The Tallest Man On Earth
Monday, October 11th, 2010
Photo by Mark Josephson
Matsson’s vocals and technical proficiency on guitar is impressive, but his live performances prove that he is just as good a showman as he is a troubadour. While his lyrics are strangely introspective and heartfelt, his performance is exhilarating. Constantly moving around, Matsson frequently darted to the only thing on stage, a chair, to emphatically prolong the silence between verse and chorus until the crowd would cheer on his return to the microphone.
In between songs, Matsson looked nonplussed by the space of Webster Hall. After a particularly ear-shattering barrage of drunken song requests and I-love-you's, Matsson faltered and mumbled, "How do you respond to that?" He then quickly apologized, worried that he had been "too rude." About halfway through his set he quietly admitted, "This is the largest indoor show I've ever done…"
For his last song before the encore, "Thrown Right At Me", a bushy-haired girl in a dress walked on stage and joined him in a duet. The girl, Matsson's girlfriend Amanda, sang harmony as they shared one microphone, faces inches apart, and locked eyes. It was an unsettlingly sweet moment; the object of a musician's affectionate lyrics suddenly present and participating. Within the space of that one song everything seemed to have melted away for the couple and the audience was lucky to get a glimpse of Matsson at his rawest — just his girl and his guitar.
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