Vance Joy, the Australian native, opened up his remarkable show at the Fox Theater in Oakland, CA with his song “Missing Piece” from his third studio album, In Our Own Sweet Time.

“Because when I’m in a room with you, that missing piece is found”.

These lyrics from Joy’s song perfectly encapsulated what it felt like to experience his mesmerizing show that Friday night. 

From then, Joy and his band began to showcase songs from his new album, In Our Own Sweet Time, as well as include some of his other quintessential bops – “Fire and the Flood”, “Mess Is Mine”, “Georgia” & “Like Gold”. Additionally, he made sure to bring some “Saturday Sun” to the currently gloomy Bay Area and lit up the room with his charisma and smile. There were couples serenading each other to his songs, adults dancing without a care in the world, and cheesy grins on every person present. Every song that played that night was bound to generate emotion – whether that be nostalgia, sorrow, or pure happiness.

The moment Vance picked up his ukelele at the end of the night, the crowd knew what was coming. Phones were lifted up and anticipation filled the room. As soon as the first few chords of “Riptide” played, the crowd immediately roared. The lyrics were echoing throughout the hall, and you could see the genuine smiles and joy on everyone’s faces. I began to jump alongside the two strangers beside me, and together with Vance Joy, we all belted out the rest of the lively and nostalgic song. 

As if the night could not get any better, Joy covered “Gimmie! Gimmie! Gimmie! (A Man After Midnight)” by ABBA as his second-to-last song of the night. As an avid ABBA fan, I was overjoyed to sing-along with Joy and his band. After his last performance, Vance Joy and his band joined together for a heartwarming bow and began to exit the stage. However, Joy himself spent a meaningful amount of time interacting with the front row, thanking the crowd, and waving many goodbyes. 

There is something about Vance Joy’s songs and his presence that makes you feel like you have known him forever. It felt as if you were reuniting with an old friend. And in some ways, we have. I grew up with the wistful tunes of “Riptide” and “Mess Is Mine” and have now fallen in love with “Catalonia” and “Clarity”.  He carries the same spirit from his older songs to his newer work, in addition to further growth and depth. You can tell with one look at his face that Vance puts his heart and soul into his songs. The lyrics are sincere, and the melodies are enchanting. I cannot wait to see what Vance Joy continues to do and would highly recommend attending a show on his In Our Own Sweet Time tour.