The historic Paramount Theatre pulled open its grand velvet drapes and revealed a delightful retro Vegas holiday-inspired scene made complete with a glowing, crimson-colored Christmas tree and copious red metallic streamers. Through the glitter, Jenny Lewis -- the gifted artist known for her timeless silky voice and carefree indie rock femme fatale persona -- materialized and graced the stage. She gave a nod to her backing band (Jess Nolan, Nicole Lawrence, Megan Coleman, and Ryan Madora) donned in Western attire, grabbed her scarlet taped mic, and tore into the country-twanged Tex Logan cover, “Christmas Time’s a Comin’.” The fun rendition, which included a guest appearance by show opener Logan Ledger (Shabazz Palaces also opened), instantly brought the audience to their feet and directly into the magical essence of Jenny’s “Joy ‘All Ball,” a carefully curated tour with stops in cities that hold musical significance–in a journey of joy.
After the Season’s Greetings-themed intro, Jenny shifted gears and pushed her viscous voice into a pair of effervescent honey-sounding songs with a smidge of gravitas: the chart-topping “Psychos” from her recent 2023 release Joy ‘All, and “Do Si Do” from 2021’s On the Line. Lewis’ fierce performance remained front and center as she stepped onto a glitzed-out riser for the mellifluous “She’s Not Me,” from 2014’s The Voyager, and the ultra-smooth eponymously titled “Joy’All.”
The distinctive songstress continued her excursion through her vast catalog of material with an emotional collection of songs -- the gorgeous “I Never,” written as frontwoman for the indie rock band Rilo Kiley (one of the many celebrated artists she has collaborated with over the years, Beck, The Postal Service, Ringo Starr, Elvis Costello, to name a few more), and the voracious “Little White Dove” (On the Line). Jenny moved further into the set with songs that included the beautiful “Late Bloomer” (The Voyager) as well as the sugary, wry “Apples and Oranges,” and the charming “Puppy and a Truck” from Joy’All. The evening wound down with the dreamy warmth of “Red Bull and Hennessy” (On the Line) enveloping the venue. Large red and white balloons above the concertgoers added to the magical scene. The spheres curved and danced with the rhythm of Lewis’ beats and remained afloat as the last chords drifted into the air and the curtains closed.
A huge buzz of energy remained in the aftermath, calling Jenny (in a Holiday-styled robe) and company back to the front of the house to serenade the crowd with another round of skillfully crafted tunes - the country leaning “Love Feel” (Joy ’All) and the beguilingly complex “Just One of the Guys” (On the Line). A glorious acoustic rendition of “Acid Tongue” served as the endpiece to the uplifting show, with its salty sweet harmonics sending concertgoers out into the streets to set out and find their journey toward joy.
Setlist:
Christmas Time's a-Coming (Tex Logan)
Psychos
Do Si Do
She's Not Me
Joy'All
Heads Gonna Roll
Wasted Youth
Cherry Baby
I Never (Rilo Kiley)
Dogwood
Little White Dove
Apples and Oranges
Late Bloomer
Lust for Life (Girls cover)
Puppy and a Truck
Essence of Life
See Fernando
Red Bull & Hennessy
Encore:
Love Feel
Just One of the Guys
Acid Tongue
