Okay, so remember last month when meeting Matt Nathanson (http://www.mattnathanson.com/) he said he might play a solo show in Provo? Well, this time he knew what he was talking about. On Friday September 21st, 2007, Matt Nathanson played a little club/venue called Velour (which I don’t understand in the slightest, shouldn’t it have velour wall paper or something?)
On the party list with me was of course the faithful Patrizia and her friend Brenda and my friends Erika and Magen. Erika had been listening to Matt for a just over a day and Magen had gotten to hear 4 songs before the show, so I was a bit nervous, but I knew that Matt could win over anyone.
Trish graciously offered to drive us in your SUV and so after we all discovered where she lived we headed to the Maverick for drinks and then it was on to Provo. As we d
rove we told stories of how people refer to Provo as “God’s Country” so we started calling it the GC for fun and giggles. After a long drive through P-town we got to the venue, there was already a small line outside. We hopped into line but not before I snuck a glace inside and there was Matt on stage in a black t-shirt! We waited outside and the weather was nice, but Magen and Erika were going to have a potty emergency, so we went into the nearby record shop that also happened to have a photo booth! So much fun came from that.
After some lameness that only the 7 people who had previously bough tickets could get in first and we waited patiently to purchase tickets we got in. Mostly people were lining the walls on the risers and the couches and sitting at the tables, but we weren’t there to relax, we were there to rock! So we snagged some places right up front by the stage.
The open act took the stage and that’s when sacrament meeting started or so we thought, since from all corners we were met with “shhhhh!” as if the prayer were starting! I know we weren’t the only ones talking, but the people around us seemed really irritated that we dared(!) to comment on the singer and other things like how if he was playing the spoons, it would have been much more entertaining. The guy was good, I think his name was Jeff Stone or something. He was okay, a bit mono-rhythm for me. Then someone else came on with his acoustic guitar and I liked him a bit better, although his cover of GooGoo Dolls ‘Name’ was best left uncovered. He had more range in rhythms and sound, so I liked him more but Magen and Erika were talking about how this wasn’t their “thing” and these guys weren’t very original. I think his name was John Allred, which is pretty unoriginal, but that’s his parent’s fault. But seeing him after the show, he seemed like he was kind of a prick anyway. But now I was getting nervous, Magen and Erika weren’t into the opening acts, so what would happen if they didn’t like Matt? Would they stone me? Would they continue to be my friend after I made them spend $10 and come down to the GC? Only time would tell.
On the party list with me was of course the faithful Patrizia and her friend Brenda and my friends Erika and Magen. Erika had been listening to Matt for a just over a day and Magen had gotten to hear 4 songs before the show, so I was a bit nervous, but I knew that Matt could win over anyone.
Trish graciously offered to drive us in your SUV and so after we all discovered where she lived we headed to the Maverick for drinks and then it was on to Provo. As we d
rove we told stories of how people refer to Provo as “God’s Country” so we started calling it the GC for fun and giggles. After a long drive through P-town we got to the venue, there was already a small line outside. We hopped into line but not before I snuck a glace inside and there was Matt on stage in a black t-shirt! We waited outside and the weather was nice, but Magen and Erika were going to have a potty emergency, so we went into the nearby record shop that also happened to have a photo booth! So much fun came from that.After some lameness that only the 7 people who had previously bough tickets could get in first and we waited patiently to purchase tickets we got in. Mostly people were lining the walls on the risers and the couches and sitting at the tables, but we weren’t there to relax, we were there to rock! So we snagged some places right up front by the stage.
The open act took the stage and that’s when sacrament meeting started or so we thought, since from all corners we were met with “shhhhh!” as if the prayer were starting! I know we weren’t the only ones talking, but the people around us seemed really irritated that we dared(!) to comment on the singer and other things like how if he was playing the spoons, it would have been much more entertaining. The guy was good, I think his name was Jeff Stone or something. He was okay, a bit mono-rhythm for me. Then someone else came on with his acoustic guitar and I liked him a bit better, although his cover of GooGoo Dolls ‘Name’ was best left uncovered. He had more range in rhythms and sound, so I liked him more but Magen and Erika were talking about how this wasn’t their “thing” and these guys weren’t very original. I think his name was John Allred, which is pretty unoriginal, but that’s his parent’s fault. But seeing him after the show, he seemed like he was kind of a prick anyway. But now I was getting nervous, Magen and Erika weren’t into the opening acts, so what would happen if they didn’t like Matt? Would they stone me? Would they continue to be my friend after I made them spend $10 and come down to the GC? Only time would tell.
Then Matt came out and the crowd went wild. Obviously they were here to see Matt and that was awesome. 
Then Matt interacted with the crowd, he was obviously blown away by the people’s response. He started with ‘Car Crash’ and before each song he would tell stories or talk to the crowd and interact. It was so much fun. During the first song, Erika pulled me right up front and center. I got to look up Matt’s nose and see that he doesn’t have any fillings, because I was really close. I wanted to grab his foot a few times. He played an amazing set, no real surprises, but then I’m sure he was trying to play songs that even the casual listener would know and get really into. He did a lot of sing-a-long songs like Prince’s ‘Starfish and Coffee’ and ‘Suspended’ and the crowd pleaser ‘Answering Machine.’ Up front with me were a bunch of guys who obviously considered themselves uber fans, since they tried to out sing Matt at every song. I totally get the whole “I want to sing along” thing and I think it’s fine. I usually only mouth the words or sing really softly if there’s not a sing-a-long part, I want people to be able to appreciate the artist that we all paid money to see, but these guys had no such courtesy. I’m sure they wanted Matt to know that people in Utah know who he is and love him, but I don’t think they needed to remind him of all the lyrics to all the songs he’s ever written. They were really annoying after awhile. But that not withstanding, it was great! The only weirdness was when someone made his way up to stage and at the end asked for a song that Matt had already played and Matt explained that to him and them after that, several people in the back yelled out for the same song! It was weird, like they wanted the Cure to play “that drip, drip, drip song” again. Matt dealt with the people not playing attention and those that didn’t sing along really well. He called attention to them and probably made them feel like jerks, but it was funny for the rest of us to watch!
Afterwards while we were waiting for Matt to come out to do his little Meet’n’greet with fans, as he always does, a guy who had picked up Matt’s guitar pick and the setlist came up to me and offered me the setlist since he had gotten 2 things and he said he could tell I was a huge fan of Matt. That was when everyone told me that the whole concert I have big, puppy-dog eyes the whole time I’m looking at him. I knew I’m a total fan girl when it comes to him, but I didn’t know it was quite so obvious! Also, Erika noticed that while cleaning up the stage, they had left Matt’s sweat rag laying there. She asked me if I wanted it. Which, I hate to admit it, but when I saw him using it, I really wanted it. But then I thought “What would I do with a sweaty towel?” and common sense took over, luckily Erika can get me to do anything, so she grabbed the towel for me and I was so excited!
So Matt came out and we got to talk with him and take pictures, they turned out awesome! We chatted with him and I had him sign a hundred things. Trish had been the brave girl she always is and took 2 posters off the door of the venue as we came in, so I had him sign the poster (which reads: Willow is Queen!) and then I had him sign the setlist (Willow is the best ever!) and the towel (Sweat Rules!) and then there was a miscellanous guitar pick on the stage while we were stealing sweat rags and I picked it up and asked Matt if it was his, he said he didn’t think so but signed it anyway (This isn’t my pick-MN.) I got so many hugs and I had to apologize for my question from the EndZone performance about Howie Day and told him that my other question was “How could someone so bubbly and happy and full of energy write such sad songs?” and he told me it was his bi-polar-ness getting out. I thanked him for playing “Come on Get Higher” which was a very sensual song solo and the album doesn’t convey that at all. I’m sure I said lots of things that were stupid and all fan girl of me, but I don’t remember them all, at least this time I didn’t tell him that my sister hated him.
Then Matt interacted with the crowd, he was obviously blown away by the people’s response. He started with ‘Car Crash’ and before each song he would tell stories or talk to the crowd and interact. It was so much fun. During the first song, Erika pulled me right up front and center. I got to look up Matt’s nose and see that he doesn’t have any fillings, because I was really close. I wanted to grab his foot a few times. He played an amazing set, no real surprises, but then I’m sure he was trying to play songs that even the casual listener would know and get really into. He did a lot of sing-a-long songs like Prince’s ‘Starfish and Coffee’ and ‘Suspended’ and the crowd pleaser ‘Answering Machine.’ Up front with me were a bunch of guys who obviously considered themselves uber fans, since they tried to out sing Matt at every song. I totally get the whole “I want to sing along” thing and I think it’s fine. I usually only mouth the words or sing really softly if there’s not a sing-a-long part, I want people to be able to appreciate the artist that we all paid money to see, but these guys had no such courtesy. I’m sure they wanted Matt to know that people in Utah know who he is and love him, but I don’t think they needed to remind him of all the lyrics to all the songs he’s ever written. They were really annoying after awhile. But that not withstanding, it was great! The only weirdness was when someone made his way up to stage and at the end asked for a song that Matt had already played and Matt explained that to him and them after that, several people in the back yelled out for the same song! It was weird, like they wanted the Cure to play “that drip, drip, drip song” again. Matt dealt with the people not playing attention and those that didn’t sing along really well. He called attention to them and probably made them feel like jerks, but it was funny for the rest of us to watch!
Afterwards while we were waiting for Matt to come out to do his little Meet’n’greet with fans, as he always does, a guy who had picked up Matt’s guitar pick and the setlist came up to me and offered me the setlist since he had gotten 2 things and he said he could tell I was a huge fan of Matt. That was when everyone told me that the whole concert I have big, puppy-dog eyes the whole time I’m looking at him. I knew I’m a total fan girl when it comes to him, but I didn’t know it was quite so obvious! Also, Erika noticed that while cleaning up the stage, they had left Matt’s sweat rag laying there. She asked me if I wanted it. Which, I hate to admit it, but when I saw him using it, I really wanted it. But then I thought “What would I do with a sweaty towel?” and common sense took over, luckily Erika can get me to do anything, so she grabbed the towel for me and I was so excited!
So Matt came out and we got to talk with him and take pictures, they turned out awesome! We chatted with him and I had him sign a hundred things. Trish had been the brave girl she always is and took 2 posters off the door of the venue as we came in, so I had him sign the poster (which reads: Willow is Queen!) and then I had him sign the setlist (Willow is the best ever!) and the towel (Sweat Rules!) and then there was a miscellanous guitar pick on the stage while we were stealing sweat rags and I picked it up and asked Matt if it was his, he said he didn’t think so but signed it anyway (This isn’t my pick-MN.) I got so many hugs and I had to apologize for my question from the EndZone performance about Howie Day and told him that my other question was “How could someone so bubbly and happy and full of energy write such sad songs?” and he told me it was his bi-polar-ness getting out. I thanked him for playing “Come on Get Higher” which was a very sensual song solo and the album doesn’t convey that at all. I’m sure I said lots of things that were stupid and all fan girl of me, but I don’t remember them all, at least this time I didn’t tell him that my sister hated him.
Brenda, Magen, Patrizia (getting cozy!) The Man!, Me and Erika
Of course I needed one of just him and I to make up for the blurry picture from the EndZone and I think this one turned out pretty cute. I was tempted to lick his face or something, but then I don’t want him to get a restraining order too soon. I just hope that he does get to play a show in Salt Lake this tour, once a year seeing him is not enough.
Go to iTunes http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?id and you can download ‘Car Crash for FREE!! Since he’s the artist of the week or something! Get it free and join the Matt Love Revolution!
See ya soon Matt
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