The first two people in line to see Jenny Lewis last Wednesday night at The Majestic Theatre in Detroit couldn’t hide the “joy’all” on their faces. Their smiles were warmer than the very warm summer night in the Motor City as they eagerly stood under the marquee on Woodward Avenue excited to see their “favorite” – again.
They saw the show on July 7th in their hometown of Chicago and made the trip to Grand Rapids for the July 10th show at Meijer Gardens. And here they were in the D to see the J.
“We would go on to Cleveland, too, but we have cats that need to be fed,” said one of the young fans. “Jenny is amazing. We have been right up front for every show and plan on being there again (tonight).”
And indeed they were.
They also got to see Jenny the night before when the popular singer/songwriter pulled up on Woodward to take her band bowling next door to the Majestic. “We thought it was our Uber driver and all of a sudden Jenny stepped out of the van,” the fan said. “She was so nice and recognized us. She even took a photo of us with her and put it on Instagram.”
While she wasn’t the Uber driver, Lewis certainly took the crowd for a wild and joyous ride during her brilliant set at The Majestic, which was sponsored by The Ark in Ann Arbor. She is on the road promoting the bright, introspective and thankfully upbeat – boy, do we need upbeat in the world today – album Joy’All, which opens with more of a statement than a lyric: “Life goes in cycles, it’s a merry go round, I’ve been working off that juju, from my hometown, I am a rebel, All-American made, Jesus Christ and the devil, Yin and Yang.”
We were first introduced to Jenny Lewis as the singer of the band Rilo Kiley, who released six records over the years. Lewis and The Watson Twins released the critically acclaimed Rabbit Fur Coat in 2006 and she has written and recorded four amazing records since 2008 – Acid Tongue, The Voyager, On the Line and Joy’All.
Note: Do yourself a favor and check out on Youtube the collaboration she did with Elvis Costello of her rockin’ song, “Carpetbaggers.”
If fans hadn’t heard the new album yet, they certainly got a feel for it on Wednesday. Lewis, with her incredible band providing not only the notes and chords but energy and melody, performed seven of the album’s 10 songs and they all received positive feedback from the very receptive and appreciative crowd.
Lewis, who opened for Harry Styles on Sept. 20, 2021 at Little Caesars Arena, walked on stage Wednesday night to a nice silhouette, as she stood in the dark in front of a bright “Jenny Lewis” screen. She opened her 21-song set with “Just One of the Guys” off 2014’s The Voyager and from the first chord had the crowd smiling, dancing, cheering and so happy to be there. She then went right into Do Si Do – and they turned up the stereo until everything rattled – off her amazing On the Line record.
The rest of the set was heavy on the new record and it was just so joyous to hear the new songs played live. Other highlights included “Lust for Life,” a cover of the Girls song from 2009, “Melt Your Heart,” a song she did with The Watson Twins, and the beautiful and mesmerizing “Acid Tongue,” off the album of the same name released in 2008.
The encore featured the Rilo Kiley song “With Arms Outstretched,” along with the new “Essence of Life” and the pop/punk jam “See Fernando.” “See the sites, Sleep until night – Stamp your feet, Turn out the lights.”
Yeah, it was that kind of evening.
And as Lewis triumphantly walked off the stage, we were all reminded of the joy there is still to be had in this world. What a joy it was to see Jenny Lewis play this incredible music live before an eager and excited crowd. It’s one thing to hear these wonderfully crafted songs blasting through your speakers, but it’s another thing all together to hear the creator of this music playing them live on stage. Live music should not only be supported but celebrated – and we got a chance to celebrate one of the best last Wednesday night.
Joy’All – something to remember as we ride this “merry go round” called life. Just remember the Yin and Yang – and to feed the cats.
All photos by Terry Jacoby
