Slow Joy
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ARTIST PROFILE | Slow Joy
When Esteban Flores started releasing singles under the moniker Slow Joy in 2020, it didn’t take long for his music to gain momentum. In particular, a pair of 2022 singles, "Crawling" and "Soft Slam," connected with fans thanks to an evocative, sensitive combination of soaring space rock, noisy shoegaze and dynamic post-rock. “I only shared my music because I wanted people to hear it, not because I was trying to get a career,” Flores says. “Lo and behold, the universe then let me have a career out of it.”
Despite this initial success, before the release of Slow Joy’s debut EP, 2023’s Wildflower, Flores was unsure whether he wanted to continue doing music. He was working in marketing and looking at settling down, buying a house and exploring other hobbies. But while talking with a therapist to process his mother’s death, Flores had a change of heart. “I told my therapist, ‘I keep wanting to write songs, but I know it's not good for me,’” he says. “And she was like, ‘Why is it not good for you?’ And once it clicked in my head that it wasn't a pursuit, it was an art project, I realized, ‘Oh, okay, this is the music that actually matters to me.’”
The passion and heart that Flores pours into Slow Joy shine even brighter on his second EP,Mi Amigo Slow Joy.Although the EP’s underlying influences are similar as that of past releases, the arrangements are crisper and each instrument is more defined within the simmering mixes. This leads to poppier moments such as the fuzz-coated “4U” and a towering chorus on the Foo Fighters-meets-Pixies “Pulling Teeth,” while the sonic highs and lows of “Lay Me Out, I'm Out of My Mind” and the urgent, anguished “King Cowboy,” are bigger and more emotional.
“I always say there's a beautiful art in making a song so simple—or so distilled, I guess is a better way to say that—that even a person who wasn’t into your other stuff would understand it,” Flores says. “Instead of writing the most complicated song, it's like, ‘How do I distill this emotion to the simplest form so it has a depth and gravity that anybody will feel?"
Flores accomplished this puzzle by recording Mi Amigo Slow Joy with a dream collaborator, producer Mike Sapone, at New Jersey’s Barbershop Studios. “I'm such a creature of habit when it comes to creative things, that I'll just keep reproducing the same thing in the same room,” Flores said. “It was good to be in a different spot entirely.” A long-time admirer of the producer’s work with bands such as Taking Back Sunday, Boston Manor and the Front Bottoms, Flores was thrilled with the entire recording experience. Sapone fostered an encouraging environment, including by posting inspirational quotes around the studio as motivation. Working with a solid team at the studio also allowed Flores to focus solely on the creative process. “I had never gotten to a place where I had the time to experiment—or felt safe to experiment—in a nice studio,” he explains. “This time, it felt really open.”
Knowing he was going into the studio with someone he deeply respected also pushed Flores to refine his songwriting. “I wanted everything to be better,” he says. “Making cool rock songs is one thing—but making lasting, great music is something that's really important to me.” In the past, Flores would bring completely produced demo songs into a recording session. However, this time around, he took musical ideas—a portion of a song, or half a verse, or a chorus and pre-chorus—and finished them in the studio based on feedback. In fact, Flores welcomed this deeply collaborative process. “I wanted other influences in there,” he says, “because you can only do so much with your own voice.”
Musically, Flores turned to enduring inspiration—specifically the pillars of alternative rock—as touchstones. “On Wildflower, I was drawing from the music that I was listening to growing up,” he explains. “This time, I went to the grandfathers of those and just kept going back until I found where the sounds that I enjoyed truly came from. I measured my music to that; it was kind of the target.”Flores grew up in a religious household and missed out on hearing a lot of these seminal bands when he was younger; as a result, hearing them as an adult gives him a unique perspective that further distinguishes Slow Joy’s sound. “It feels like my thing, instead of a thing that was passed down to me,” he says. “I dove into Pixies deeply, and then from there I went to their children, like Nirvana, and Modest Mouse, and Smashing Pumpkins. And they were incredible.”
In the process of looking back musically, Flores also shifted his lyrical perspective. “Wildflower was me dealing a lot with my mom's passing,” he says. “I looked outward at external things. And on this one, I turned it around and looked in at myself and what I thought about the world.” For example, he describes “Pulling Teeth” as “basically an apology to my wife for me not being the easiest person to deal with all the time” along with being an expression of gratitude for her patience and support. “It's one of those songs where it's like, ‘Please don't give up on me; I know I'm taking a little bit.’” On “4U,” Flores delves into the unique relationship his own parents had in order to understand their perspective.
In contrast, “King Cowboy” and “Lay Me Out, I'm Out of My Mind” look at the consequences of existing in a capitalist society, including challenging economic realities. The latter emerged from the anger Flores felt after being laid-off by a full-time job, while the former represents his foray into telling personal stories from the perspective of a character. “With ‘King Cowboy,’ I didn't want to critique the American Dream in a way that was preachy,” he says. “So I thought it was interesting to put yourself in a character and say, ‘I'm the King Cowboy,’ which is such a ridiculous term to say. And ‘Lay Me Out’ was a similar concept where you're saying, ‘Is this it? Is this how we live through life?’”
The EP’s visuals and title, Mi Amigo Slow Joy, are also meaningful to Flores, as they represent him making sure his art reflects his Hispanic heritage and culture. “Naming it Mi Amigo Slow Joy is like, ‘Hey, this is rock music. It's serious, and it's important, and it's me.’ And one thing that is me is being a Mexican-American person, and being proud of that culture, and showing it off.” Growing up in small-town New Mexico as a fan of rock music—a genre that had next to no Hispanic artists at the forefront—he didn’t necessarily see himself represented in crowds or onstage. “It was hard for me to be the rock guy growing up,” he says. “My cousins would be like, ‘You're a rocker, huh?’ I was a different kind of dude, and there were only a few people who we could look to.”
At a recent sold-out homecoming show in Albuquerque, Flores saw the profound impact Slow Joy is having on others. “I had a line of people come up and tell me that it meant so much to them that I was championing this culture in this scene,” he says. “And I think as we all continue to evolve for a better future, we try to just continue to represent ourselves and our culture as much as we possibly can. To me, the more representation, the better. And I'm thankful that the people who felt maybe like I did can now have more archetypes that they can say, ‘Well, if he can do it, then someone else can do it.’”
Emboldened by working with Sapone, Flores feels more confident than ever about the importance of making his voice heard—and sharing his perspective with the world. “Making art is an extension of you showing yourself to people, as opposed to you trying to do what you think people want out of you,” he says. “And it's a tough thing, especially as you get more into making your money off music. But I think it's important to stay in that zone, which is why Mi Amigo Slow Joy sounds a little bit different than the last EP. I didn't want to keep just giving the same thing over and over. I want it to be an evolving thing.”
READ MORE >>Supporting Acts
SHOW BY SIMILAR ARTISTS
About HI-FI | Indianapolis, IN
HI-FI is located inside the historic Murphy Arts Center in the heart of Fountain Square. HI-FI shows virtually every night of the week and is known for finding new artists on the rise. The venue is acoustically one of the best sounding venues in the Midwest. The entrance is located at the front of the building on Virginia Ave and the Indianapolis Cultural Trail.
Getting Around the Venue
Frequently Asked Questions About HI-FI | Indianapolis, IN
What are the age restrictions at this venue?
Most of our gigs are open to those 18 years and older, though there are a few exceptions. We’re also rolling out more all-ages shows to accommodate younger fans, but double-check our website for specific age requirements before getting your tickets. We’ve made it super easy to spot the age restrictions on each event listing.
If you are going to indulge in a seating upgrade in our VIP area, all guests must be 21 years of age or older.
HI-FI requires a valid ID for admission. For guests who will be consuming alcoholic beverages, a valid state or government issues ID is required. Everyone will be carded during check-in. Expired and temporary ID’s are not accepted.
Can I upgrade my to VIP seating?
HI-FI proudly offers our VIP Deck, situated at the rear of the venue. This elevated section features table seating and provides convenient access to the bar. Please be advised that all guests in this area must be 21 years of age or older. For seating upgrade inquiries, please contact the box office at boxoffice@hifiindy.com
What items are permitted or prohibited at this venue?
At our venues, we strive to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for all guests. While specific rules may vary slightly depending on the event location, the following list generally applies across all venues.
Any illegal items found will be confiscated immediately. Guests discovered with prohibited items inside the venue may face ejection, and those attempting to enter with such items may be denied entry.
We appreciate your cooperation in adhering to these guidelines to ensure everyone’s safety and enjoyment during our events.
Permitted Items Include:
- All bags and possessions are subject to search and may be subject to metal detection. No backpacks are permitted at any of our venues.
- Clear tote or bag made from plastic, vinyl or PVC that does not exceed 14” x 14” in size.
- Personal purse, fanny pack or handbag so long as it does not exceed 14” x 14” in size
- A warm heart and smiles
Prohibited items include:
- Weapons of any kind: Firearms (with or without permit), knives (any size), multi-tools
- Pepper Spray or Mace
- Flares or Fireworks
- Oversized bags (Bag larger than 12” x 12”, including all backpacks, briefcases, luggage, or duffle bags)
- Illegal Substances
- Outside Beverages
- Laser Pointers
- Removable lens cameras or flash photography, tripods, monopods, selfie-sticks (unless pre-approved by Event Manager)
- Audio or Video recording devices (unless pre-approved by Event Manager)
- Signs larger than 11” x 17” or any sign attached to a stick or pole
- Skateboards, hoverboards, rollerblades, scooters, or bicycles
- Hula hoops, spray paint, silly string
- Noise Making devices (i.e. Air Horns, drums, whistles)
- Coolers or Ice Chests
- Animals/Pets (Except Service Animals)
HI-FI reserves the right to prohibit any item, including items not listed above, from entering the premises if deemed hazardous or disruptive to the event.
Can I bring a bag into the show?
Yes! You’re welcome to bring personal purse, fanny pack or handbag so long as it does not exceed 14” x 14” in size. No backpacks are permitted at any time.
What’s the parking situation like?
Depending on the day and time, finding a spot can be tricky. On busy show days we advise arriving early to ensure you get a good spot.
Parking is free on all of the surrounding streets in Fountain Square and most parking lots.
The LAZ pay lot directly across from the Murphy Arts Building (on Prospect St) offers paid parking by the hour and is the closest public parking to the venue.
We advise against traveling down St. Patrick St on show days, as it can become congested one-way with traffic coming from both directions.
Bike parking is available at any of the bike racks on Virginia Ave in front of HI-FI.
What is the camera/photo policy for this venue?
Our photo policy varies for each event and is at the discretion of the artist performing that night. This policy can change from night to night.
As a general guideline, we typically do not permit professional photography unless it has been pre-approved by either HI-FI or the Artist Management.
For approved photographers, you’re welcome to snap photos during the first three songs of the performance. However, please refrain from using flash.
Media personnel and professional photographers interested in covering our events can reach out to us at marketing@hifiindy.com to request media credentials.
Is there food and drink at this venue?
Absolutely! We’ve got you covered for some tasty bites to fuel your night.
Our very own Easy Rider Diner is your go-to spot on most show nights, serving up mouthwatering dishes right next door to HI-FI. With a convenient connection door open for most shows, you can easily hop back and forth without missing a beat. We highly recommend making a reservation in advance, as show nights tend to get busy. Please note that Easy Rider is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, but fear not – you can still grab some chips, candy, or snacks at HI-FI’s bar.
View seating maps for this venue
Check your show listing for information on the show’s seating configuration. The majority of HI-FI shows are general admission, standing-room-only. Depending on the show, there are a handful of tables available to those who arrive early. There is a limited amount of seating upgrades available on the VIP deck. Contact the box office to secure a seating upgrade for your show at boxoffice@hifiindy.com. Shows that are reserved or partially reserved seating configurations will have information or purchase options directly on the event listing.
Can I leave and re-enter the venue?
Re-entry is allowed for HI-FI shows once you’ve been stamped or wristbanded by a member of our staff.
Do you offer ADA, handicap or special needs options?
There are 2 handicapped parking spots in the lot located across Prospect St. closest to El Arado Mexican Grill. The box office handles any special needs or ADA seating requests at boxoffice@hifiindy.com.
Where is the box office located?
Getting tickets to our shows is super easy! You have a few options, depending on how you like to roll:
Online: Grab your tickets in advance from our official websites, hifiindy.com and mokbpresents.com, or through our trusted ticketing partners tixr.com and seetickets.us.
In Person: Swing by one of our convenient box office locations around the Murphy Arts Center building and grab tickets with no service fees:
Main Box Office at Virginia Ave Mercantile: Located at 1043 Virginia Ave Suite 2 (between Easy Rider and La Margarita). Open Monday through Friday from 10 am to 6 pm and Saturdays from 9 am to 5 pm.
HI-FI Box Office: Found at 1043 Virginia Ave Suite 4 (at the main entrance to HI-FI). Open only on show nights, starting 1 hour before published show times until 10 pm.
I lost something at the show. Who do I contact?
Have you misplaced something during one of our events? Don’t worry, we’re here to help reunite you with your belongings! While we can’t take responsibility for lost or stolen items, we’re committed to assisting you in any way we can.
Found items are securely stored at our Virginia Ave Mercantile & Box Office until they’re claimed. Please note that items lost during late-night events might take until the next morning to reach our lost and found. We know you might be eager to retrieve your belongings (like that phone you’re pinging outside our door at 6 am), but our team typically wraps up late-night events and may not be available until later in the morning.
For lost items, please follow the outlined process rather than popping into Easy Rider in the early hours. They’re open early, but our restaurant team is busy during weekends and can’t assist with lost items during busy service hours.
To inquire about lost items, shoot us an email at boxoffice@hifiindy.com. Mercantile hours are Monday through Friday, 10 am to 6 pm, and Saturdays from 9 am to 5 pm.
Let’s work together to get your goods back to you as quickly as possible!
What is your refund policy?
What’s Your Refund Policy for Postponed Shows?
If a show gets postponed, don’t sweat it! We’ll shoot you an email to let you know about the change, and if you’re cool with the new date, no further action is needed on your part.We’ll be working diligently to find a new date for the show, and we’ll keep you updated every step of the way. But if you can’t make it to the rescheduled gig, we’ve got your back. You’ll have a generous 30-day window following the announcement of the new date to request a refund.
For those who paid with cash at our box office, just drop us a line at boxoffice@hifiindy.com for further instructions on processing your refund.
Please bear with us as we explore rescheduling options with the tour. Your patience is much appreciated as we work to present the best possible show experience for you.
What’s the Refund Policy for Canceled Shows?
In the unfortunate event of a canceled show, don’t fret! If you purchased your tickets online, your refund will be processed automatically. Just sit tight and allow 3-5 business days for the refund to appear in your bank account.
No need to lift a finger! However, there are a few scenarios where you might need to reach out to our box office:
- If you paid cash at our box office.
- If you’ve received a new or different card since your original purchase.
- If you haven’t seen the refund in your account after 5 business days.
What Happens if a Show Gets Rescheduled?
No worries! If a show you’ve already grabbed tickets for gets rescheduled, your tickets will still be valid for the new date. We’ll shoot you an email to let you know about the change, and if you’re good to go for the new date, no further action is needed on your part.
However, if you can’t make it to the rescheduled gig, we’ve got you covered. You’ll have a generous 30 days from the announcement of the new date to request a refund. Just reach out directly to our box office to kickstart the process.
Beware of counterfeit tickets. How do I tell if my ticket is valid?
It’s crucial for all buyers to exercise caution when purchasing tickets from unauthorized sites and ticket resellers. Tixr and SeeTickets are the only two ticket vendors supported at our venues. Unfortunately, this is a widespread issue affecting venues nationwide, and true fans often find themselves at a loss. Regrettably, there’s little we can do in such situations. Since the original transaction didn’t occur through our authorized ticketing partners, we lack the necessary information to assist. It’s disheartening to witness fans being taken advantage of, especially on platforms like Craigslist, Facebook, StubHub, VividSeats, SeatGeek, and others. We are only obligated to honor valid tickets purchased through our approved channels.
Can I purchase tickets in person without fees?
Yes. HI-FI box office is located at the main entrance off of Virginia Avenue. The box office is open 1 hour prior to the published door time. Additionally, our new and primary box office is located two doors down from HI-FI in Suite 2. This box office is open Monday through Friday 10 am to 6 pm and Saturdays from 9 am to 5 pm for fee-free ticket purchases. HI-FI accepts cash as well as all major credit cards for ticket purchases.
Do you have free WI-FI?
Yes. HI-FI offers free WI-FI during all shows. Simply select the HI-FI Free WI-FI network and you are all set!
Slow Joy
Start Time: 7:00 pm
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ARTIST PROFILE | Slow Joy
When Esteban Flores started releasing singles under the moniker Slow Joy in 2020, it didn’t take long for his music to gain momentum. In particular, a pair of 2022 singles, "Crawling" and "Soft Slam," connected with fans thanks to an evocative, sensitive combination of soaring space rock, noisy shoegaze and dynamic post-rock. “I only shared my music because I wanted people to hear it, not because I was trying to get a career,” Flores says. “Lo and behold, the universe then let me have a career out of it.”
Despite this initial success, before the release of Slow Joy’s debut EP, 2023’s Wildflower, Flores was unsure whether he wanted to continue doing music. He was working in marketing and looking at settling down, buying a house and exploring other hobbies. But while talking with a therapist to process his mother’s death, Flores had a change of heart. “I told my therapist, ‘I keep wanting to write songs, but I know it's not good for me,’” he says. “And she was like, ‘Why is it not good for you?’ And once it clicked in my head that it wasn't a pursuit, it was an art project, I realized, ‘Oh, okay, this is the music that actually matters to me.’”
The passion and heart that Flores pours into Slow Joy shine even brighter on his second EP,Mi Amigo Slow Joy.Although the EP’s underlying influences are similar as that of past releases, the arrangements are crisper and each instrument is more defined within the simmering mixes. This leads to poppier moments such as the fuzz-coated “4U” and a towering chorus on the Foo Fighters-meets-Pixies “Pulling Teeth,” while the sonic highs and lows of “Lay Me Out, I'm Out of My Mind” and the urgent, anguished “King Cowboy,” are bigger and more emotional.
“I always say there's a beautiful art in making a song so simple—or so distilled, I guess is a better way to say that—that even a person who wasn’t into your other stuff would understand it,” Flores says. “Instead of writing the most complicated song, it's like, ‘How do I distill this emotion to the simplest form so it has a depth and gravity that anybody will feel?"
Flores accomplished this puzzle by recording Mi Amigo Slow Joy with a dream collaborator, producer Mike Sapone, at New Jersey’s Barbershop Studios. “I'm such a creature of habit when it comes to creative things, that I'll just keep reproducing the same thing in the same room,” Flores said. “It was good to be in a different spot entirely.” A long-time admirer of the producer’s work with bands such as Taking Back Sunday, Boston Manor and the Front Bottoms, Flores was thrilled with the entire recording experience. Sapone fostered an encouraging environment, including by posting inspirational quotes around the studio as motivation. Working with a solid team at the studio also allowed Flores to focus solely on the creative process. “I had never gotten to a place where I had the time to experiment—or felt safe to experiment—in a nice studio,” he explains. “This time, it felt really open.”
Knowing he was going into the studio with someone he deeply respected also pushed Flores to refine his songwriting. “I wanted everything to be better,” he says. “Making cool rock songs is one thing—but making lasting, great music is something that's really important to me.” In the past, Flores would bring completely produced demo songs into a recording session. However, this time around, he took musical ideas—a portion of a song, or half a verse, or a chorus and pre-chorus—and finished them in the studio based on feedback. In fact, Flores welcomed this deeply collaborative process. “I wanted other influences in there,” he says, “because you can only do so much with your own voice.”
Musically, Flores turned to enduring inspiration—specifically the pillars of alternative rock—as touchstones. “On Wildflower, I was drawing from the music that I was listening to growing up,” he explains. “This time, I went to the grandfathers of those and just kept going back until I found where the sounds that I enjoyed truly came from. I measured my music to that; it was kind of the target.”Flores grew up in a religious household and missed out on hearing a lot of these seminal bands when he was younger; as a result, hearing them as an adult gives him a unique perspective that further distinguishes Slow Joy’s sound. “It feels like my thing, instead of a thing that was passed down to me,” he says. “I dove into Pixies deeply, and then from there I went to their children, like Nirvana, and Modest Mouse, and Smashing Pumpkins. And they were incredible.”
In the process of looking back musically, Flores also shifted his lyrical perspective. “Wildflower was me dealing a lot with my mom's passing,” he says. “I looked outward at external things. And on this one, I turned it around and looked in at myself and what I thought about the world.” For example, he describes “Pulling Teeth” as “basically an apology to my wife for me not being the easiest person to deal with all the time” along with being an expression of gratitude for her patience and support. “It's one of those songs where it's like, ‘Please don't give up on me; I know I'm taking a little bit.’” On “4U,” Flores delves into the unique relationship his own parents had in order to understand their perspective.
In contrast, “King Cowboy” and “Lay Me Out, I'm Out of My Mind” look at the consequences of existing in a capitalist society, including challenging economic realities. The latter emerged from the anger Flores felt after being laid-off by a full-time job, while the former represents his foray into telling personal stories from the perspective of a character. “With ‘King Cowboy,’ I didn't want to critique the American Dream in a way that was preachy,” he says. “So I thought it was interesting to put yourself in a character and say, ‘I'm the King Cowboy,’ which is such a ridiculous term to say. And ‘Lay Me Out’ was a similar concept where you're saying, ‘Is this it? Is this how we live through life?’”
The EP’s visuals and title, Mi Amigo Slow Joy, are also meaningful to Flores, as they represent him making sure his art reflects his Hispanic heritage and culture. “Naming it Mi Amigo Slow Joy is like, ‘Hey, this is rock music. It's serious, and it's important, and it's me.’ And one thing that is me is being a Mexican-American person, and being proud of that culture, and showing it off.” Growing up in small-town New Mexico as a fan of rock music—a genre that had next to no Hispanic artists at the forefront—he didn’t necessarily see himself represented in crowds or onstage. “It was hard for me to be the rock guy growing up,” he says. “My cousins would be like, ‘You're a rocker, huh?’ I was a different kind of dude, and there were only a few people who we could look to.”
At a recent sold-out homecoming show in Albuquerque, Flores saw the profound impact Slow Joy is having on others. “I had a line of people come up and tell me that it meant so much to them that I was championing this culture in this scene,” he says. “And I think as we all continue to evolve for a better future, we try to just continue to represent ourselves and our culture as much as we possibly can. To me, the more representation, the better. And I'm thankful that the people who felt maybe like I did can now have more archetypes that they can say, ‘Well, if he can do it, then someone else can do it.’”
Emboldened by working with Sapone, Flores feels more confident than ever about the importance of making his voice heard—and sharing his perspective with the world. “Making art is an extension of you showing yourself to people, as opposed to you trying to do what you think people want out of you,” he says. “And it's a tough thing, especially as you get more into making your money off music. But I think it's important to stay in that zone, which is why Mi Amigo Slow Joy sounds a little bit different than the last EP. I didn't want to keep just giving the same thing over and over. I want it to be an evolving thing.”
READ MORE >>Supporting Acts
About the Venue
Upgrades: A limited amount of VIP seating upgrades (21+) are available for select shows. Contact the box office to purchase or check availability: boxoffice@hifiindy.com.
Ticket Support: Box Office opens 1 hour before published door time. For ticket related questions please email boxoffice@hifiindy.com.
Parking: Street Parking, Bike Parking
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