Matt + Kim will rock your face with smiles, simplicity and synths. Photos by .
Were it not for their near-illegal levels of happiness, it would be simple to look at as a passable synth-pop confection. But that M+K-style joy infuses everything the pop duo does — from writing to recording to video-making to living to touring and performing. And it is that much-needed attitude that makes them a truly wonderful band — an indie band that isn’t afraid to break all the rules, and make you dance all the while.
Matt + Kim owned the on Tuesday, and while the show was full of expected moments — kitschy covers and Kim asking the audience to singalong with her on “Lessons Learned” — it was a special night regardless. Rock ‘n’ roll needs the indefatiguable Matt Johnson and Kim Schifino, if only to remind their peers that live music should be entertaining.
The show had many highlights, but all were accented by Schifino’s fierce, Billy Zoomesque smile and Johnson’s tireless, tuneful vocals. The cover of Gary Glitter’s “Rock ‘n’ Roll Part 2” was silly fun, but it got the crowd moving — not that the sold-out audience wasn’t rocking out with their favorite duo.
The hummable “Lessons Learned,” which landed in the middle of the set, drew the biggest crowd reaction of the night — possibly because . (Everyone has seen it, but just in case you’re the one guy who hasn’t, it’s not all that safe for the conservative workplace.)
“Yea Yeah” came early and won over the audience with its insanely catchy chorus. The good-times song is a stark contrast to some of the duo’s other work, including “Good Ol’ Fashioned Nightmare” — a more complex song that finds them exploring a different realm of their aesthetic.
“Daylight” closed the night out, and while it’s one of the most simplistic songs in the duo’s catalog, it’s also the most infectious. You catch “Daylight” like a good disease, and that flirty keyboard flittering will stick with you for days. And that’s much of Matt + Kim’s appeal. They write simple songs for simple fun, and like most Bon Jovi licks and Journey refrains, they will easily imbed themselves into your brain for weeks on end.
Here are more of Joe McCabe’s shots from Matt + Kim’s set:
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Ricardo Baca is the founder and co-editor of and an award-winning critic and journalist at The Denver Post. He is also the executive director of the , Colorado’s premier indie music festival. Follow his whimsies at , his live music habit at and his iTunes addictions at .
Joe McCabe is a Denver photographer and a regular contributor to Reverb. Check out his .
