Partner Press Release from Vail Valley Foundation
If you go …
What: Mt. Joy
When: Saturday, Aug. 19, doors open at 6:30 p.m.
Where: Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater, Vail
Cost: Tickets start at $65 for reserved pavilion seating, $55-$60 for general admission lawn seating
More information: Visit grfavail.com/event/mt-joy
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Vail, Colo., March 6, 2023 — Starting off as friends in a Philadelphia high school, Matt Quinn and Sam Cooper reunited in Los Angeles thanks to the ebbs and flows of adult life and created My. Joy in 2016 – an ode to a mountain in Valley Forge National Park near Cooper’s childhood home. Thanks to a Craigslist ad, the band started to take shape with the addition of Michael Byrnes.
Mt. Joy initially recorded three songs and sent them out into the world, hoping for the best. Much to the band’s amazement, “Astrovan” accomplished the impossible. Without initial promotion or fanfare, the song took off on Spotify, racking up 5 million streams to date. Fast forward to today, and Mt. Joy has toured with the Lumineers and also popped up at some of the biggest summer festivals including Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza and more.
The soulful indie rock band Mt. Joy performs at the Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater in Vail on Saturday, Aug. 19. Tickets go on sale Friday, March 10, at 10 a.m. MST and start at $65 for reserved pavilion seating and $55 for general admission lawn seating. Visit grfavail.com/event/mt-joy for tickets and more information.
“The irony of ‘Astrovan’ was that song was really about being stuck in life and wanting to have the opportunity to pursue a dream, and in an instant, it gave us that opportunity,” Quinn said.
With Quinn on vocals and guitar, Cooper on guitar and multi-instrumentalist Byrnes on board, Mt. Joy quickly transitioned to a full-fledged band by adding Sotiris Eliopoulos on drums and Jackie Miclau on keyboard and piano.
“We were put on some big shows very quickly,” Quinn said. “The growth for us has been exponential – we’ve really just become a family that’s constantly pushing each other and the live show to be great.”
Steeped in folk-rock tradition, Mt. Joy released their third full-length album in 2022, “Orange Blood.”
Hear the music of Mt. Joy in Vail on Saturday, Aug. 19. Visit grfavail.com/event/mt-joy for tickets and more information.
About the Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater
Each summer, the Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater in Vail plays host to an array of cultural and entertainment offerings, ranging from headliner music and comedy, to internationally renowned dance and classical music presentations, courtesy of the Vail Dance Festival and the Bravo! Vail Music Festival, to the free weekly concerts of the Hot Summer Nights series. In addition, local chorale and theater presentations annually grace the Amphitheater stage. The venue, named after President Gerald R. Ford and family, opened in 1987, and is operated by the nonprofit Vail Valley Foundation.
About the Vail Valley Foundation
The Vail Valley Foundation is a 501c3 Colorado nonprofit corporation with a mission to provide leadership in Arts, Athletics and Education, and address community needs to enhance our Valley as a place to live, work and visit.
The organization’s work in education is through YouthPower365, a 501c3 Colorado nonprofit organization with a mission to inspire, educate and empower youth and families from early childhood to college and career readiness. The Vail Valley Foundation also provides the Vail Valley with several of its most treasured annual events, such as the GoPro Mountain Games, the Xfinity Birds of Prey Audi FIS Ski World Cup races, the Vail Dance Festival, and the Hot Summer Nights and ShowDown Town free concert series. The Vail Valley Foundation also manages and operates two performing arts centers, the Vilar Performing Arts Center in Beaver Creek Village and the Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater in Vail, providing more than 100 Broadway, dance, comedy, classical, rock, pop, jazz, community and family events per year.
Vail Valley Foundation activities and events are in part made possible by cornerstone partners: the Town of Vail, Vail Resorts, Beaver Creek Resort Company, Nature Valley, Constellation Brands, CELSIUS Energy, TINCUP Whiskey, and Slifer Smith & Frampton Real Estate.
To learn more about the Vail Valley Foundation visit www.vvf.org.