Matt And Kim Energize Upstate Concert Hall

With the weather finally acting like December as we head towards Christmas, it finally felt like all the holiday parties taking place were appropriate. Local Upstate radio station WEQX threw their annual holiday bash this past Saturday at Upstate Concert Hall to a sold out crowd, who had packed the venue almost immediately after doors opened at 7 PM. The three band line up was headlined by the always energetic Matt and Kim, who did not disappoint with their last show of 2015.

Opening the evening was Grizfolk and Good Old War. Grizfolk’s pretty indie music got the crowd in the mood to dance for the rest of the evening. Dashes of Tom Petty mixed with some pretty great guitar solos made for an enjoyable, but quick half hour of music before they left the stage to a loud applause. Good Old War came out soon after and played a great set. Keith Goodwin danced about the stage while Dan Schwartz moved between the 12 string acoustic guitar and a 6 string electric guitar. Great harmonies between the two could be heard in every song they played while the whole crowd danced like there was no tomorrow.

Grizfolk

Good Old War

To one of the loudest ovations in recent memory, Matt and Kim jumped onto the stage and for the rest of the night, didn’t stop moving for a moment. The energy they have is infectious, putting smiles on every face in the building including the security guards. Both of them spoke a lot about how this was their last show for the year and how they would be off the road for three months, which would seem like an eternity, so they wanted to leave everything they could on the stage. Matt and Kim kept their promise and then some.

Matt And Kim

Throwing balloons, confetti, shirts, and other objects into the crowd to keep the party going wasn’t necessary, but it was great to watch and it kept the fans happy. Kim danced around the stage, in the audience, and on top of her drum kit multiple times, while Matt swayed behind his keys most of the evening. The chemistry they have is beautiful to watch as their banter between songs is often hilarious and the smiles they share while playing the music is wonderful. While their set list didn’t stray terribly from what they have been doing lately, the fact that neither of them looked bored for a moment was great to see, as I’m sure it can be tedious to play almost the same thing each night.

Matt And Kim

Racing back on the stage for an encore they couldn’t help but thank everyone for coming, their crew for helping put this on throughout the year, and WEQX for playing them since the beginning. With that one of the DJ’s, Jeff Morad, came on stage and gave them a hug followed by Matt and Kim encouraging the crowd to help him crowd surf to the back. It was a great moment for the local music community and a fantastic way to end the show. For many in the audience this was the last show of the year, and it’s a good thing too since the show was so great it would be hard to top with only about a week left in the year.