Only one night into their Phantasmagorical Vol. 1 tour, Jukebox the Ghost already seemed to be running at full speed. The band kicked things off in New York on Thursday, but by Friday’s stop at Boston’s Royale, they had more than just their new tour to celebrate. Their new thirty-song album had officially dropped that morning, and the night was both a concert and an album release party rolled into one.

The trio’s signature mix of piano rock, humor, and theatrical flair filled the room. It wasn’t the biggest crowd Royale has ever seen, but the fans who showed up were the devoted kind. The ones who’ve followed Jukebox the Ghost for years and know every word, every bit, and every weird left turn the band might take.

The band of “Mr. Beans”

When the three members, Ben Thornewill on keys and vocals, Tommy Siegel on guitar, and Jesse Kristin on drums, stepped onstage in matching suits, they looked more like a Wes Anderson cast reunion. “We look like a band of Mr. Beans,” Siegel joked early in the set, and the audience laughed along. The self-awareness set the tone for the night: polished musicianship delivered with a sly wink.

A party before the party

Opening act Boys Go to Jupiter set the stage with a brassy, high-energy set that felt tailor-made for Jukebox’s brand of joyful chaos. The Brooklyn band, complete with horns, keys, guitar, bass, and drums, squeezed onto the front half of the stage but made the most of it. They moved, danced, and warmed up the audience for something bigger.

Phantasmagorical Vol 1

Jukebox the Ghost wasted no time showing off their latest work. They’ve been gleefully bragging online about Phantasmagorical Vol. 1’s massive thirty-track runtime, mostly through memes, and the live show made it clear they’re proud of the excess. New songs dominated the first half of the night before the band shifted gears for a run of fan favorites including “Ramona,” “Girl,” “Jumpstarted,” and “Fred Astaire.”

Between songs, a prerecorded PA announcer interrupted with tongue-in-cheek heckles, blurring the line between concert and comedy sketch.

The Chaos, rehearsed

The most memorable moment came during “Hold It In,” which the trio repeatedly flubbed before Thornewill laughed and said, “This is the dumbest song we’ve ever written. We could play it on different instruments and it’d still sound dumb.” The crowd immediately egged them on, and moments later the lineup had fully swapped: Ben behind the drums, Tommy on keys, Jesse on guitar. The impromptu experiment sounded predictably terrible, and it brought the house down. They finished the song properly afterward, but the chaos was the point.

There’s a special joy in watching a band that refuses to take itself too seriously. Phantasmagorical Vol. 1 is ambitious, eccentric, and proudly overstuffed, and so is their live show. If Jukebox the Ghost is coming to your city this tour – check here for dates and tickets – do yourself a favor by seeing them. You won’t regret it.

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