Monday, June 23 was the perfect day for Djo. Fête de la Musique had occurred in the Montmartre district of Paris the Saturday before. And it was a day-long music celebration filled with dancing in nearly every arrondissement. The festival also gave Parisians a day of rest before seeing Djo, actor Joe Keery’s avant-garde pop music project.
The show opened with Post Animal, a psychedelic rock band from Chicago. Keery used to tour with them as a guitarist/vocalist before he parted ways with the band in 2019. At the quaint L’Élysée Montmartre venue, the band set the tone, providing a great preview for the music that followed to. They transitioned between dreamy jams and crystalline rock riffs with ease. Each member of the band added to the multi-layered and enthralling soundscape.
Toward the end of their set, Keery came on stage for Post Animal’s single, “Last Goodbye.” Everyone screamed, taking out their phones to capture the moment they saw the main act during the opener’s performance. Keery stayed for two songs and exited right before Post Animal finished their set.
As the venue waited impatiently for Djo to take the stage, I was pleasantly surprised by his choice of pre-show music. Hits from Dolly Parton, Dion and Jimmy Dean certainly made way for his retro-futuristic music.
Around 9:15 p.m., the eight bit-bleeps of “Runner” began, and the crowd erupted. Djo’s reverb-soaked vocals were surrounded by pulsating basslines, vintage synth sounds and tightly connected guitars. The shortened version of “Runner” led straight into the comical lyrics of “Gloom”: “Your girlfriend scares me / She’s got bad breath.” Djo scanned the crowd with a smile as he moved from stage center to the left. The desperate pleading of “Link” — from his latest album, The Crux — followed, marked by the crowd clapping like a metronome. “Basic Being Basic,” off the same album, is even better live, thanks to the audience shouting back his observations about superficiality. After the song, Keery muttered, “I’m a little funny.” It’s true: His charm onstage comes from a dry, self-aware sense of humor, whether he’s playfully bantering with the crowd or poking fun at his own lyrics.
Djo paused and introduced the band, which included some members of Post Animal. He then began playing “Fool,” a song that captures the feeling of constantly being watched and judged, with lyrics that reflect the pressure of attention and the urge to lean into self-deprecation by playing the fool for the crowd. The vulnerability of “Fool” created a reflective and honest moment in the set. Djo moved to the piano to perform the fan-favorite and Beatles-esque “Charlie’s Garden.” Its bright harmonies, sing-along chorus and whimsical storytelling are reminiscent of The Beatles’ own playful, melodic style; the song drew an anthemic response from the crowd as they swayed and sang along enthusiastically. This portion of the set felt both nostalgic and thrilling, seamlessly blending moments of reflection with infectious fun.
“Mortal Projections” marked the start of the slow-tempoed portion of the night. The song’s hazy synths and introspective lyrics shifted the atmosphere, inviting everyone into a more intimate space. It set a contemplative tone for the rest of the set, allowing both the band and the audience to get lost in the emotional undercurrents of the music. Before “Roddy,” he switched out his guitar three times and finally realized just how mesmerizing a performer he was. He looked at his band, grinning and vibing with them like they were all playing a house party instead of a 1,380-capacity venue.
Djo began playing “Fly” soon after, singing “I followed every winding road / And the path it took me to / No, I don’t look back in anger / Do you?” He explained that the song was about not being vengeful when someone hurts you and learning to forgive them instead. When he said, “We need a lot of that in the world right now,” I couldn’t help but wonder if he was actually referencing something bigger than our own relationships. With everything going on lately, especially after President Donald Trump’s recent decisions, it almost felt political to me — like he was encouraging all of us to be more forgiving, not just on a personal level, but in our communities too. Either way, the vibe in the room shifted, and the song felt incredibly cathartic, like a collective exhale after holding onto so much. Right before “Chateau (Feel Alright),” someone passed around a sheet of blue dot stickers for people to put on their phone flashes. When the song started, the crowd lit up in this sea of glowing blue, and it was genuinely beautiful — one of those moments where everyone just felt connected.
There was a noticeable shift in tone when my favorite track, “Egg,” began. After that whole stretch of slow, introspective songs, this track honestly felt like a wake-up call —the punchy lines and bouncier vibe snapped everyone back to life but still kept us in the moment. It didn’t completely break the spell of the slow-tempoed portion, but it did make everything feel a little more playful and electric. That energy rolled right into “Gap Tooth Smile,” which you could tell is turning into a fan favorite. The counting part especially had everyone screaming together, and it just felt joyful and chaotic in the best way.
Djo closed with “End of Beginning.” Even though it’s the song everyone knows, he played it so casually, as if he were just messing around with old friends rather than performing in a packed venue. Somehow, that laid-back vibe made the whole moment even more powerful. If he’d tried to make it this huge, dramatic finish, I don’t think it would’ve hit the same. Instead, when the crowd absolutely exploded during the bridge, it just took me by surprise and gave me goosebumps. It was an ending that felt genuine and honest.
After a two-minute intermission, Djo came back for a 10-minute encore. If the main set was a comfortable embrace of reminiscence and relief, the encore was purely abandoned joy. “Back On You” maintained an energetic tone, followed by the thrilling finale “Flash Mountain.” The song’s explosive guitar riffs and driving rhythm brought the evening to a conclusion with unadulterated bliss. Everyone on stage gave it their all, leaving fans wanting more.
Throughout the set, it was clear that Djo wasn’t just performing for the sake of putting on a show. He was being completely honest about the weird pressures that come with being in the spotlight, about feeling watched, judged and sometimes out of place. Songs like “Fool” and “Fly” dove into themes of vulnerability, forgiveness and letting go of resentment, on both a personal level and global level. There was this underlying message about embracing imperfection and finding community through shared experiences, even the uncomfortable ones.
The sincerity of the whole set made this show one of the best I’ve ever attended. At its core, it was just a band performing their hearts out with a singer who genuinely wanted to connect. The entire event served as a reminder that Djo isn’t just some side project for an actor; he’s got something real and original to say about self-acceptance, empathy and learning to move through life without losing your sense of self.
Joe Keery is rejoining Post Animal in their upcoming album IRON, which will be released on July 25, 2025.
Daily Arts Contributor Jovanna Gallegos can be reached at jovanna@umich.edu.
