On Aug. 20, Young the Giant, Cold War Kids and Joywave joined forces at the Cuthbert Amphitheater for a show full of anthemic indie pop and mentions of the eclipse.

Joywave brought its indie and electronic sounds to Eugene, hot off the release of its latest album, “Content.” Daniel Armbruster’s vocals combined with the band’s sultry sounds to create a highly danceable set. The band is great at writing catchy songs that also leave the listener with a twinge of uneasiness — like nothing is final. “Somebody New,” with its distorted beginning was a great example of this. At the end of the set, Armbruster told the crowd about the band’s headline tour soon. He exclaimed that crowd had to prove itself for a place on the list of tour dates. With the band’s energy, the crowd was pumped.

Joywave’s Daniel Armbruster snaps his fingers at the band’s Cuthbert show on Aug. 20, 2017. (Sararosa Davies/Emerald)

Cold War Kids followed with a wide-ranging set. The band released its latest album “L.A Divine” at the end of spring. It played crowd-pleasers like “First” to songs like the “L.A. Divine” track “So Tied Up.” Vocalist Nathan Willet, wearing a Cold War Kids shirt, moved from playing the piano to shaking maracas to playing the guitar. He did this all while singing the band’s songs with full passion. As Cold War Kids ended its set, he mentioned the current political moment and called for audience members to think about the way they treat others.

Matt Maust of Cold War Kids locks eyes with the camera. Young the Giant headline the Cuthbert Amphitheater in Eugene, OR on Aug. 20, 2017. (Phillip Quinn/Daily Emerald)

Headliner Young the Giant is touring in support of 2016’s “Home of the Strange,” an album about the immigrant experience in the United States. The band’s set was preceded by a mix of songs about America ranging from Bruce Springsteen’s “Born in the USA” to Green Day’s “American Idiot.” The crowd screamed as familiar songs played, singing along to Miley Cyrus’s “Party in the USA.”  Lead singer Sameer Gadhia wore an orange jumpsuit and flailed about on stage, bringing the night to a warm end.

Young the Giant headline the Cuthbert Amphitheater in Eugene, OR, on Aug. 20, 2017. (Phillip Quinn/Daily Emerald)

Check out the Emerald’s photo gallery from the night below and stay tuned for a profile of Joywave in the coming week. 

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