MATTHEW GOOD AND HIS BAND @ Club Soda

By Michelle Ayoub - Ravenous Medicine - 05/30/2008

As I sit to write this review, I realize that it will be quite the task, because following last Friday’s performance at Club Soda, I am just a tad bit giddy. Considering how many shows yours truly has seen over the years, going from itsy-bitsy productions to big-budget extravaganzas, from mellow indie rock concerts to the most obscure metal shows featuring bands from parts of Europe no one knew existed, I think that’s really saying something for Matthew Good and his band.

I arrived at the venue to see that it was ready to burst. As with the previous times I have seen Matt Good, backed by a band or solo, I was surprised that there were still tickets available at the door. It was the crowd, I believe, that really made the show. Old and young, male and female, this crowd was one of the most energetic I have seen in a while. Every single song had most, if not everyone, in the venue singing along, amplifying the already great delivery of several of the songs, especially those of the Matthew Good Band era such as “Load Me Up” and “Hello Time Bomb”, both off Beautiful Midnight.

However, an energetic crowd is nothing without a strong performance to feed off of. While I have heard many people say that Matt Good is a boring frontman, I have to strongly disagree.  Whether he’s performing solo acoustic sets or shows with a band backing him (as was the case at this show), Good has such charisma and strong stage presence that he does not need to make any great effort to get the crowd going. He topped it off with what I find to be an exemplary case of a great performer/audience relationship -- the Vancouver native came on stage with a Montreal Canadians T-shirt, stating that everyone back home hates him because he is a die-hard Habs fan. 

If you are anything like me, you go into shows with a list of songs you just have to hear or the world will stop spinning. The set list did not disappoint. It covered the majority of Matt Good’s career, focusing mostly on his solo works but not forgetting to give Matthew Good Band fans their fill with songs such as “Everything is Automatic,” and “Apparitions.” Many tracks from Good’s most recent album, Hospital Music, were covered and again, each song was well-received by the audience.

Having worked on and seen quite few tours and shows, I always appreciate a good set-up. Keeping it simple with a few extra touches seems to be often overlooked. The lighting, which comprised of a series of lines of lights on ceiling high pillars behind the band, really stood out for me, accompanying each song well. From the first song, I found this lighting choice to be very effective, and it was confirmed during “Alert Status Red,” when the lights all flashed red during the chorus. Cheesy? Perhaps. Effective and awesome? Totally. Sound-wise, I unfortunately have no good things to say. Considering the fact that despite a nice layout for the venue, Club Soda does not have the best acoustics in the world, I cannot say it was the worst live sound I have ever heard. While it did manage to get on my nerves at some times (God bless earplugs), it never threatened the overall experience of the show. In fact, I would be willing to bet a fair sum of money that if you asked most people in the crowd, they probably did not noticed much.     

Overall, my only real disappointment of the evening was not getting to hear “Strange Days,” but believe you me, although I spent a good portion of the set hoping it would be next, it did not come anywhere near ruining my experience. As I said, this was not the first time I have seen Matt Good live, and to summarize, I think it just about says it all that next time around, I will be first in line to grab tickets.