Finally the doors opened after the venue people explained to us that the opening band was late for sound check and we all rushed in. As Trish expected the first spots to go were along the sides in chairs and up by the bar, so while the front of the stage was pretty packed, we were able to get fairly close on the side. Not an amazing spot by any means, but decent. Of course that wasn’t taking into account the rude drunks that had gotten pretty good spot right in the cent near the stage. They had to keep leaving to get drinks. I think they went back and forth about 8 times. I’m sorry? Can’t you go sit at the bar? I’m sorry that while pushing your way up front, your beer spilled, but that’s the chance you take when you’re a moron! Oh well.
Then of course standing right in front of me was the she-male. I swear that even with the dangling earrings and the sparkly vest-shirt (shest?) that this was a man. She was heavy set with a buzz cut, so imagine my surprise when I saw a woman’s face. She was probably in her 50s and a good 4 to 5 inches taller than me and this woman couldn’t’ keep her head still to save her life. She kept tilting it with the music, so while for a minute, I’d have a good view and then, tilt! Good view is now just a view of the she-males buzzed head!
Trish and I were ready to hate the opening band, called Honey Honey, since they were the reason we had to stand in line outside for an extra 25 minutes, and when they came out, I thought at first they were about 12, turns out it was just my view, as the lead singer is taller than me. They were so awesome. They explained that they had just gotten out of the car after the drive from Colorado and had not even had time to change their clothes. They had a very bluesy feel to them, which I’m sure was accented by the fact the lead singer also played an electric violin and the banjo! The drummer was so adorable, so goofy and animated, here’s their myspace http://www.myspace.com/honeyhoneyband definitely worth checking out. If I hadn’t needed my cash to get out of the parking lot I might have bought their EP. They won me over very quickly. The lead singer was so endearing, but there most memorable song is called “Screw” It was a very sweet soft sounding song about how “I’m not using you, you just look like you need it” So good times.
Then it was Matt. The band came out and was getting the equipment set up and I saw this spiky head backstage, and my heart skipped a beat! Which was a little weird, but I knew it was him! Hurrah! He came onstage to loud applause and seemed like he was really having a lot of fun. They started the rocking with “To the Beat of Our Noisy Hearts” and “Gone” I really have to hand it to Matt, he is excellent at dealing with loud drunks, the crowd was eating out of his hand. At one point he asked the balcony how they were and to keep drinking because the “more you drink, the better we sound.” When he asked the middle of the balcony how they were the applause was intense and he said “If you’re sitting there, we sound like Led Zepplin.” Next came “Princess” which I love, but I was sad because he didn’t start off by playing “Jesse’s Girl”, since I have so many bootlegs of him doing that, it’s my favorite. But then just as I was getting over that small disappointment he put it in as a bridge/sing-a-long! He did the second verse as well so that more people could sing along, I loved it! Then they finished up “Princess.” He introduced “Come on Get Higher” saying how it was a song to try and steal a little of the sexiness that you get from Usher and Ricky Iglesias. I liked this song a litter better solo, I really got into it when he played it in Provo. Still, very, very good.
I believe he played “Falling Apart” next, which is excellent live, but is very lacking on the album. It was a this point I was sad that I can’t get the same thing from listening to his new album. I love almost all of those song, and have since before they had titles and finished lyrics, but getting that album was such a let down. It feels like all the emotion has just been sucked right out of the songs. It seems very overproduced to me, and since it took about 4 years for the album to come out, I wonder if that’s what happened. It makes me so sad, because these songs are heartbreaking and wonderful, but you don’t get that when you listen to the album, they sound very plain and lackluster and they aren’t! It’s crazy!
He followed that up with “All we Are” and told us that while he likes Denver, it’s not Salt Lake and we deserved a happy song and since he only has written 2 of those, they are very special. I love this song, which has been on TV a bit. I heard it on NCIS and I was so excited but Husband didn’t understand. That’s my Boy! He’s making it in the big time!
He introduced “Detroit Waves” as the song he wrote when he was battle rappin’ in the streets of Detroit. He also added a bit of “Kids in America” so that we wouldn’t have to deny ourselves the sing-a-long. It was super cool. This is one of my favorite new songs, which I’ve loved since the first time I heard it. But once again the album doesn’t live up to the intensity you get hearing him play it. You may think I’m just one of those people that just can’t appreciate the music if it’s not being played just for me, but I’m listening to songs from Matt’s last album right now and they are beautiful and poignant and that’s the reason I love Matt as much as I do, so it definitely makes me very sad to lose this connection with the new songs.
Then “Wedding Dress” I heart this song, although I liked it just a touch better when it was “Winter Dress” but it makes more sense this way I guess. He added some lyrics, I don’t know if it was a different song or just some new improve, I wanted to remember the lyrics, but now I can’t :(
Then of course the single that most people know “Car Crash” It’s been so fun to hear this on the radio, every time I get so excited that they are really playing Matt. He deserves it. Once again I’m a snob and like the early versions of this song where the chorus is a little different the best, but it’s a great song and should definitely make him famous or at least get people to buy that CD.
“Answering Machine” the standard closer. As he was telling people the song-a-long lyrics he told us “They don’t make any sense, but neither does REM… and I love them.” I think he added the love thing just because the Utahns would lynch him if he made fun of REM. But he does love REM as he will throw a little “Losing my Religion” into one of my favorite songs. It was fun and I decided that since I couldn’t really see through the she-males shaved head, that I would sing the whole song, not just mouth the words as I so politely did through the whole concert. Didn’t make a difference, but was a bit liberating. He announced he would be signing things back by the merch booth after his set and after Lifehouse played. I didn’t come to see Lifehouse, so I was a super friend and went and got Trish a new Matt shirt for her to wear, I hope it looks awesome on her (I’m sure it does) it had an answering machine on it! Get it? Ha ha! These two cute girls behind us, whom Trish had offered to trade places with since she was taller thanked me. I’m not sure why, they said “because you were here!” so for what that’s worth, I’ll take it.
I headed back to the booth which was stuck in a corner. Only one way in and one way out. There were so many girls waiting to talk to him! It was nuts and I had to ask someone I didn’t know to take my picture with him. I had him sign my “Slow but Speeding” EP which I figured was the neatest most rarest thing of his that I have, even though it’s not that neat.
I asked him if he had gotten used to being an opener again, since you know, I read his online journal, so I know the first show in Seattle, he had to really work to win over the crowd and it was a little strange for him after coming off his headlining tour. He said he had and it was getting better. He forgot my name again and I razzed him for it. I’m also such a nice person that I told him he was wearing the same shirt that he wore when he performed at the radio station here. You know, because I like to make rock stars feel stupid about thier clothing choices. I also decided to tell him that I’m a ridiculous fan girl that I found a belt buckle online to replace the one he broke, but it hadn’t arrived (oh, I’m going to kill me some online retailers) and that I “felt bad about it” and he looked maybe a mixture of surprise and fear, well, he didn’t show the fear he must have been feeling, but he seemed to think that my trying was really sweet. So the stranger took my picture and I tried to tell him that he had really won over the crowd, but all that would come out of my mouth was “All these people love you” so, yeah. My brain doesn’t work too good sometimes. So I left the surging mass of girls and was about to leave in triumph when I looked at the picture on my camera. I had my eyes closed.
I decided to just hang out and listen to at least the first Lifehouse song, since I had paid all this money to get in the door. Matt was still signing and talking to people and then there was a group of older people (one of whom looked like a slimmer George Lucus!) that he stopped and talked to for a bit. He started to walk away and saw me and kinda waved and I waved bye to him, it was totally sweet. Then, I was trying to make my way out after the ridiculously long Lifehouse song which I didn’t recognize until the very end and Matt was also on his way out, there were two girls who were trying to talk to him and I was trying to get around them so I could leave (although to be honest, since Matt was right there, I wasn’t trying too hard) and then they asked me to take their picture with Matt. I agreed and the first picture was just a close up of his face since the picture screen on the camera was totally black due to the poor bar lighting at the show. But then I took another picture and everyone had their eyes open and it was really sweet. So I got to walk passed Matt on my way out and I didn’t even stop him to talk to him again. Mostly because he kept getting snagged by other people, but I didn’t stop and wait just to tell him the new things I had thought of since last time or all the things I wanted to tell him but forgot since he makes me so flustered. I just let him go. And hopefully he won’t be gone too long again and then I’ll make sure me and all my friends have tickets to that glorious occasion! Viva La Matt!
Not a bad picture, finally! 
1 comment:
Yikes! Does Michael mind all these hugs with the rockstar?? Ha haaa Michael!!!!
Post a Comment