Joey Delaney: “Mr. Indie”

“He’s in a band”

Joey+Delaney+playing+the+electric+guitar+during+his+concert+at+1st+Ave.+last+Saturday%2C+May+23+with+his+band+Mountain+Opera.

Zach Wagner

Joey Delaney playing the electric guitar during his concert at 1st Ave. last Saturday, May 23 with his band Mountain Opera.

Junior Joey Delaney is known by many in Orono as somewhat of the high school “rock star” or “indie” legend. After DJ-ing a majority of the school dances and playing in anywhere between 150 and 200+ concerts around the world, it’s hard not to think of Joey when one thinks of music.

“I’ve known I wanted to be a musician ever since I was four years old and got my first guitar,” Delaney said.

While Delaney plans on studying business in college, he ultimately wants to pursue a career path in music once he is done with college and “possibly perform in a professional band one day.”

I play six instruments and have been in 11 different bands since I was eight years old.

— Joey Delaney

Delaney’s current band, Mountain Opera, played an 18+ gig at 1st Ave. in Downtown Minneapolis just this past weekend on Saturday, May 23. They played 6 of their original songs: “Chairlift Ghosts,” “Didn’t Know,” “Jay,” “Mountain Chapel,” “Sixty Eight” and “Timbang.”

“A Minneapolis booking agent needed another band for this show and found us online and contacted us,” Delaney said. “I’m really happy he did. I love playing at 1st Ave. and I had a ton of fun on Saturday getting to play in front of so many Orono students and parents, including friends and family of mine.”

While Joey still has a long way to go in his musical career, he is already more talented at the age of 17 than many musicians ever hope to be. After going to his concert at 1st Ave. on Saturday, I would highly recommend any and every Orono student to go support Joey at at least one of his concerts someday and hear some really great indie music while they’re at it. He is truly an incredible young musician with great talent and potential.