Off Broadway, reminiscent of a cavernous garage, welcomed Slow Joy with open arms on a frigid February night.
Continued as a project on advice from his therapist and playing with reverence to his namesake Slowdive, Esteban Flores’ Slow Joy wades through the world of modern emo/post-punk with an air of humility and dedication. Supported by a small but committed following, Slow Joy’s concerts are an electrifying, distorted affair. Catching Flores live is a phenomenal way to spend two hours attempting to absorb music.
First and foremost, the concert was loud, vibrational, and exciting. Entering by himself, Flores launched straight into his opening number. As the song gradually worked its way into top gear, the four-piece band entered to ensure that the sound fully took flight.
Crescendoing with the fantastic triumph of “Pulling Teeth,” Slow Joy really brought some oomph and light to a frozen St. Louis evening. Diametrically opposed to the depressing subject matter of his songs, Slow Joy’s instrumentation is cathartic, presented with an echoed, shoegaze-y delivery.
Questioning if his lover will “Still be here?” Flores runs through his relationship issues with fear and a degree of healthy positivity. Between songs, he injected frequent interjections to encourage the crowd to “have fun, in whatever way that means for you.” Flores’s stage manner is both welcoming and aloof.
However, as the show came to an end, he requested the crowd to “go crazy,” which they did to the best of their ability. Being lively, fun and energetic, Slow Joy gives quite the concert. With the amount of distortion on the guitars and crashing of cymbals, some of the music sounds the same, which works perfectly for his compressed set.
Leaving the venue, crowd-members will have their heads ringing with Flores’s upbeat refrain, “That I’m okay!”
Clearly, Flores’s influences of the Pixies, Smashing Pumpkins, and Nirvana are shining throughout his music. At times, the concert was just the right volume that I was thankful Flores did not end up deafening his supporters, like Billy Corgan used to.
Having worked with Mike Sapone, the producer of albums by the Front Bottoms, Flores has managed to be in the right room with the right people. The concert truly reflected the collaborative nature of his creative process, as each band member was fully leaning into their instruments and making the most of their sonic opportunities.
Off Broadway was absolutely the ideal place to see Slow Joy too, considering how close the audience can get to the band. The combination of hysteria, connectivity, and kinetic energy was welcome and quite simply energizing. For fans of guitars and screaming along to music, definitely go and attend a Slow Joy concert. You won’t be sorry and will definitely be looking forward to his next release, Slow Joy’s debut full-length A Joy So Slow At Times I Don’t Think It’s Coming, due May 16 from Mick Music.
Although his lyrics are at times undecipherable live, the message behind them are thankfully progressive, featuring critiques of capitalism in “King Cowboy”The single “Gruesome,” takes a more pop-rock turn, for the better. With a layered approach to producing, Sapone has truly captured Flores’s live feeling of driving on into the night, wherever it takes him. Perhaps Sonic Highways are not only reserved for the Foo Fighters. | Joe Hindle
Slow Joy on tour:
04.04.25: The Masquerade (Altar), Atlanta, GA
04.05.25: Will’s Pub, Orlando, FL
04.06.25: Crowbar, Tampa, FL
04.08.25: Local 506, Chapel Hill, NC
04.09.25: Jammin Java, Vienna, VA
04.10.25: Trans Pecos, Ridgewood, NY
04.11.25: Crystal Ballroom at Somerville Theatre, Somerville, MA
04.12.25: Alchemy, Providence, RI
04.13.25: Warehouse On Watts, Philadelphia, PA
04.15.25: Rec Room, Buffalo, NY
04.17.25: Pike Room at The Crofoot, Pontiac, MI
04.18.25: A&R Music Bar, Columbus, OH
04.19.25: The East Room, Nashville, TN
