After almost 10 years of touring, Matt Nathanson continues to deliver performances that entertain and reach a diverse audience, as evidenced in Nathanson's sold-out show last Thursday at the Recher Theatre in Towson, Md.
The show started off on the wrong foot, however, as opening act Ingrid Michaelson served up a decidedly boring and overly contrived set.
Michaelson did have some small measure of stage presence, opening with the gentle "Boys and Girls." Fans also enjoyed "The Way I Am," accompanied by Nathanson's bass player, John Thomasson, and her vocal "trumpet solo" on "Lady in Spain." But Michaelson's only objective seemed to be catering to the audience, which is not always a good thing.
If Michaelson's desire to please fans translated into more meaningful songwriting, perhaps she would have a chance at success past television commercials. Her babyish tone and her simple piano playing accompanied by guitarist Allie Moss are pleasant but bland.
Her music has the minimum of quirky lyrics and genuine instrumentation necessary to convince the listener they are being treated to innovation, but Michaelson is nothing more than a two-dimensional Regina Spektor imitation.
Matt Nathanson couldn't come soon enough. His 12-string guitar and solid backup band commanded the stage, opening with "To the Beat of Our Noisy Hearts" from his latest release, "Some Mad Hope."
Nathanson, who began making music back in the early '90s in San Francisco, has matured from his start in coffee shops and making albums that, he jokes, sounded like they were recorded in a closet. "Some Mad Hope" is Nathanson's eighth full-length release, but only the second backed by a record label.
Though gaining television and industry attention, he continues to maintain an air of humility in his interaction with fans, even encouraging them to record his shows and release them for free.
Elana Gershuny, a Florida native who works in Fairfax, is one such taper. Nathanson feeds off the audience's energy, which "allows him to connect with every member of the audience," she said.
Not only did Nathanson engage veteran fans, but he also impressed new listeners. Allison Sovey, a junior at George Mason University, had heard his studio work and enjoyed it, but thought it couldn't compare to his live performance. She described the live sound as something alive and moving, an emotion the studio could never capture.
Much of Nathanson's appeal also comes from the between-song jokes, inappropriate references to genitals, '80s covers and his willingness to make fun of himself.
"My brother was into sports - he got the girls," Nathanson said between songs. "I was in the basement, pining after my neighbor ... playing Poison covers."
Before playing "Angel" from 2003's "Beneath These Fireworks," he said the intro might sound like "Hey There, Delilah," but he wrote it "six years before [Plain White T's] were even born."
Nathanson also encouraged the audience to participate in the concert sing-along experience. "Just Mace the people that aren't singing - that'll give you friends," he quipped.
Prolific artists like Nathanson might find it difficult to please the new and old fans, but Nathanson selected songs from the span of his catalog, playing the current radio single "Car Crash" and "Laid" from the "American Wedding" sound track, but also older, personal songs like "Church Clothes" and "Loud," a duet performed with Michaelson. Nathanson also displayed his talent for weaving his songs into other popular retro songs, as he seamlessly transitioned between his own "Princess" to Rick Springfield's "Jesse's Girl," and from "Amazing Again" into REM's "Losing My Religion." Even when Nathanson broke a string, switched guitars and retuned mid-song, the movement of the concert never faltered.
Nathanson might not top charts, but he has created his own niche in musical circles that one would be unfortunate to miss.
