TWO years on from his last hometown headline, Glasgow’s very own Joesef lit up The Art School last weekend for three intimate and euphoric live shows.
Dubbed ‘A Weekend At Stephanie’s Place’ after his most recent single, the soulful singer-songwriter was welcomed back with open arms by the fervent Glasgow crowd who lapped up every minute of his hour-long set on Friday night. And the feeling was mutual – the singer was clearly delighted to be back in front of a familiar audience and strode through the set with style and confidence. Joesef’s music may often come from a place of heartache and deep self-reflection, but the mood in the venue was nothing short of uplifting and carefree.
And despite having the star power to sell out larger rooms like the Barrowlands, the intimacy of the Art School proved the perfect location for his heart-on-sleeve balladry and warm funk-soul tunes. The venue has had a tough few years – since the 2018 fire which affected the Mackintosh Building, the Vic and Assembly, the students’ union, hasn’t hosted half as many gigs as it used to. However, this was the perfect run of shows to bring it back to life – with Joesef leading the way.
Opening with the aforementioned ‘Stephanie’s Place’ – a track that marks his new “era of optimism” – and the equally bright, summery ‘Does It Make You Feel Good’, he also dipped into his 2023 debut album ‘Permanent Damage’ and earlier EPs with ease. ‘East End Coast’ was dedicated to the Glasgow crowd, with the heart-aching lyric ‘I think I miss Glasgow’ left hanging in the air, shouted out by the devoted crowd. Of course, given it was his first gig back, it was an emotionally charged night. He said: “It feels so good to play a show, you get surrounded by all the figures, metrics and data and stuff, all that really matters is being here with people at these shows. It’s so good to be back. Sorry it took me so long, but I’m back, and I’ve missed you so much.”
But along with that, there was plenty of joy – there was a real sense of camaraderie between singer and crowd, as seen in his chat in-between songs, his shout outs to friends and mothers for upcoming Mothers Day, and the fans who sang back every word. The music and lyrical narratives may bear some weight – but this felt like a celebratory return, one to mark his full-time return to the city he calls home.
Later in the set, recent single ‘Cynical’ was debuted, while the grooving soul-pop of ‘It’s Been A Little Heavy Lately’ and ‘The Sun Is Up Forever’ continued the feel-good vibes. ‘Comedown’ and ‘Limbo’ hushed the Friday night fervent crowd for a communal singalong, before live staple ‘Thinking of You’ reignited the dancing with a nod to old-school funk-soul influences in Sister Sledge. It was left to ‘Joe’ to see the night out in euphoric fashion – ‘Joe, don’t ever leave’ the crowd sang back in unison, jumping up and down as the singer-songwriter dived down alongside them.
Joesef and Glasgow crowds make for a rousing combination – and with another big year lined up, we can’t wait to see what comes next from the local hero.
Photos by Cameron Brisbane
