Friends, yours truly has been photographing musicians for nearly three decades– and this was hands down the hardest it has been to not move while taking photos.

On Friday night Jon Batiste and his band stopped by The Starlight for his Fantastical Musical Journey tour. This show, from start to finish, was a happiness factory. It was a lesson in the joy of music. Batiste rang in the show with a rousing version of “When The Saints Go Marching In” armed with little more than a melodica and a mission: to get every person in that venue on their feet. It wasn’t hard. He never stopped smiling and got everyone fired up. His set was like a history of music, diving into his Black Mozart, Beethoven Blues, and popular covers to bring the joy to everyone in the vicinity (he debuted a new song, “Forever and a Day,” which pulled at everyone’s heartstrings). It’s a horrible time in this country, and we’ve forgotten what joy feels like. But Jon Batiste brought it back.

There was no fancy stage decor or props, just a few splashes of color to match the glee of the evening. He wasn’t much for chatting, but he did get everyone to sing along to just about every single tune. His jazzy renditions of popular numbers left everyone’s heart soaring. Even the somber moments (like his transition from “Over the Rainbow” to “Butterfly”) still had folks feeling all the feels. We spotted many people in the audience holding each other when they weren’t busy dancing. This was a show for folks who truly love life and each other, and it was lead by a musician with the enthusiasm of a child opening a present on Christmas.

Photos from the night below.