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CONCERT REVIEW: The Tallest Man on Earth @ Union Transfer 7/30
Kristian Matsson plays with such unadorned passion that it's hard not to be moved by his live show.
CONCERT REVIEW: The Tallest Man on Earth @ Union Transfer 7/30
Before The Tallest Man on Earth’s Kristian Matsson scurried alone onto Union Transfer’s stage, techs brought out his equipment: guitars, piano, and a chair. The small number of items on stage was a stark contrast to the 1,200 people in attendance for the sold-out show. Even the balconies were teeming with people craning their necks and standing on their tippy toes to glimpse the young Swede.
The entire venue roared when Matsson made his entrance. He opened with “To Just Grow Away,” the first song off of There’s No Leaving Now. Matsson is touring in support of this new album, but his set list including material from every one of his major releases — including fan-favorites “The Gardener” and “King of Spain.”
Matsson spent most of the night finger-picking his way through songs, stopping occasionally to play a piano ballad. Mid-way through his set, he recited a spoken word version of the Fresh Prince theme song. He explained that this was how “Swedish people learned to speak English.”
Welcome pandering aside, it was refreshing to hear songs that rely on raw musicality. In the age of autotune and MPCs, musicians who use their natural voices and traditional instruments seem like quaint anachronisms. But Matsson plays with such unadorned passion that it’s hard not to be moved by his live show. A few simple instruments are all The Tallest Man on Earth needs to become larger than life.
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