MATISYAHU + K'naan + Trevor Hall + Jah Cutta @ Metropolis

By Döc Holidæ - Phantastiq Cypha - 12/17/2008

What do you get when you cross Jah Cutta, Trevor Hall, K’Naan and Matisyahu? Answer: One of the most energetic shows of 2008. On December 17th I attended the Matisyahu concert at Metropolis; this was only the 2nd time I decided not to stand in the front but to grab a seat up in the balcony while at that venue. I could try and explain how a different point of sound can change the whole experience of a concert but that gets really boring. I can however discuss how much I enjoyed getting a good seat and taking in a great show. I got to the venue really early for once and caught the tail end of the Jah Cutta performance, which was actually really good. It’s unfortunate more people don’t come to the openers because Jah Cutta had all the energy needed to hype up a crowd before the main act. I may not know the songs but I was singing along like everyone else who was there.

After a short intermission Trevor Hall took the stage with his percussionist Chris Steele. Their performance was as stripped down as I’ve ever seen. Trevor was playing on a guitar and Chris Steele was playing a small drum and sitting on another box drum.  It was simple compared to Jah Cutta’s performance, but just as energetic. I had never heard of Trevor Hall, so I looked him up before I went to the show. He listed Bob Marley and Bjork as some of his inspirations, which you can understand if you listen to his music. He would sing with a type of reggae twang and yodel all in one. It’s unique but I could get into that type of sound. This was his first visit to Montreal and I’m hoping he’ll come back sometime soon. I do however hope his set is longer and he wears shoes when performing next time.

As for our last opener, well what can we say about K’Naan other than he delivers. A few of my friends who saw the show say K’naan stole the show. I can say he was a solid performer and could have easily been the headliner but I don’t think he stole the show from Matisyahu. K’Naan was an obvious crowd pleaser; he sang “Soobax” and did a new song called “America.” The track was solid and if it’s any indication of what the new album will sound like it’s going to be a good one. It was a little slow to start when he performed “America” because the audience didn’t know the song, but you could see the them catching on. The last song he did was “Freedom” and I think this song alone is the reason so many people are saying K’Naan stole the show. “Freedom” has such a powerful hook that when you sing along you can’t help but feel the energy coursing through every single person in the crowd. “When I get older/ I will be stronger/ They’ll call me freedom/ Just like a waving flag.” Those lyrics are the stuff that national anthems are made of. I’m looking forward to K’Naan’s new album, Troubadour (out February 10th, 2009.) I hope you all check it out too.

Obviously the last artist to take the stage was Matisyahu. By this point I had been sitting in my seat for 3 hours but the time just flew by. I hadn’t even noticed how long I’d been there when Matisyahu took the stage and that speaks volumes of a well prepared lineup. He was in very good company and the energy that had been built up by all the previous performers had only one place left to go, straight to Matisyahu. He took the stage and started out strong, which I thought would be hard to keep up but he never let it die. Sure some of the songs went on a little long with the keyboard or guitar solos, but the solos were really good. When he started doing new material like “So Hi So Lo,” I saw a lot of people lighting up in the crowd below me. I found it ironic that his messages were mostly about being clean and true to you but for some the messages fell on deaf ears. The absolute highlight for me was the beat boxing; I never knew how well Matisyahu could beat box. I had heard he was good but that was a complete understatement. Perhaps this is why K’Naan didn’t steal the show for me, because each performer that night did something great. Jah Cutta was great with the small crowd, Trevor Hall was great with his simple 2 man performance, K’Naan was great with his showmanship and Matisyahu was great because of his confidence. You could see that even after all those other artists, it wasn’t about reclaiming the headliner title instead it was about giving a great show. His performance was solid; those long interludes seemed to be a period for us to think about what his lyrics just told us. Let the message sink in and then go on to the next song. I’ve heard his songs performed but I never listened to them before then. The difference in taking in everything is important.

One last little note, always be prepared for when he performs “King Without a Crown.” Young, old, it doesn’t matter what you are because once that song is performed the crowd will go slightly insane. People will start to crowd surf much to the cries of security and EVERYONE will start going crazy (as I learned sitting next to an old married couple.)

K’Naan might have the kids, but Matisyahu’s performance at Metropolis had every single person standing up. We’ll have to see how both their albums do after the tour.

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