Last night I went up to Columbus to catch Matt Kearney and Mute Math show at the Little Brothers (trash) club — with Andy, Nate and Ryan (from church).
After chugging a pint of Nut Brown, we sat down along the wall/shelf/seat (?) and waited for the show to start. Ryan and I went up to the merchandise table and talked with Greg (guitarist from Mute Math), asked if he knew Jacob Taylor (I guy I know from the Relevant boards, who knows the guys from the band), he said he knew him a little. We congratulated them on their success. Blah blah. Then the show started.
Matt Kearney started the show (he was the co-headliner), played an acoustic/solo set. Sounds eerily like a Wyclef Jean / Chris Martin hybrid mix mutt. Good show, good banter. Very generous (and threw in great “town” references in his free verse). But nothing incredible or ground-breaking (a bit too – “you sound like Coldplay, but Christian — you’ve got yourself a record deal”). He played about 45 minutes.
Next up, Mute Math. We see the drummer (Darren) come up, grab some duct-tape and wrap it around his head (and headphones). We’re perplexed —- why would he do this? Next he puts a towel on his back, like a cape, and hops around. The rest of the band comes out — and BAM, they start in. This band is so incredibly tight. They hit every stop perfectly. Darren hits the drums like they’re stubborn habit in the way, and Paul (lead singer/keyboard/keytar) is reminiscent of the new wave 80s (red shirt, skinny black tie, tall jet-black hair), bounding around the stage. They captures and surpassed the sound and energy on their EP, and completely transfixed the audience. Before I knew it, it had been 2 hours and the show was over – some people a bit battered and bruised after Paul jumped off-stage, and moshed into the small crowd, breaking a key of his keytar and damaging a guys elbow. I still can’t hear.
All I have to say -— incredible show. Best I’ve seen since the Flaming Lips.