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Gallery and Review by Gallery of Rose
June 6, 2026
Anyone who knows me knows that I am a fan of Joywave. They were my top artist of last year, and I was stoked when I saw that they would be playing a music festival near me.
Before the set, I had the chance to chat with a few fans at the barricade, including Joywave’s official #1 and #3 fan. I approached their #3 fan Robbie as I had seen him at both of the Joywave shows I went to last year, and I was curious to learn more about him and his love of Joywave. I’ve seen so many bands have devoted fans, but Robbie was truly challenging what it meant to be an extreme fan, even just as the #3 fan. Robbie’s friend was the #1 fan, and their group has been following Joywave on countless tours for many years now, continuing to come out and support them at the barricade everywhere they go. Robbie even has a tattoo to tally how many times he has seen Joywave’s typical set ending song Destruction, and he gets it updated after each tour. It was so incredible to hear about this group’s dedication to a band they love.
Of course, after meeting the #1 and #3 Joywave fans, I had to ask who got the honor of #2. I laughed when I learned that it went to Joywave's lead singer, Daniel Armbruster, who had even signed a piece of paper stating that he was only the second biggest fan of his own band!
When the set started, I was captivated - so much so that it took me a while to realize the screen behind the band did not say Joywave, but instead The Chainsmokers. I had no idea that I was actually photographing The Chainsmokers, and not Joywave!! As the set progressed, the incorrect logo in the back changed multiple times with lead singer Armbruster commenting each time. After The Chainsmokers, it was Machine Gun Kelly, Macklemore, Swedish House Mafia, and then Maroon 5 before it finally landed on Joywave’s own logo (even though it was backwards).
When I finished shooting, I was able to enjoy the rest of the set - at this point in time I was enjoying watching Machine Gun Kelly. I already knew that Joywave brings energy to all of their shows (and this set was no exception), but the running joke of incorrect band logos really added to the whole set and the connection Joywave had to the crowd. Maybe there was a little kid in the audience who truly thought they were seeing The Chainsmokers.
The one thing that stood out to me the most during the set is that you can tell how excited the band was to be playing, and how much they enjoy their own music. Their energy is infectious and I know that everyone in the crowd, even if it was their first time hearing about Joywave, was having a good time.
After the set wrapped up (with the song Destruction, of course) I was able to find a few more Joywave fans throughout the festival. Everyone was so kind and had such awesome things to say about the band. It is truly so incredible to see a band with such a friendly fanbase that will always show up for their favorite band.
All images copyright © SubWoofer Mag
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