale, he mentions how pivotal it was to visit Bruce Springsteen’s E Street apartment in Jersey as it was close to where he was living at a point in time where he felt hopeless in his pursuit of music. Joe Parella explained how the physical embodiment of such a legend being so close to where he was at the time made him feel the milestone of success he was at and where he was fighting to get to. It was a truly lovely sentiment to share with the crowd about following big dreams despite challenges which made for a great moment of engagement in the show.
In summation, the entirety of both performances were absolutely phenomenal. The tones of each set offered a variety to the evening. There was a beautiful building of energy throughout the completion of both sets. Balancing emotional presence to electric excitement, there was a spectacular duality to be offered. With the first headlining tour coming to a close, Joe P certainly has a lot to be proud of.
