Matt Costa Live Review

Denver music fans owe Matt Costa an apology. They must have all been at Rancid or the Futureheads or Sparta when he came to town this month. "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" was showing at Red Rocks. Few had the time or money for Costa, who had just been in town in May. Too bad. They missed a good show.

The opener alone was worth the $12 ticket. The 88 might well become one of those "I saw them in a club in Denver back in ought six" bands.

The 88's infectious power pop is all over your TV set, with music and guest appearances on "The O.C." and "How I Met Your Mother." The band also has opened for the Flaming Lips and the Thrills. Surely, a major-label deal and a headlining tour are next.

Meanwhile, they played to a half-empty room of chatters as though it was a label bidding war. With wide smiles and crisp suits, they seem as earnest as any "Ed Sullivan Show" regulars.

The band played a solid mix of songs from both its albums, which blend the urgency of OK Go with the pop sensibilities of the Shins.

After nearly an hourlong opening set, they also came back for an old-fashioned sing-along at the end of Matt Costa's happy set.

Costa's music comes across slightly heavier and more complex in the live setting, but they're still just pretty folky pop songs. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

It's certainly enough to make the girls swoon. With his good looks and his "aw, shucks" mannerisms, he comes across as a musical Jimmy Fallon (and no, Fallon fans, impressions of famous musicians don't count).

The closest and most obvious influence on Costa's work is Britain's Badly Drawn Boy - also a solo artist in name only. Both bands mix in keyboards and layers of guitars on personal folk songs. Costa even imitates Badly Drawn Boy Damon Gough's British accent on some of his songs.

Though he broke out his radio hit, "Cold December" early in the set, he saved the best for last. Once he really got rolling, he played great versions of "Sweet Rose," "Yellow Taxi" and the Decemberists-influenced "Whiskey and Wine."

He then brought on guests from the 88 to help with a Buddy Holly cover, "Miss Magnolia" and "Happy Birthday." (Evidently, it was a band member's birthday).

So maybe the show didn't draw the same size crowd as Rancid or Sparta, but surely there were fewer offensive, loud moments to scare away the teen squealers in the front section.

This story was originally published at www.hybridmagazine.com.