The Rock Blogger

(pictures form the show coming soon)

While the final show of Matthew Good’s tour of the U.S. had few surprises, it was still a remarkable feat of perseverance. Succumbing to food poisoning and bouts of insomnia midway through his state-side journey, Matt had canceled several of his shows, including a coveted spot at the South by Southwest festival in Texas, a gig that could have sparked interest from a whole new audience. Despite Matt’s terrible luck of late, he managed to pull himself together for his last stop at Club Infinity in Buffalo, overcoming sleep deprivation to serenade a packed house of eager fans.

Being a continuation of last year’s “Nothing to Hide” tour, Matt took to the stage alone with only an acoustic guitar in hand and immediately launched into a note perfect rendition of “I’m a Window”, the second single from last summer’s Hospital Music. He then proceeded to play through revamped versions of his older material, like the hit singles “Load Me Up” and “Strange Days” as well as most of the tracks from his latest disc, with some candid conversation thrown in for good measure.

Good took the time to thank his fans for putting up with cancellations and delays and then joked about how he could get away with screwing his songs up at a smaller venue. The crowd was warm and sympathetic and occasionally shouted out some obscure requests from Good’s extensive catalog. He then quipped how he went through a list of his material on iTunes repeating “Not doing that, or that, or that”. When you’ve been performing for over a decade, such lapses are more than understandable. But still, I’m sure he can relearn “The Inescapable Us”, is anyone with me?

Having seen Matthew Good live nearly a dozen times, including two shows from last year’s tour, there was nothing new for me at this show. From the a Capella intro to “99% of Us is Failure” to the dramatic cooing in “Black Helicopter”, the nuanced tunes were pleasant but nearly catatonic in their mellowness. While I enjoyed these more introspective numbers, it was Good’s more epic songs that truly captivated me, including the slow burning “Avalanche” and the stirring encore of “Champions of Nothing, both chilling in their intimacy and dynamic progressions.

The highlight of the evening however was Good’s performance of his unreleased material “Silent Army in the Trees” and “If I was a Tidal Wave” , both showcasing the artist’s increasingly mature songwriting, moving toward the subversive heart that hides within his diverse repertoire. Channeling Dylan and Neil Young, Good’s latest efforts mark a transition into a more challenging folk sound, complete with lyrical protests and obscure poetry. To hear these songs in their earliest stages, before they become fleshed out on his next release, was a gift in itself and made the concert experience ever more rewarding.

In closing, Matthew Good’s performance was stellar despite his recent ailments and successfully conveyed both the downtrodden and hopeful themes within his latest work. While the set list was predictable for this seasoned fan, the appearance of new material was not only novel but revealed what may be Matthew Good’s next artistic revolution.

The Set List

I’m A Window
Suburbia
99% Of Us Is failure
Born Losers
Load Me Up
Strange Days
A Silent Army In The Trees
Black Helicopter
She’s In It For The Money
Avalanche
Apparitions
True Love Will Find You In The End
Encore
Champions Of Nothing
Fated
If I Was A Tidal Wave

This entry was posted on Sunday, March 30th, 2008 at 2:40 pm and is filed under Reviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.