*Will Gold of Lovejoy at Hawthorne Theatre.*

Lovejoy – now you may not have known the name before, but you’re about to start seeing this band everywhere, trust me.

Comprised of members Will Gold, Joe Goldsmith, Ash Kabosu, and Mark Boardman, the indie rock group was born in Brighton, England, in early 2021, marking the beginning of a band that’s become very special to a lot of people (something that was very apparent at the show I was given the honor of attending).

Finding success from the very beginning, Lovejoy released their first EP titled “Are You Alright?” in May of 2021, securing themselves a #10 ranking on Billboard’s Emerging Artists chart. The impressive momentum of their first release allowed the indie rock band to follow up with a second and third EP, the most recent of which, “Wake up & It’s Over” debuting at #5 on the UK album charts, hitting an all-time record for Lovejoy that’s sure to simply rise.

That being said, it’s hard to believe any of this would be possible without Lovejoy’s doting fanbase who don’t just show up online (as proven by Lovejoy’s 1.2 million Twitter followers), but also promote an incredible sense of community at Lovejoy shows!

*Fans (and my friends, coincidentally), posing outside the sold out show at Hawthorne Theatre in Portland, Oregon.*

With the band only haven played various clubs and bars in Europe for the most part, fans in the United States were elated when the “Lovejoy Across The Pond” tour was announced back in February, and that was certainly shown when tickets for every date (festivals excluded) sold out the second tickets went on sale. They went so fast actually, that people were actually afraid that scammers had gotten ahold of the majority of tickets, but I'm happy to report that the extremely long line of Lovejoy fans waiting for the Portland show last Friday were all very real people with very real excitement to see their favorite band live and in the flesh that evening!

Fans in line for Lovejoy approximately an hour before doors!

One of the smaller venues on this tour, Hawthorn Theatre was ready for the influx of Lovejoy fans that flooded the venue at 7 PM, water posted and floor cleared in preparation of an accurately predicted night of nonstop dancing and singing. Fans bounced along to the catchy tunes of LA-based opener Wilt and swayed to the melancholy songs of emo-folk singer/songwriter Crywank until it came time for what everyone had been waiting for: Lovejoy.

Now, it may have been hot as hell in that room (Unfortunately not an exaggeration, in all my years of concert-going, I don’t know if I’ve ever been to a show that legitimately felt as much like a sauna as that one did), but neither the band nor fans let that stop them, feet off the ground and arms in the air the moment they heard those first few notes of recent single “Call Me What You Like.”

Now the Brits did not come to play, prepared with a killer setlist that included the majority of their discography and guaranteed to drive fans wild. From “older” fan favorites to every song off of their newest EP, Lovejoy set the standards high both in terms of setlist and stage energy itself!

The band was incredibly fun to watch while remaining ever so diligent and watching out for their fans even amidst playing, halting the show at one point to ensure a fan among the crowd was alright, something you don’t always see from artists (though it should honestly be standard, at least if you ask me). It’s just something else when you attend a show where you can feel the connection between artist and fans, and how symbiotic and genuine those emotions are.

In fact, I think that’s one of the things I liked about Lovejoy the most; they had excellent music and showmanship, but seeing the authenticity in Hawthorne Theatre that Friday night really made all the difference. It was more than a room full of people who simply liked the headlining band, they made up a community in which people truly cared about not just the music but also each other, something that I feel like only grows to that point when also fostered by the band and their values.

Really, what I’m trying to say, is that Lovejoy shows are a unique and absolutely lovely experience, and I encourage anyone reading this to give them a listen, and maybe even try and snag a ticket to a show (next run though, because I’m not kidding when I say that tickets this tour sold out within 60 seconds of them going live) when they’re in town! And also, just maybe, check out the photos I took of them in Portland — I think those are pretty sick too!