ROCK
      BANDS
      JUST
      WANNA
      HAVE
      FUN
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      With
      their
      second
     
     
      appearance
      at
      The
      Wave
      this
     
     
      school
      year,
      Popjoy
      brought
     
     
      their
      professional
      and
      catchy
     
     
      show
      to
      UPEI
      last
      Saturday
     
     
      night.
      The
      London,
      Ontario-
     
     
      based
      group
      were
      greeted
      with
     
     
      a
      small
      but
      very
      enthusiastic
     
     
      crowd,
      which
      made
      the
     
     
      evening
      all
      that
      more
      interest-
     
     
      ing
      as
      it
      did
      its
      best
      to
      get
      into
     
     
      the
      show.
      The
      band
      successful-
     
     
      ly
      played
      off
      this,
      creating
      an
     
     
      energy
      that
      otherwise
      may
     
     
      have
      gone
      missing.
      Save
      for
      a
     
     
      short
      break,
      the
      band
      played
      a
     
     
      good
      and
      lengthy,
      albeit
      some-
     
     
      what
      schizophrenic,
      set
      with
      a
     
     
      variety
      of
      covers
      and
      original
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      songs.
      Easily
      recognizable
     
     
      from
      the
      over-abundance
      of
     
     
      posters
      that
      were
      posted
      across
     
     
      the
      campus,
      the
      group
      were
     
     
      obviously
      welcome
      faces
      and
     
     
      most
      likely
      will
      be
      again
      in
      the
     
     
      future.
     
    

    
     
      Vocalist
      and
      guitarist
     
     
      Sarah
      Smith
      was
      very
      charis-
     
     
      matic
      given
      her
      limited
      space,
     
     
      encouraging
      the
      crowd
      to
      get
     
     
      involved
      and
      doing
      everything
     
     
      from
      jumping
      up
      and
      down
      to
     
     
      leading
      the
      audience
      through
     
     
      several
      little
      in-games.
      Bassist
     
     
      Shawn
      Smith
      kept
      a
      steady
     
     
      rhythm
      throughout
      the
      room,
     
     
      and
      drummer
      Day-lo
      pounded
     
     
      out
      the
      beats
      and
      provided
      the
     
     
      always
      fun
      get-a-clear-picture-
     
     
      of-the-drummer-way-in-the-
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      back
      challenge.
      Lead
      guitarist
     
     
      Mike
      used
      an
      interesting
      mix-
     
     
      ture
      of
      effects
      to
      produce
      a
     
     
      crisp
      and
      echoing
      lead
      that
     
     
      soared
      over
      the
      rhythms.
      The
     
     
      band
      demonstrated
      an
      excellent
     
     
      level
      of
      professionalism,
      from
     
     
      their
      well-mixed
      sound
      to
      their
     
     
      visiting
      tables
      throughout
      The
     
     
      Wave
      and
      introducing
      them-
     
     
      selves
      during
      the
      mid-show
      -
     
     
      break.
      Even
      when
      the
      lyrics
     
     
      were
      confused
      on
      a
      cover
      of
     
     
      Bryan
      Adams'
      "Summer
      of
     
     
      “69",
      they
      went
      back
      and
      redid
     
     
      the
      section
     
    
   
   
    
     
      back.
      While
      there
      were
      occa-
     
     
      sions
      of
      good
      wholesome
      rock,
     
     
      such
      as
      a
      mixture
      set
      of
      various
     
     
      pieces
      of
      AC/DE
      songs
      and
      a
     
     
      welcome
      cover
      of
      the
      classic
     
     
      song
      "Sweet
      Child
      o'
      Mine",
     
     
      there
      were
      several
      times
      the
     
     
      opportunity
      to
      really
      let
      loose
     
     
      and
      pound
      out
      the
      sound
     
     
      seemed
      to
      be
      missed
      as
      the
     
     
      band
      would
      pull
      back
      and
      quiet
     
     
      themselves
      down.
      Curiously
     
     
      enough,
      many
      of
      the
      covers
     
     
      seemed
      to
      out-rock
      a
      lot
      of
     
     
      their
      own
      original
      material.
      At
     
     
      times
      there
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      excellent
      vibe
     
     
      only
      to
      have
      it
     
    
   
   
    
     
      without
      miss-
      |
      Vocalist
      and
      guitarist
      Sarah
      |would
      be
      an
     
     
      ing
      so
      much
      |
      Smith
      was
      very
      charismatic
     
     
      as
      a
      beat.
      given
      her
      limited
      space
     
    

    
     
      The
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      be
      brought
      to
      a
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      band's
      self-proclaimed
      mission
     
     
      is
      to
      play
      great
      music,
      and
     
     
      "bring
      out
      the
      joy".
      They
     
     
      encourage
      that
      people
      come
      to
     
     
      the
      shows
      and
      forget
      about
     
     
      everyday
      life.
      Sarah
      Smith
     
     
      cities
      Weezer
      as
      one
      of
      her
     
     
      major
      influences,
      and
      there
      is
     
     
      certainly
      an
      air
      of
      total
      non-
     
     
      seriousness
      about
      their
      music.
     
     
      According
      to
      the
      band,
      they
      are
     
     
      always
      happy
      to
      see
      the
     
     
      response
      that
      PEI
      gives
      them.
     
     
      The
      crowds
      may
      be
      small,
      but
     
     
      they
      know
      how
      to
      have
      a
      good
     
     
      time.
      And
      certainly,
      from
      the
     
     
      vantage
      point
      of
      standing
      with
     
     
      the
      mass
      huddled
      up
      toward
     
     
      the
      stage,
      that
      definitely
      seems
     
     
      to
      be
      true.
     
    

    
     
      However,
      perhaps
      it
      was
     
     
      only
      the
      small-size
      of
      the
     
     
      venue,
      but
      at
      times
      it
      seemed
     
     
      as
      though
      they
      were
      holding
     
    
   
   
    
     
      UPEI
      Cadre
      February
      4,
      2004
      page
      18
     
    
   
   
    
     
      screeching
      halt
      by
      an
      abrupt
     
     
      change
      in
      sound.
      There
      also
     
     
      seemed
      to
      be
      too
      much
      of
      a
     
     
      reliance
      on
      mini-sets
      composed
     
     
      of
      bits
      and
      pieces
      of
      well-know
     
     
      songs
      from
      the
      past
      several
     
     
      years.
     
    

    
     
      Popjoy
      is
      a
      band
      that
      has
     
     
      much
      more
      growth
      to
      go
     
     
      through,
      and
      for
      the
      group
      that
     
     
      is
      a
      definite
      plus.
      The
      potential
     
     
      is
      there,
      and
      the
      audience/band
     
     
      chemistry
      will
      be
      a
      definite
     
     
      asset
      to
      their
      future
      shows.
     
     
      Working
      out
      some
      more
      devel-
     
     
      oped
      covers
      and
      figuring
      out
     
     
      exactly
      what
      they
      want
      to
     
     
      sound
      like
      will
      help
      them
      make
     
     
      a
      larger
      splash
      as
      well.
      After
     
     
      some
      more
      developing,
      the
     
     
      quartet
      from
      Ontario
      may
      be
     
     
      able
      to
      deliver
      their
      joy
      with
      a
     
     
      much
      stronger
      yet
      sweeter
     
     
      punch.