Bands Through Town
Sister Group Joseph:
In Their Element at Delmar Hall
Story by Madisyn Siebert
Photos by Trenton Almgren-Davis
Something I noticed right off the bat about the atmosphere was that everyone was relaxed and enjoying themselves with a drink, but still holding up the perfect amount of energy to give the band the vibe they needed to work with. Many of the fans dressed in the same aesthetic as the sisters.
The sisters really controlled the stage, but none of them took possession of it quite like their sister Natalie. She was also the only sister who played an instrument—the guitar—throughout the show; the other two using only their voices. Natalie had the high energy presence, while Allie had the most calming presence. Meegan stood between them and seemed to be the balance in the group, keeping them organized throughout the show.
The show itself was spectacular. They brought up Jessica Dobson, from their opener Deep Sea Diver, to jam out with them for two songs, with the sisters singing acapella at times. It truly was a show where talent was displayed and ushered to the crowd. They played songs off their latest album Good Luck, Kid, as well as throwbacks from past albums.
The sisters also were willing to joke around with one another and their fans. They acknowledged the last couple of times they came to St. Louis, first noting that their most recent performance at Delmar Hall was a seated show, and now how the pit was standing room. They also recalled playing Blueberry Hill and asked if any of the crowd went to that show, some people yelling and raising their hands in response. It was nice to see the sisters so relaxed and in their element as musicians and as a family on stage.
One thing that heightened the show was the lighting. Usually concerts just throw some random light sequences up and call it a day, but Joseph did not do that. Their lighting was phenomenal and perfectly correlated with what they were singing. The light colors reflected emotions or places and the sequencing and patterns of the lights left me amazed by how well it complemented the music.
I feel blessed to have seen Joseph back in October at Austin City Limits. While they were great at ACL, seeing them outside of the festival scene was better than I could have imagined. At Delmar Hall, Joseph had a dedicated crowd singing and clapping on command; they performed on a stage that perfectly fit them and their band; and they had the opportunity to perform their whole set the way they wanted to.
Joseph is doing something different, adding voice layering live and giving people something new and original, compared to other bands and artists who pride themselves with a single lead vocalist. Their different approach of three singers claiming the title of lead singer are what will keep them and their music going strong.