London, Ontario based hard rock band The Joys couldn’t be named better. Whether performing in front of 10,000 people or just 10, like at their  Oct. 21 show at the Slice, I’ll bet lead singer Sarah Smith would be beaming ear to ear just as widely. Her amazing whisky and cigarette scorched pipes resurrected the spirit of Janis Joplin and makes you think of Sass Jordan and Darby Mills from the Headpins.  Hearing Smith sing makes you wonder where all all the true rocker chicks have gone. She puts many male vocalists to shame with her stage presence and those pipes. Beautiful. Especially when you have plenty of blazing meat and potatoes and slightly blues infused guitar riffs happening  to back up the songs.
 In addition to songs off their last full-length studio CD, ”Unfold” like “Fly” and “Soul on Your Sleeve” they also introduced some new songs and launched into an impromptu jam on “Twist and Shout.” She was having the time of her life running through the audience taking everybody’s pictures in between songs.
 And the crowd, which include members of Victoria folk/bluesgrass band the Gruff, who were taking a break in Lethbridge en route to Brooks, cheered and hollered louder than a crowd 10 times their size.
 They Joys are sure to be the next big thing. They’ve have  the musical chops, an affable and attractive lead singer who can really belt it out and who play off of each  other like kids play with candy.

—By Richard Amery, L.A. Beat Editor