Jenny Lewis at The Observatory
December 6, 2023
“I am a rebel, all American made”
- Psychos from the album Joy’All
Singer songwriter, Jenny Lewis, came to the Observatory in Santa Ana on tour for her latest album, Joy’All. A veteran songwriter with multiple side projects including the acclaimed Postal Service, who she just got off touring with on the 20th anniversary of the album Give Up, Jenny brought her latest collection of songs. She started the show with a Christmas cover of “Christmas Time’s A-Coming” with her special guest, Logan Ledger, who opened the night.
From here, the band set into Psychos, the first song on the new album. The controlled groove of the song puts you in a trance that allows the lyrics to blossom into focus. Musically, it's a genre blend of indie rock, Americana, and classic pop-rock reminiscent of Fleetwood Mac. With Jenny Lewis, you get the sense that the song comes first and the genre is an unintended consequence of pursuing the song.
Throughout the night, Jenny switched between her wurly (wurlitzer keyboard) and acoustic guitar. Being no stranger to to great musicians, and with the access to them, her all-female band was captivating with their ability to feel like they’d been doing this together for decades. They felt like Jenny’s band. Her decades-spanning catalog of songs being played in this way, with a bit of the nonchalance that indie is known for, mixed with her country-adjacent instrumentation, shows that Jenny Lewis is always building and evolving and continually at the top of her game.
Words by Benjamin Peterson
Photos by Lily Ordunez
Photos by Lily Ordunez
