Matt Andersen must be 300 years old. That's the only way to explain how one man's voice can sound like it had several lifetimes of experience.
Massey Hall was both the best and worst place to host this country-blues singer when my Fiancée and I went to see him this past Friday. On one hand, there's few places in Toronto that have the acoustics to do his music justice. Backed up by an incredibly talented band, every one of his slower songs just made you feel like you were a little baby being swaddled in a blanket of passion.
On the other hand... when songs like Free Man were played, you just wanted to rip out the seats so you could dance.
Two things I appreciated out of this performance. Mariel Buckley, his very talented and funny opener, was invited back on to the at the end of the show to do a duet of Bob Dylan's I Shall Be Released. I really appreciate when artists do this. It makes the show feel like something more put together and cohesive rather than a way to stretch time. It's a surprisingly rare thing.
Second, he didn't leave the stage before the encore. It's something I'm noticing more artists and bands do. The encore has become a pointless tradition. There's no surprise to it anymore, let's stop pretending, let the music play.
You can give Matt Andersen a listen on a recording. But truly it is nothing compared to seeing him live. I don't say that lightly. I enjoyed Pink Martini at Massey Hall but I wouldn't say you couldn't get an idea of what they're like from their recorded music.
I don't know if it's because he needs a better recording setup or if he just can't be captured well on an MP3.
The Rating
- Venue: 3.5/5
- Audience: 2/5
- Band: 4.5/5
- Vocals: 4.5/5
- Spectacle: 1/5
- Stage presence: 4/5
- Song choice: 4/5
Overall: 3.35/5