funky ppl press

Our favorite boys, Joey Valence and Brae, took to NYC to celebrate the release of HYPERYOUTH on August 20th. A vulnerable new addition to their discography, HYPERYOUTH explores fears of growing up, living out your dreams, having fun, and dancing hard.

Between the classic high energy sound of JVB and a newer, more personal side to their writing, HYPERYOUTH is the perfect summer album for us twenty-somethings entering the next phase of our lives.

This album release show was held at SummerStage, an outdoor venue in the center of Central Park that provides both free and ticketed shows weekly in the summer. Fully free, the HYPERYOUTH Album Release Show was open to the general public. As I looked around at the crowd, it was awesome to see long-time JVB fans and newer dance music fans in the pit all together, enjoying the music and dancing in the rain.

It was downpouring. Now most people would think of this negatively, but it brought the vibes even higher for the crowd. They didn’t let the rain stop them from having the time of their lives, and neither did Joey and Brae. Starting around 7:45 PM, JVB performed a solid mix of songs from HYPERYOUTH, No Hands, and Punk Tactics. With both boys running and jumping around the stage for over an hour in the pouring rain, you’d think that the energy would dwindle at some point. NOPE! From beginning to end, JVB and their fans brought an electric energy to a rainy NYC night. Filled with “dance pits” (a moshing-like endeavor minus the smashing and discomfort) and singing along to verses by collaborators TiaCorine, Rebecca Black, and JPEGMafia, fans both old and new celebrated the release of another epic dance album by JVB.

I was smiling the whole time to be honest. It’s extra special to see two guys killing it in a similar place of life as you. As a recent-college grad and fellow creative, HYPERYOUTH encourages me to keep going and working hard even when I don’t want to grow up. Having fun while being somewhat scared about the future is such a reality for many of us, and I think it’s very important that JVB shows this representation.

I loved this show, I love these guys and their team, and I’m excited for their full HYPERYOUTH Tour this Fall!