The adrenaline high of Djo and Post Animal at Franklin Music Hall

How long would you wait in early onset summer heat for your favorite musician? For some Djo fans, it was 15 hours between when they started queuing to when the band, led by singer-songwriter and actor Joe Keery, took the stage.

It was a busy night for Keery too. He, his band, and opener Post Animal hit Franklin Music Hall Saturday, May 3rd, for a stop on the Back On You tour. Keery started releasing music as Djo back in 2019, but before that he was in Post Animal putting out music as far back as 2015. It’s been awhile since he was an active member of the band, but he’s on the cover art for their upcoming release Iron.

Keery joined his former band, and current friends, for the second half of their set opening up for him. And at the end of Djo’s set, Post Animal returned the favor and joined them on stage for “Flash Mountain,” off the debut Djo record. When they’re all playing together, there’s a palpable chemistry. They’re not just musically impressive, but they’re fun.

Seeing this new album live put a new light on the lyrics. In the single “Basic Being Basic,” Keery sings “I don’t want your money, I don’t care for fame / I don’t wanna live a life where that’s my big exchange / I want simple pleasures, friends who have my back.” It can be read a few ways. Keery and ex-girlfriend Maika Monroe’s relationship was well-chronicled in his music, and this could be about their recent breakup. Or it’s about his sudden rise to fame after the success of Stranger Things, a theme carried over from 2022’s “End of Beginning.” He has these moments of jarring, candid lines, like when he sings about losing his capacity to love, that are buried under dancey pop beats that hit harder when it’s being said right in front of you.

Djo, his band, and Post Animal are an incredible group of performers. The highlight of the show was hands down the closing performance of “Flash Mountain.” Jaw-dropped, I watched from the nosebleeds as chaos unfolded on stage. Keery was crawling around while members of Post Animal were screaming through a megaphone, or taking digicam pictures of the crowd. It was a crazy way to end a show, serving an adrenaline high right at the very finish.