Welcome to Sweetwater Music Hall’s series of “under the radar” intimate shows with iconic artist of all genres. These private events raise funds to support our mission of promoting youth music education and increasing access to the arts for all in our community and the greater Bay Area.
For
Sweetwater Social #3 on
Monday, May 25th, we will be joined by
Matt Quinn of
Mt. Joy for an early evening solo show. Doors at 6pm. Show at 7pm.
Suggested donation is $220 per person. Your name will be on the list at will call. One donation = one spot on the list. This is a tax-deductible contribution.
Mt. Joy started off as a rekindling of shared musical ambitions between Philadelphia high school friends Matt Quinn (vocals, guitar) and Sam Cooper (guitar). Reunited in LA, the pair met multi-instrumentalist Michael Byrnes through a Craigslist ad. They called themselves Mt. Joy as an ode to a mountain in Valley Forge National Park near Cooper’s childhood home and together with Byrnes’ roommate Caleb Nelson producing, they recorded three songs and sent them out into the world in 2016, hoping for the best. ‘I knew I still wanted to write songs, but the realities of life made that dream seem pretty impossible,’ Quinn said. One of the three songs, ‘Astrovan’, became a huge hit on Spotify, racking up millions of hits, allowing the group to go full-time in 2017, adding Sotiris Eliopoulos on drums and Jackie Miclau on keyboard.
Following the breakout success of their 2025 album Hope We Have Fun, Mt. Joy are currently on an expansive 2026 North American tour, celebrating ten years as a band and cementing their place as one of the most beloved live acts in the country. The run includes landmark headline shows at Madison Square Garden in New York City, two nights at Red Rocks Amphitheatre, and a major return to Boston’s TD Garden, alongside stops in Los Angeles, Chicago, and beyond.
Quinn describes his founding influences as being from the 60’s and 70’s, citing Paul Simon, Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Etta James ‘and other soul stuff’: ‘I’m an old soul musically for sure,’ he laughed. ‘I got into The Grateful Dead through my dad and I’ve been very inspired by their lyricist Robert Hunter. I know everyone says they have eclectic taste but I can go from New Orleans funk jazz to Joni Mitchell on the same playlist.’ If he could tour with anyone, he picks The Grateful Dead: ‘For me, there’s something about what The Grateful Dead were able to do and their success over such a long period of time – I’m talking about the original version. Just to exist on a stage before them and to see if our stuff would be up to snuff!’ – (quoted from bucketplaylist.com)
We are excited to have Matt on Bobby’s stage, and we’re pretty confident his stuff will be up to snuff! See you there!
