Joe Keery has been this generation’s heartthrob since Stranger Things first came out in 2016 and there is no argument that he is talented in the acting field. However, many on TikTok are now discovering that he is a musician – and a good one at that!
Post Animal
In 2014, Keery joined an underground psychedelic rock band from Chicago called Post Animal. The members included Dalton Allison, Jake Hirshland, Javi Reyes, Wes Toledo, Matt Williams and of course, Mr. Steve Harrington himself. Keery did backing vocals and played guitar for the band up until 2018 due to the difficulty of balancing music and his acting career. They released their first album, Post Animal Perform the Most Curious Water Activities, in 2015. Their last album featuring Keery was in 2018, titled When I Think of You in a Castle.
Listen to “Ralphie” here:
DJO – Freshman Album
In 2019, shortly after leaving Post Animal, Keery released “Roddy,” under the name “DJO” (pronounced Joe). While still keeping to his rock roots, Keery invited “glowing synths” and “trippy guitars” into his solo music, all created and produced by himself. He went on to release two more singles, “Chateau (Feel Alright),” and “Mortal Projections,” before publishing his first album, Twenty Twenty, on Sept. 13, 2019. During quarantine, he released a single titled “Keep Your Head Up,” featuring fun beats, a groovy bassline and encouraging lyrics like, “Something special in you/Everyone will see in time.”
Listen to “Roddy” here:
Listen to “Keep Your Head Up” here:
Sophomore Album
On June 17, 2022, Keery’s musical persona’s Instagram uploaded a cryptic video featuring him in a wig and an altered deep voice with a phone number. When fans called, they were greeted with a distorted voice and music in the background. After the call ends, fans received a text message from DJO announcing his new single, “Change,” which was released June 22, 2022. The same day the single came out, he announced his new album, Decide, which will be released Sept. 16, 2022. His second single, “Gloom,” came out July 25, 2022, featuring 1980s new-wave inspired beats and lyrics.
Listen to “Change” here:
Listen to “Gloom” here:
Tour
Despite his success, Keery has not been on tour very often. In 2019, he did four shows; one in Los Angeles, California, two in Chicago, Illinois and one in Brooklyn, N.Y. Recently, he has been to Alabama and California for solo shows. He also performed at Shaky Knees Festival, BottleRock Festival and Lollapalooza. He will make his way to Sea.Hear.Now in Asbury Park, NJ in September and Austin City Limits Music Festival in Austin, Texas in October. It is unsure if he will be going on tour for his second album.
https://open.spotify.com/artist/5p9HO3XC5P3BLxJs5Mtrhm?si=YmdmBqZETCuZnPn522uc-A