Dear listeners slash readers, your DJs are firmly committed to bringing you the best of new and old music. In order to help bring in the new music, we went to a concert! How does this help you? We aren't sure yet, but we had a good time - and what is TDR or TDR Jams if not a good time? Thus, M. Ward at the Historic Sixth and I Synagogue on February 23rd.
He played his new stuff, he played his old stuff, he played covers, he nearly made me cry, he made sure his band rocked out, he selected a good opening act* - essentially, he did everything right. He opened with Fuel For Fire (which is when I got all messy and emotional - it's a pretty embarrassing thing to cry at the first song, but I did it anyway. So there.) and did about six solo songs. Matt Ward doesn't play the guitar, he wields it. He coaxes and pries the magic from that bundle of wood and strings. The videos taken at the performance don't do it justice except that they convey the power of the music with the obvious quivering of the videographer:
We are from a generation that does not recognize an experience as significant unless we can claim a material possession as proof. What I am trying to say is that we bought merch. It was a good thing, too, as we insisted on staying an hour and a half after the show emptied out to meet Matt Ward himself, who eventually signed the albums we purchased. We even met members of the back-up band, Mike Coykendall and The Golden Shag. I have come to the conclusion, based on the personalities Nathan Jr and Mike Coykendall, that everyone from Portland is nice.
*The Vivian Girls played a Capitol Punishment show at AU! These shows just keep getting better, readers, you better go to one if you haven't already. And if you have, you might as well keep on going. You know how awesome they are.
In short, we will continue to play M. Ward's latest album, Hold Time because it is glorious.
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