The indie-folk band plays another Colorado show Saturday at Fiddler’s Green.

Standing on the hallowed stage at Red Rocks again Friday night, frontman Matt Quinn explained that the band was initially invited to open for alt-rock outfit Rainbow Kitten Surprise years ago. When the pandemic shut everything down, Rainbow Kitten Surprise decided to work on an album instead, leaving Mt. Joy to headline the venue on May 22, 2021.

The band felt so strongly about their performance that they turned it into a live album. On the second night of their recent tour stop, Mt. Joy performed the version of their anxious yet funky single “Julia” from that record. They smoothly transitioned into a jazzy, moody version of “Ain’t No Sunshine” by Bill Withers, then “Clint Eastwood” by the Gorillaz with rapid keys, and back into “Julia.”

“Thank you guys for all the years of showing up,” Quinn told a sold-out crowd of more than 9,500 people. “We can’t thank you enough.”

From Philly to L.A.

Quinn and guitarist Sam Cooper met during high school near Conestoga High School outside of Philadelphia. They parted ways, but reconnected in Los Angeles. Quinn enrolled at Loyola Law School, and Cooper moved to the City of Angels after completing his degree at Temple Law School.

The duo released their viral track “Astrovan” in 2016 with Michael Byrnes on bass and garnered millions of streams. After the single’s success, Quinn dropped out of law school to focus on music full time. He and Cooper officially recruited Byrnes, Sotiris Elipoulos on drums, and Jackie Miclau on keys to form their five-piece indie rock and folk band.

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Mt. Joy released its fourth and most recent studio album “Hope We Have Fun” last year, exploring the beauty and resilience of navigating life on tour.

Celebrating their 10th anniversary as a band, Mt. Joy is a little over halfway through their World Tour. The band played their second night at Red Rocks on August 14.

Slight delay

The rain started falling early on in the afternoon, and Red Rocks announced a brief weather delay. The venue reported the delay on Facebook to which one person commented, “Seems like the polar opposite of a ‘Mt. Joy.’”

Once fans received the “all clear,” swarms of people rushed into the amphitheatre in parkas and rain jackets. There were plenty of audience members in newly purchased “I was rained on at Red Rocks” ponchos, and one woman held a literal trash bag over her head as protection. Many people opted to still wear their cute concert looks with little tank tops, sparkly dresses, and sandals – a bold choice given the forecast.

Almost like a peace offering from the universe, the rain stopped just before Mt. Joy’s set. Miclau began with an emotional piano solo, her fingers dancing across the keys. As hazy pink and purple lights radiated from the stage, the band moved into their sultry, romantic single “Dirty Love.” Quinn strummed his acoustic guitar at center stage as images of the northern lights moved across a screen behind him.

“The dream continues,” Quinn said in reference to playing the legendary venue for a second consecutive night. “Thank you, guys, so much for being here. This is one of the most special places on the planet. Let’s have some fun.”

The band dressed in casual T-shirts and jeans, except Elipoulos who wore a navy button down and Miclau who outshined them all literally in glittering silver pants and a lacy black tank.

Joyous vibe – no pun intended

Quinn stated in an interview with NPR that he doesn’t like using the word “joy” to describe his band’s shows because it’s too obvious. But that’s exactly the vibe that their shows curate. Their music is comforting and full of love.

Audience members often delighted in the peace of the moment, lightly nodding their heads to the beat. At times, it was humorous to look out at thousands of people calmly bobbing along. Mt. Joy’s music makes people feel like everything is okay, at least for one night.

Loud thumping drums and soft blue lights rose as the band’s breakout hit “Astrovan” started. People squealed and danced as colorful, trippy brain and cosmic graphics filled the screen behind the band, and a rainbow checkerboard of lights flashed across the stage. A man with shaggy hair and Birkenstocks was so excited that he began doing a little jig on the amphitheatre steps. It seemed random for Mt. Joy to play their origin song fourth on their setlist, but it was a fun surprise.

Quinn was endlessly grateful for this moment with their music loving community. “This is a surreal experience every time we get to do it so thanks for being here,” he said. The band is deeply motivated by community building. For the entirety of their tour, Mt. Joy is working with PLUS1 — an organization created by Canadian indie rock band Arcade Fire — to donate $1 from each ticket to local charities.

Quinn had some hilarious one liner introductions to his songs like “Alright, here’s a song about doing acid in the desert,” before “Orange Blood” and “This is a song about getting broken up with in a Toyota Prius,” before “Bug Eyes.”

He also had a comedic anecdote about “I’m Your Wreck.” On a trip to San Francisco with his ex-girlfriend, Quinn realized the extent of his anxiety and how it controlled his life. He had a panic attack, but lied and told his girlfriend that he just had a stomachache.

In an act of kindness, his girlfriend bought Miralax for him. He was already in too deep, so he took it. “Obviously that was the opposite of what I needed,” he said. “It went bad.” In that moment, he realized he “was a wreck,” which is juxtaposed in the song by his grandmother who weathered her own storm. She passed away, so Quinn dedicated the song to her.

“I’m Your Wreck” resonates for people dealing with chronic anxiety and feeling like they can’t escape their own mind and body. Soaring harmonies and golden light emanated from the stage as a reminder that we can emerge from our darkest periods. A camera moved to project a little kid playing air guitar on the side screens, a sweet display of innocence on a heavy song.

Sonic build

Mt. Joy has mastered the art of a sonic build and explosion as well as quiet moments of reflection. “Witness” started as acoustic driven with “La La Land” level passionate and somber keys then built to the full band as Quinn’s anger swelled.

The song tells the story of being cheated on with the conflicting feelings of still wanting someone but hating them for what they’ve done. Quinn sings, “I’m ready to love you still/ I’m living under your spell/ Shut off that stupid song/ I should cut off your tongue.”

It wouldn’t be a true Red Rocks folk concert without a guest appearance from Nathaniel Rateliff. Mt. Joy brought out the Denver-based artist for his feature on “Wild and Rotten.” Rateliff and Quinn created a sweet moment of friendship with lovely harmonies.

“It feels so good to be loved here at home,” Rateliff said. Quinn literally saluted him for working on the song with Mt. Joy and coming to their show.

As a very topical song choice, Rateliff stayed for a cover of Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Have You Ever Seen the Rain?” He shared a cute hug with Quinn before heading off stage.

“Are you guys ready to party? Let’s turn this thing up,” Quinn said before launching into “Pink Lady.”

Quinn obviously feels deeply. As road maps flashed across the screen behind him, he sang “Highway Queen” as a love letter to his wife. While he is away for long stretches on tour, he promises to always find her and love her for who she is.

Everyone in the music industry has to start somewhere before they make it big, and it’s always heartwarming to see bands actually appreciate and care about their openers. Mt. Joy praised rock band Arcy Drive and invited them out to sing “Silver Lining.” They danced across the stage with tambourines and shakers, seemingly having the time of their lives.

For the encore, Mt. Joy adventured into the crowd. They squished together for an intimate performance of the romantic and sensual track “Bathroom Light.” Returning to the very start, the band ended with “Jenny Jenkins,” a track off their 2018 self-titled debut album.

The song ends with Quinn singing, “You know I wouldn’t change things/ Even if I made it.” An audience member happily yelled, “You made it,” cementing Mt. Joy’s accomplishments over the last 10 years as well as their connection to Red Rocks and the fans that flock to their shows time and time again.