Written by Bill Whiting
Originating in North Wales, and calling London, England their current home base, The Joy Formidable has created shockwaves across the Atlantic in the United States with their unique blend of dreamy pop and thrashing punk and metal music. The trio, consisting of Rhydian Dafydd on bass, Matt Thomas on drums, and Ritzy Bryan on lead guitar and vocals, stormed the charts in January, 2011, with the Atlantic Records release, The Big Roar. A subsequent U.S. tour found them playing in Cincinnati at the Midpoint Music Festival, where The Joy Formidable left their mark by ripping through their singles collection of “Austere,” “A Heavy Abacus,” and “Cradle” with unbridled fury and singular purpose. Just one listen to the band’s hallmark composition, “Whirring,” invites a peek inside the ensemble’s trademark sound. Thomas’ full fledged drum attack takes center stage, sounding less like a backup instrument as he powers the band’s rhythmic movement forward with reckless abandon. Dafydd’s bass lines define the Joy Formidable’s direction, sending the group off into uncharted territory with breathtaking improvisational jams that can go on for ten minutes or more. And, Bryan’s presence onstage announces a new rock star for the ages, dolled up in pixie goth, eyes penetrating as she furiously grimaces menacingly at the front rows while slamming down power chords and searing solos full of feedback and distortion. With the voice of a pop angel that fronts one of rock and roll’s most essential acts of the new decade, Ritzy Bryan and The Joy Formidable is one concert that you won’t want to miss when they play the 20th Century Theater with A Place To Bury Strangers and Exitmusic on Friday, March 23, 2012.
March 23, 2012
The 20th Century Theater, 3021 Madison Rd, Cincinnati, OH
8pm, All Ages, BUY TICKETS
