9.15.2010 - Matt the Electrician
September 27, 2010
Lazy Daze Coffeehouse
Indianapolis, IN
We heard about Matt the Electrician by checking out info for a show by one of our favorite artists, Gregory Alan Isakov. Gregory and Matt were on the same bill for a show in Columbus, OH that we unfortunately couldn’t attend. But fortunately, we discovered that Matt had a show in Indy just a couple of days prior to the Columbus show, booked by Robin of Segment of Society Promotions, a local Indy music fan who’s passion for music led her to start booking and promoting artists in venues around Indianapolis. Check out her page and hit up some of her shows if you have a chance – you won’t be disappointed with the level of artists she brings to town!
Matt played on a little outdoor deck at Lazy Daze Coffeehouse. Besides the overcast skies, it was the perfect evening for an outdoor concert. As soon as I heard Matt’s voice, I knew I was going to be a fan. It’s very clear, but also raspy at all the right times. He’s a fantastic storyteller – the way his lyrics unravel will make you nostalgic, make you laugh, make you contemplate life, and sometimes make you sad.
Matt kicked off his set with “Osaka in the Rain”, from his newest album “Animal Boy”. Matt’s clear, expressive voice really shines in this tune. He also played a song about an article he read about some school’s female valedictorian standing up to give her speech, and stripping down to her birthday suit. There is a fantastic line in this song that really made me think about how a lot of us feel or felt about leaving a group of people – “This is who I am/and I’ll never see any of you again”. He followed that with another amusing song, “College” - about his college “career” – a career in which he stated he never even checked his grades because he didn’t want to know how bad they were. It was after that song that a passerby heard Matt mention something about growing up in Monterey, California and he had also grown up in that area, so a conversation ensued between them about some local hangout spots, etc. This is what makes these laid-back shows great and different – there can actually be interaction between the artist and their audience. There’s so much more of a personal connection to the music that way I think.
“Accidental Thief” is one of Matt’s endearing, heartfelt songs, about stealing one’s heart. “Bridge to Nowhere”, for his friends in Ketchikan, Alaska – the only way to reach it is by plane or boat, because funding was declined to build what politicians called “A Bridge to Nowhere” – which is where that pop-culture phrase came from. Matt then regaled us with a story about being given the opportunity to open up for Arlo Guthrie, one of his heros (he even named his son Arlo) in Dublin, Ireland, which led to him being in a song-swap session including Arlo at the Denmark Folk Festival. While on stage, Arlo asked Matt if he would play the song he played in Ireland when he opened for him – to which Matt replied “no”, because he was flustered and already had his capo set for a different song. Certainly one of those foot-in-the-mouth moments!
Matt also played “For Angela”, a song about needing a battery for his car and looking desperately for the dreaded corporate behemoth, Walmart, and the very kind lady there who helped him. It is a very sweet and funny song – another one where Matt’s amazing storytelling abilities shine through. He rounded out his set with “Animal Boy”, written for his son Arlo, a song written for his daughter, and a cover of The Weepies song “Somebody Loved”.
This evening spent on a deck at a small independent coffeehouse was a perfect example of the very roots of live music – artist and audience – coming together in an amazingly simple and very authentic way. To me, music becomes so much more meaningful when you have a personal experience with it - when you can even talk to the artist after the performance and tell him or her or them how much you appreciated the show and what they do. This is why I think supporting independent musicians is so important – if you give their music a chance, I think you’ll find that you can connect with it at a level that just isn’t possible with much of the stuff played on popular radio.
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