Djo Is a Terrible Opening Act (If You’re the Headliner)
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - August 5: Djo supports night two of Tame Impala’s sold-out two-night stand at Bridgestone Arena. (Photo by Dylan Basden for Pretty Nifty)
Out on the road supporting leg number two of Tame Impala’s “Deadbeat” tour, Djo is quite possibly the worst kind of opener from a headliner’s point of view. He is a talented multi-hyphenate with his own rabid fanbase, a dynamic frontman and incredible musician, and quite frankly, he is a hard act to follow. Sure, this is the “Deadbeat” tour and Tame Impala is undeniably the headliner, but there was certainly a feverish draw towards Djo that would make even the most talented headliner sweat around the collar.
Djo, the solo musical outlet for actor Joe Keery, is still fresh off the release of The Crux, his third studio album. The past year has been undeniably massive for Keery, with The Crux landing as a top 50 album and his starring role in Strangers Things, the latter of which aired its series finale late last year.
Djo kicked off his set with ”Awake,” a dreamy, synth-laden acoustic track from The Crux’s deluxe edition. Cast in red lighting, Keery’s droning vocals looming heavily over the crowd as the simmering pot slowly starts to boil. While a star in one of the most successful television shows this side of the millennium, Djo sharply avoids conventional music. With “Awake,” it is clear he knows this and intends to leverage it against the audience, chugging forward into the songs climatic pop. Bursting to life, Djo and his backing band swerve sharply into heavy, slugging, hard rock. The red glow of the stage shifts into a vibrant array of lights and Keery is launching himself across the stage as the sound comes crushing in.
Following up with “Change,” the lead single from 2022’s DECIDE, Djo is already firmly in the pocket. He’s also not afraid to shift gears, drawing heavily on 80’s synth-pop, leaving “Change” in a far groovier position when compared to its opening counterpart. Djo feels extremely lively here, leaning into his higher register with a rather soft delivery, a warm and inviting tone in the packed arena.
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - August 5: Djo supports night two of Tame Impala’s sold-out two-night stand at Bridgestone Arena. (Photo by Dylan Basden for Pretty Nifty)
Rounding out the first three in his set, Djo treats the audience to “Basic Being Basic,” another single from The Crux. Keery comes in hot with an effortless swagger, with the groovy spoken word intro adding a unique flair to the already dynamic start to the show. Keery is a natural frontman, drawing the spotlight his direction without any real competition. Perhaps an overlapping skill from his acting career, it truly is a masterful performance.
Setlist
Awake
Change
Basic Being Basic
Lonesome Is a State of Mind
Roddy
Fool
Charlie’s Garden
Delete Ya
Egg
End of Beginning
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - August 5: Djo supports night two of Tame Impala’s sold-out two-night stand at Bridgestone Arena. (Photo by Dylan Basden for Pretty Nifty)
While Djo has now wrapped up his run of shows with Tame Impala, as well as his own US headline dates, he isn’t quite done yet. Djo and company will out at San Francisco’s Outside Lands festival before hopping the pond for a string of shows and festival appearances across Europe.
You can find all of Djo’s upcoming tour dates here.
Aug 8 – San Francisco, CA – Outside Lands 2026
Aug 21 – Hasselt, BE – Pukkelpop Festival 2026
Aug 22 – London, UK – All Points East Festival 2026
Aug 24 – Rome, IT – Auditorium Parco della Musica*
Aug 25 – Mila, IT – Parco della Musica*
Aug 27 – Paris, FR – Rock en Seine 2026
Aug 28 – Bristol, UK – Forwards Festival 2026
Aug 29-30 – Laois, IR – Electric Picnic 2026
* with Witch Post
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - August 5: Djo supports night two of Tame Impala’s sold-out two-night stand at Bridgestone Arena. (Photo by Dylan Basden for Pretty Nifty)
Candidly, if you’re an artist out headlining arenas and stadiums, Djo just isn’t who you want opening for you. Frankly, he’s likely to be the better act compared to you nine out of ten times. Djo is now selling out amphitheaters on his own with ease too, as evidenced by the handful of dates he sprinkled in between his run with Tame Impala. He doesn’t need to open for anyone. Simply put, Djo is not an opening act, Djo is not an appetizer, Djo is the main course.