Matt & Kim Concert Review

Sometimes we forget when overpaying for an arena concert that cheap, intimate shows are so much better than even the most well produced musical extravaganzas. Of all the concerts I've seen this year, no act, big or small, has aroused as much excitement as indie pop duo Matt & Kim.

I had the chance to see them twice in the past month. The first time was at Virgin Mobile Festival, after which I knew I needed to get tickets to their tour. Their set is just pure fun, even if you're not all that familiar with their music. By the time their headlining show rolled around, I had already gotten acquainted with Matt & Kim's unique sound. And nothing could have prepared me for the kind of show they put on at the 9:30 Club in Washington, DC.

From start to finish, they put on a show with non-stop energy and I've never seen a crowd at the 9:30 Club get so rowdy. From crowdsurfing to mosh pits, the audience was in a complete fervor over these two people. The fact that it's just two of them sitting a keyboard and a drum set commanding all that wildness is all the more impressive. Of course, that's not to say that they simply sit there. Throughout the course of the show, they took turns jumping up on their seats to get the crowd hyped. Kim even went into the crowd to booty dance on the hands of concertgoers. And not to be outdone, Matt climbed the scaffolding of the lights adorning the stage.

There's no doubt about it that these two are completely insane. Kim even called out two guys who pushed their way through the crowd to get to the front and encouraged others to do the same. The crowds definitely took her advice and there was an intense mosh pit in the center of the floor for almost the entire duration of the show.

They played a good mix of songs from each of their albums, including a few from their soon to be released studio album "Sidewalks" which will hit record stores next month. One simple, yet charming part of their set is the use of balloons, which they throw out into the audience in the middle of the show for everyone to blow up and toss around. This was a lot more effective at Virgin Festival, where the crowd was enjoying the show a little less violently. But it seems like Matt & Kim are all for some intensity, calling the DC crowd one of the best ever.

The show went by faster than we would have hoped and by the time they finished off with "Daylight," I kind of wished they would just play through the entire set again. Their show was an important reminder that showmanship does not depend on bells and whistles. I can't wait to catch them live again soon. Perhaps next time I'll watch it from the safety of the balcony.