Photo courtesy of 92.3 WTTS: http://wttsfm.com/2013/07/stream-matt-nathansons-last-of-the-great-pretenders/
Matt Nathanson brought his pop-rock sound to the Commodore Ballroom last Sunday for the third stop of his Last Of The Great Pretenders tour. The 40-year-old singer-songwriter played for over two hours, proving the cliché that “some things only get better with age” to be true.
Jack Johnson sound-alike Joshua Radin opened the show. He jokingly apologized before kicking off his performance, stating the majority of his songs are break-up anthems – not the best for pumping up a crowd.
Despite the apology and warning, Radin managed to play an equal mix of both upbeat and melancholy numbers from his newest album Wax Wings. The highlight came when he surprised the crowd with the Bob Dylan classic Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right. His memorable finale that left fans buzzing for the headliner.
During his 20-year career, Matt Nathanson has mastered the live show. From the moment he stepped onstage through the end of his set, there was never a lack of excitement or energy amongst the crowd. Nathanson played hit after hit, old and new, without missing a beat, much to the crowd’s delight.
When the band needed to reset for the next song, Nathanson would entertain the crowd with his comedic stylings – there was no dead air. Fans were treated to music and comedy for the price of one.
After working through his older material and latest album, Last Of The Great Pretenders, Nathanson closed with the song the fans had been waiting for: his platinum hit, Come On Get Higher. After a mass sing-along, he thanked the crowd for their support and expressed his love for Vancouver, promising he would be back soon – a promise many Vancouverites hope he keeps.
Check out Earthquake Weather by Matt Nathanson here:
