By: Lauren Garbutt (@LaurenGarbutt1) –
Matthew Good. (Photo: Lauren Garbutt/Aesthetic Magazine Toronto)
Thursday night at Barracuda Pretty in St. Catharines was like meeting up with an old friend you haven’t seen in a while and suddenly remembering how great they are – only that friend was Matthew Good.
As Good took the stage, the room was suddenly jam packed with an enthusiastic crowd, who were excited to hear their old favorites and new songs from one of Canada’s most beloved alternative rock musicians.
The excitement in the crowd made for a great atmosphere as the band opened their set with a pair of Matthew Good Band songs, “Load Me Up“ followed by, “The Future Is X-Rated“. Many of the songs flowed from one to the next, leaving little room for banter except when Good mentioned drugs, and more specifically, mescaline, because as he said, “if you’re going to do drugs, at least do good ones”.
While Good’s older material seemed to be what the crowd enjoyed the most, Good played two new songs to satisfy a fan base that is hungry for new material. From his new album’s catchy first single “Had It Coming” to “We’re Long Gone”, both of which make a strong statement that Good has abandoned his flair for orchestral arrangements in favour of straightforward rock and roll, it’s exciting to see what Good has been up to since the release of Lights of Endangered Species two years ago.
After ripping through “Weapon”, the band exited the stage only to be called back with the crowd chanting “K-I-C-K-A-S-S, that’s the way we spell success”. As lyrics from the song “Giant”, from Matthew Good Band’s seminal 1999 album Beautiful Midnight, which suddenly began playing through the speakers in perfect time with the audience’s chanting, Good and company reappeared and played a two-song encore that consisted of “Giant” followed by their 1999 hit song, “Hello Time Bomb”, which riled up the crowd and had the entire room buzzing.
With the upcoming fall release of Good’s new album, Arrows of Desire, on September 24th, Good will tour throughout North America in September and October, including dates in both Hamilton and Toronto, and you shouldn’t miss the chance to catch a solid show consisting of a healthy mix of old and new material from one of Canada’s most acclaimed musicians.
Cobourg Ontario rockers Gentlemen Husbands opened the show. Playing with Matthew Good on a number of dates, the quintet was a great opening choice and entertained the crowd with their country-infused rock and roll (think Ryan Adams). The group is clearly talented, and performed their upbeat songs while keeping the crowd engaged throughout. Aside from covering U2’s “With or Without You”, they also performed songs from their well-received 2010 EP, Mirror Doll Business. The crowd was receptive and as their set came to a close, it was clear that Gentlemen Husbands had won over some new fans.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Matthew Good
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Gentlemen Husbands
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Aesthetic Magazine | Album Reviews, Concert Photography, Interviews, Contests 
As a big fan of Gentlemen Husbands I can actually say that the songs they performed Thursday night were all new songs, with the exception of With Or Without You. But what a night! Awesome sets by Matt Good and Gentlemen Husbands
Posted by Jen | July 14, 2013, 4:31 pmHi Jen!
We’re glad that you had a great time and thanks for letting us know that all of Gentleman Husbands’ songs were new.
Posted by Aesthetic Magazine Toronto | July 15, 2013, 10:38 am