I never got around to making my Best of list for 2006 but if i would have, M Ward’s album, Post-War would have been near the top. I’ve been diggin’ his stuff for a while. A few years back my friend Sarah sent me a mix CD with “Vincent O’Brien” on it and that was all i needed to get hooked.
For his sold out solo show at the El Rey he invited veteran performer Victoria Williams to kick the night off. Her offbeat style and singing were a welcome change from the traditional singer/songwriter genre. In between songs she looked out over the packed house and remarked how it had been over a decade since she’d played a solo set. She alternated between guitar and piano and seemed very appreciative to be playing for everyone.
It seemed to take forever for Matt to take the stage. Maybe it’s because I was standing by myself right behind the soundboard which had a clock I got to watch tick by…20 minutes…30….. Eventually the lights fell and the crowd went silent as Matt appeared strumming a trusty old acoustic guitar. It’s hard for a solo artist to keep an audience captivated, especially in Los Angeles. There’s no doubt that he’s one of the best songwriters out there. “Poison Cup” is one of those tracks you could listen to over and over again and not get sick of. Other tracks like “To Go Home,” “Helicopter,” and the title track off Post War are also gems.
As much as I was enjoying the show, I couldn’t help but wonder how the songs would sound with a full band. I think a general rule of thumb is that bands should play to standing crowds and solo artist to seated ones. It would have been nice to have a band there to mix the tone and tempo up a bit or some seats for people to kick back in. Hopefully he’ll be back around LA soon or will be hitting some festival dates this summer.
