Canadian singer/ songwriter Matthew Good’s U.S. Acoustic Tour brought him to The Rapids Theatre in Niagara Falls NY, this past Friday night. He took the stage just after 10:00pm, about fifteen minutes late, to a patient but eager crowd. The Rapids Theatre provided the perfect setting for an intimate acoustic show such as this.
He strapped on his guitar and started right into his set with his 2000 hit “Load Me Up”. Once he started to sing, the fans in attendance joined him, as if they were part of the show. Knowing when to sing quietly along, and when to crescendo, they hung on his every note.
As he played through his 18 song set, Good would take cues from the crowd as well. He backed up from the mic several times during “Born Losers”, and “Apparitions”, giving everyone to opportunity to sing along and not just watch the show. He switched back and forth from 6-string to 12-string guitar, giving his songs the extra depth and feel to them.
Matt Good seems to really connect with his fans on an emotional level, and has some faithful followers. An example of such, was a woman in the front row who drove 2 1/2 hours from Toronto, Ontario to see him perform. She seemed captivated and absorbed in the show, getting lost in every word, as though they had meaning specifically for her.
When Good finished his set and left the stage, there was no loud ovation, no chant, just a subtle applause to lure him back out for an encore. When he returned he thanked everyone, and played his last four songs of the night. The show ended as it started, with every one of his words echoing through the crowd.
As the house lights came up, and everyone began to exit, I took notice of the conversations they were having. They weren’t talking about how “awesome” the show was, or how close they were to the stage. Instead, it was more about their emotions, and how certain songs meant different things to them. It seemed as if everyone there would have a story tell about the night and Matt Good provided the soundtrack.
Set List:
Load Me Up
Life Beyond The Minimum Safe Distance
So Long Mrs. Smith
Born Losers
While We Were Hunting Rabbits
Avalanche
Strange Days
How It Goes
Alert Status Red
A Silent Army In The Trees
The Fine Art Of Falling Apart
Suburbia
Prime Time Deliverance
Apparitions
Encore:
Champions of Nothing
Metal Airplanes
Tripoli
Generation X Wing
We would like to thank Jen Pressey from Bernie Breen Management for allowing BackstageAxxess to review the show.
