MATT CORBY IS FLAWLESS AT TERMINAL 5

Having Matt Corby grace NYC with another performance this year has got me feeling a little bit spoiled. Hot off the release of his full length, Telluric, Matt + band has embarked on a massive tour, and Thursday evening I was able to hear his incredible vocals echoing through the cavernous space inside Terminal 5.

Not one to come empty-handed, Matt brought Overcoats out to open for the tour. The melodic, electronic based duo of Hana Elion and JJ Mitchell coaxed staccato rhythms, synchronized dance moves, and remarkable harmonies to the entirety of their set. With more than a few fans in the crowd familiar with their music, their enthusiastic yelps from song to song coaxed a similar response from everyone else watching. Hana and JJ were both eager to address the crowd on multiple occasions, and found time to weave a hilarious story about a failed meeting with Hozier into a gorgeous cover of his song, “Cherry Wine.”

Overcoats

On the other end of the spectrum, Matt’s mic stand stood deep back into the confines of the stage, with his 5 band members surrounding him. He opted for lot less banter in exchange for flawless vocals and impeccable improvisation. Every member of the crowd happily sang along to old favorites “Trick of The Light,” and “Souls A’Fire,” and “Brother,” while new songs “Knife Edge,” “Wrong Man,” “Monday,” and “Oh Oh Oh” found a way to weave themselves seamlessly into the setlist. With eyes closed tight, Matt concentrated on nailing each note perfectly, which earned him deafening levels of applause on more than one song.

Matt Corby

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While his efforts were certainly pleasing to someone who has listened to his album back to front countless times, I wished he would have engaged with the crowd more to help create the intimacy and connection that I, among others, felt at smaller shows past. Perhaps the sheer size of T5 was a bit much for Matt who has admittedly had issues with anxiety in the past, but overall, there wasn’t anyone who left the show wholly unsatisfied.

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Matt Corby

From the last note of a flawless rendition of Sam Cooke’s “A Change Is Gonna Come,” Matt wowed all 3 levels of the venue, and leaving us already counting the days until the next time we’d be able to hear and see him perform once again.