Matt And Kim with Donnis
October 21 at The Canal Club
There may not be anything more triumphant than a Matt and Kim show. Standing side-by-side with wide grins and excitement in their eyes, the two performers stared at an audience sharing the same sentiments. One could only imagine what the duo had in store for Richmond, Virginia.
The night began with a listening of Matt and Kim’s new record, Sidewalks. At first, I wasn’t sure what to make of this presentation. Actually, though, it’s a really effective way of introducing an audience to a new album. Chances are that if you download the album online, the quality will suffer immensely. To hear it through the speakers at the Canal Club was a delight, and I look forward to getting a copy upon its release in November.
Knowing Matt and Kim’s affinity for Top 40 Hip-Hop made Donnis an obvious choice as an opener. Their role was to get the audience hyped up for the headliners and that’s exactly what they accomplished. Several of the songs blended together and I wouldn’t call it the most memorable set, but it was entertaining nonetheless. While onstage, the group spoke about how embarking on this tour had been a test on their nerves. After a few tour stops, they were now comfortable with the crowds and had a blast, along with everyone in attendance.
The floor of the Canal Club would not stop rumbling throughout all of Matt and Kim’s set. The entire audience was going insane, and the band couldn’t help but reciprocate the joy they felt, having a crowd ready to get wild. There was an open and free rapport in the way the performers and the audience interacted. Perhaps the audience had changed since the days of the group playing basement shows at the now-defunct Bonezone, but the enthusiasm was still there.
One of the best elements of their set was its focus on material from their self-titled release and Grand. The way that these records are recorded and produced makes it tough for the band to recreate these songs live. By displaying their new album in its entirety at the beginning of the show, it allowed Matt and Kim to focus their energies on celebrating their back catalog. Doing so exemplified the confidence of their stage show, making for a memorable performance that never let up.