Photos by Daniel DeSlover

To those in Chicago, the name Joe Keery was already on the indie rock radar long before massive roles on “Stranger Things” and “Fargo,” though his latest musical project, Djo, has since blown up practically everywhere.

It naturally resulted in a sold out stop at The Sylvee a mere state away in Madison, Wisconsin, building anticipation for a proper Lollapalooza homecoming on Friday, August 1, right below headliners Olivia Rodrigo and Korn.

After 75 fascinating minutes, it probably won’t be long before Djo leaps up to the headlining ranks, but in the meantime, Keery, who plays each instrument in the studio, and his live backers gave the club an intimate encounter with tracks off “The Crux,” “DECIDE” and “Twenty Twenty.”

Rather than taking a straightforward approach, it was all about the vibes and grooves, which wound their way around an impossible to explain yet instantly connective concoction of The Beatles meets the 1980s and today’s Top 40.

“Gloom,” “Link” and “Charlie’s Garden” got everyone loose, setting the stage for the smash “Basic Being Basic,” one of the many hook-fueled tracks off the current collection.

There was never a lull thanks to fellow entrancing cuts “Lonesome Is A State Of Mind,” “Figure You Out” and “Delete Ya,” amongst others, building towards the commercial-embraced crescendo “End Of The Beginning.”

However, there was plenty more of equal merit, including “Potion,” “Back On You,” “Roddy” and “Flash Mountain,” performed with Keery’s prior band Post Animal, also the night’s opener.

Comprised of Dalton Allison, Jake Hirshland, Javier Reyes, Wesley Toledo and Matt Williams, Post Animal took a psychedelic and progressive approach to previews of the forthcoming “Iron” album, marking the first featuring all six original members in nearly a decade, alongside a lot from earlier experiments.

Of course, that sixth player is Keery, who joined the rest of the guys come “When I Get Home” and “Dirtpicker,” which just like everything by the alluring Djo, were anything but basic.

For additional information on Djo, visit DjoMusic.com.

Upcoming concert highlights at The Sylvee include Spiritbox (Apr. 26); Turnover (Apr. 29); Asking Alexandria (Apr. 30); Kameron Marlowe (May 1); Beach Bunny (May 3); Silverstein (May 4); Sharon Van Etten & The Attachment Theory (May 8); Amyl And The Sniffers (May 9); Magdalena Bay (May 10); Saint Motel (May 11); Sierra Ferrell (May 16) and Rainbow Kitten Surprise (May 17). For additional details, visit TheSylvee.com.

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