So right to the main event: I went to see Matthew Good at Massey Hall in Toronto Friday night...WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOWWWWW. The acoustics in that place are fanfuckingTASTIC!! I was in 2nd row centre floor, and my god, it was like the music was just surrounding me completely and blowing my little freakin' mind! Honourable mention to his opening 2-women-show, Dala, as well. What a pair of pipes those two have!! Very impressive.
Matt was in fine form, totally outdoing himself as per usual...I've seen him in concert 6 times now and this was by far the best performance I've ever seen. I sat through his two and a half hour show in spite of constant shooting pain in my posterior region (and those chairs in Massey Hall...don't get me started...I felt my chair was dropping closer to the floor by the second, and every time I'd shift, the chair would drop-recline; I ended up in the lap of the guy behind me five times during the concert...I felt I should almost propose to him by the conclusion of the performance haha o_O) and frankly hardly noticed the pain through most of the concert I was so mesmerized. Not only was his music beautiful, gut and heart wrenching, and his voice second to none in spite of his current fight with bronchitis, but his hysterically warped and funny sense of humour made it as much a stand up comedy show as a musical concert.
Sean went with me...Sean was not a fan of Matt's...now he is. He thought he was hilarious, and said he thought the music was better live than recorded, which he has never found to be the case with any concert before. This is the sign of a true artist...no "studio magic" needed!!
Matt's renditions of "Avalanche", "Load me Up", and "Metal Airplanes" were major standouts for me, though the whole concert was simply mind boggling in its sheer magnitude. Matt mentioned later that at one point he looked out into the audience and had a tingle go up and down his spine and an epiphany that this was the moment and he was destined to do this for at least another 20 years. We hope so, Matt!!!
I saw Matt backstage after the concert and gave him the dog portraits I painted him. He's such a great guy...I know I'm biased but he is!! lol
Here's a couple pics of him onstage, then backstage checking out the portraits and showing them to his crew and a pic of him and yours truly:
I see Matt again next Friday here in Hamilton at Hamilton Place...can't wait!!! hehehehehhehe *so obsessed*...er...I mean, I have such respect and admiration for him. All kidding aside, I really do you know...not only do I love his music but I love his mind, political beliefs, sense of haha, and just ...well...his humanity. He's the most real person in or out of the public eye that I have ever met, and his generosity, kindness and recognition/action toward the plight of lesser fortunate individuals is truly inspiring. The fact he can still laugh and even function after the personal trials he has endured over the last year is awe inspiring at the very least.
/end of gush (for the next five days until the next concert anyway teehee)
D.