Matsson is the lone member of his band The Tallest Man on Earth. He takes the stage in a way that can only be described as thrasher-rockabilly swagger. Between songs Matsson gave a crackly throated “thank you” or told a charismatic story about his music, where he caught himself half way through saying “These people paid to hear me sing, not tell stories.”

With tunes that Matsson claimed as “crazy sad break up music,” its energy was anything but that. With a fast-paced tempo, echoing guitar riffs, and the flicking of banjo strings, the immediate feeling of isolation and sadness could be lost. That is until the listeners hear the lyrics of loneliness, and love lost. The Tallest Man on Earth’s music requires appreciation and time to fully enjoy the depths of the intricate nature of its musicality.

Matsson’s performance is one that finds a striking exchange with the crowd. He is almost child-like on stage, playing, frolicking, jumping, and making faces to the crowd. A single musician took the Englert stage and owned it, keeping the whole crowd in tune with his energy.

Matsson began his set with the same amount of energy and love he ended it with. The night went through emotional ups and downs, but Matsson never faltered in stamina during a performance for a small but mighty audience.

Matsson would occasional pause all music and singing between verses and hold the crowd in the air, letting each passing second condense and burn. Then he would strike his guitar and suddenly a halo of lights around him would flare. Then he would hit the audience with his voice.

Matsson’s voice needs to be admired. The range and depth he can give from song to song is something that will leave a tonal impact on listeners. With comparisons of Springsteen, Waits, and Dylan being the first to come to mind, there is something different that complements Matsson’s voice. A smoothness usually only heard in an operatic setting.

Matsson’s charm cannot be overstated. The subtle looks at the crowd, the quick smile to the front row, and running down the side stage theater steps to interact with the audience. Earlier in the show, Matsson called out asking how many have saw him before, getting back a moderate outpour of cheering. He then called out asking who was seeing him for the first time, recieving a large scream back.

Audience members called out to Matsson in his native language, Swedish. It was noticeable that a large population of the audience were avid fans of The Tallest Man on Earth.

Tallest Man on Earth: NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert

The Tallest Man on Earth – “Love Is All” (Official Music Video)

The Tallest Man on Earth: “Somewhere In The Mountains, Somewhere In New York” 

The post The Tallest Man on Earth @ The Englert Theatre appeared first on KRUI Radio.

Martin was very prevalent in most of our generation’s younger years. With that affect, the crowd was filled with a good mix of both older and younger adults.

Martin is currently in the middle of his Wandering Mind Tour. He is best known for his rise to fame in the late 2000s, with such spotlights as his Comedy Central show Important Things with Demetri Martin and acclaimed comedy specials, Demetri Martin. Person. and Demetri Martin: Standup Comedian.

Martin’s current tour showcased all the aspects that he specializes in, be it quirky puppets, a large note pad filled with both puns and humorous images, and his rapid fire use of one liners whilst playing an acoustic guitar.

This show presented a comedian that is truly an expert in his niche style of comedy. It was fascinating to see a comic who can demand an audience’s attention even though he is often soft spoken and firmly standing in one place.

This event also showed that even after almost two decades that his craft hasn’t evolved greatly. Martin’s views are so similar to his past material, it seems some of these jokes could have been performed 10 years ago. The greatest aspect of an artist that has been performing for decades is watching their art/craft evolve over time, but I’m hesitant to state if Martin’s has.

The aspect of this show that was truly attention grabbing and unique was the way Martin would talk about death and aging in the small breaks between his other jokes.

Martin started the show with simple, yet cleaver observations of the famous Englert Theatre, pointing out a very overlooked aspect of the theater, that it has both green and red fire exit signs.

Then bizarrely, the audience witnessed the artist receive a phone call on stage. Martin’s cell phone was in his pocket and left on ringer. At first this seemed to almost be a bit that may have ran throughout the show, but since it never occurred again, it must have been an actual slip up made by Martin. This hiccup was played off very well by the comic, but still it was a very uncommon and unmannerly thing to happen during a professional show.

The show then continued with Martin moving on to his classic large notepad. This bit was built around Martin conducting a very humorous interview with a hand drawn demon from hell. This interview covered everything from the petty bureaucracy of the flaming underworld, the point system that deems if someone will go to hell or not, and finally explaining why Martin himself will go to the doomed afterlife.

Martin then continued to his desired improvements to sports, so less athletic-minded people will enjoy them. After ten or so minutes of very clever and surprising way to spice up sports Martin, went back to his notepad, finally ending his show with an acoustic guitar rifting, spouting out his normal clever and very funny observational humor one liners.

Another intriguing aspect of Martin’s act was a moment where he discussed his thoughts on humor based around his private life. Martin explained how he had two children and a wife, but felt comfortable using his experiences with them as a material for his shows. As a creative, this helps paint the unique constraints Martin puts on himself to find humor in other aspects of life that other comics can’t.

This show was something that many probably haven’t experienced in person before and probably won’t ever again. This style of comedy is something difficult to find in the age we live in, but it is definitely Martin who leads the way into it, even if it hasn’t evolved much over the past few years.

Check out the links below for some great videos of Demetri Martin:

Martin on Ellen

Martin on Stephen Colbert

The post Demetri Martin @ The Englert Theatre 2/8/19 appeared first on KRUI Radio.

The gospel and soulful band that is The Blind Boys of Alabama took the whole crowd of The Englert Theater to church last Friday night. The way they artfully worked the crowd, used their voices to create peaks and valleys for the ears of the audience, and built off of each second of their performance to make a really inspiring aftertaste when the event was over.

The Blind Boys of Alabama sung with such levitative emotions that the whole crowd was already clicked into, even during minor technical difficulties at the start. I had little to no background knowledge of the band before walking into the Englert that night, but after the final bow of the 4 men who sung throughout the night I understood. I was left with an imprint and a greater understanding of why people attend events where people sing songs that have such soulful qualities, but also such musicality and tone that it causes anyone to feel the groove of the music that they are hearing.

An imprint happened during this concert in a solo that one of the men sang. He sung the lyric “We need peace.” He repeated this line a dozen or so times. Each repetition got a bigger and more unified response from the crowd. The atmosphere was filled with a sense of love and connection that I can’t say I have felt before in a crowd at other concerts I have been to.

The Blind Boys of Alabama is a band that has existed for 70 years now, and has had renowned success. They have collaborated with some of the most popular artists, won five Grammy awards, and been inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame. These artists are definitely in their later years, but when they took the stage and started singing, the energy that came off of the crowd heated them up into what I could see were men still loving what they do. Whether it was the interactions with the crowd, the standing up to dance through sections of a song that was grooving them, or the sound of an energetic and inspired crowd, I could see they still had the same love for performing they had decades ago.

This concert was a beautifully unique experience. Even though I am not someone who feels that connected to any religion, I definitely felt a sense of warmth and beauty I can guarantee anyone else seeing these artists would also feel.

Below are a few links to some of The Blind Boys of Alabama’s songs.

The Blind Boys Of Alabama People Get Ready

The Blind Boys Of Alabama “Amazing Grace”

Blind Boys of Alabama – Full Performance (Live on KEXP)

The post The Blind Boys of Alabama @ The Englert Theatre 1/19/18 appeared first on KRUI Radio.

Kamasi Washington took The Englert Theatre this Halloween. A large audience was waiting, excited to hear his soulful music wash over them.

As soon as I entered the venue I heard loud James Brown and Michael Jackson songs blaring and saw most of the audience was wearing full-on Halloween costumes. I knew then that this was going to be a type of concert I have never experienced before.

Washington is a Grammy-nominated musician with high critical acclaim. He is a musician of many talents: saxophonist, bandstand leader, composer, producer, and jazz cat. Kamasi has worked with artists such as Snoop Dogg, Stephen “Thundercat” Bruner, and Raphael Saadiq.

With a stage set with two drum sets, a stand-up bass, and full keyboard/mixer, I could tell right away I was in to see a full band perform an orchestral style of jazz.

East Coast based artist, Victory, took the stage as the opener. Victory started her set with a slow, soulful, and beautiful cover of “Feeling Good” from her recent EP, It’s a New Dawn. Then she moved into tracks from her first album, The Broken Instrument. Victory’s songs had a purpose, giving voice to the African American experience in the United States and also a message of hope for all when experiencing troubles.

Washington took the stage a little bit after 9pm and played till 11pm. During that time the whole audience knew they were experiencing a quality of music and talent that is rare in this world and very rare to come through the Midwest.

The band consisted of truly talented musicians, such as Brandon Coleman, Miles Mosley, Patrice Quinn, just to name a few.

Washington’s talent on the Saxophone was something I was really excited to see in first person, and once he started to play I could feel the power and tones through my body. As I sat in the audience I slowly noticed that one by one, everyone around me started to groove and dance to his music.

Two songs in I saw something I have never seen before in all my visits to The Englert Theatre. over half the audience stood and either ran to the front near the stage, forming a large crowd, moving along with Washington’s music, or standing where they were and doing the same.

The band played some amazing tracks such as “First of Fury” and “Will You Sing”. The only way I can explain their performance is as one that seems to be preaching to the gods of Jazz and Funk, with a message of global unity and love. It is an easy, powerful message to go along with and feel an audience connect with. It will be exciting to see what Washington will be diving into in the future. Hopefully Iowa City will always be a stop for this rising jazz cat star.

Both Victory and Kamasi Washington’s music can be found on Apple Music, Amazon, and Spotify. Be sure to check out Victory’s The Broken Instrument and Kamasi Washington’s album Heaven and Earth as well as his EP, The Choice.

Check out the links below for great videos of these amazing artists!

Street Fighter Mas

Fists of Fury

Victory – Feeling Good

The post Kamasi Washington w/ Victory @ The Englert Theatre appeared first on KRUI Radio.

After a night of wild yelling, half naked singing, and crazed bread throwing, I can now say I have been to a famous “Rocky Horror Picture Show” viewing party/show, and am no longer a “Rocky Horror Virgin”

I have been a longtime fan of the film, and have had many of the lyrics from all the songs committed to memory since 11 years old. I was very excited to see what one of these revered live showings would be like and I was definitely glad to have gone.

For those who are unaware, a theater almost becomes its own world at these events.

Almost everyone is dressed in some costume. There will be dozens of Janets and Frankfurters running around, the amount of skin varying on case-by-case situations. The alternative is easy too: dress however you like. Everyone entering the theater is given a bag filled with props and a newspaper.

One of the special parts of the viewing party is the way the audience participates with the film. Throughout the film at different plot points or when certain charades appear on stage, the audience is supposed to yell, put on accessories, throw props, and sing along.

This type of audience participation causes an amazingly fun ampere and community. It lends itself to funny outbursts throughout the film.

Click the link to see The Virgin’s Guide to Rocky Horror Callouts

The other key aspect to these viewings is the actors. As the film plays there are a crew of actors and singers that stand on stage and run around the crowd, portraying the characters in the film. It creates a performance that feels like the characters from the film are really in the theater.

While attending this showing, one part I was truly struck by is the history of these events. The viewing in Iowa City has been sold out for 7 years in a row, but on a global level these parties have been going on for decades.

There are now late middle-aged adults that dressed and acted the same way my generation is when they view this legendary film. I find history beautiful in that fact. This is a timeless tradition that seems like it will be carried out for years to come.

This production had great actors, great lighting props that spelled out words from the songs and, most importantly, was put on with great love and a sense of fun that I continues on so I can take more of my “Virgin” Friends too. This production was put on by the Englert Theater and Comics In Action.

See some of my favorite Rocky Horror Picture Show songs and clips below!

“Time Warp”

“Sweet Transvestite”

“I’m Going Home”

The post Rocky Horror Picture Show 2018 @ Englert Theater appeared first on KRUI Radio.

Puddles the Clown took the stage at the historic Englert Theater last night in a truly astonishing fashion. With everything from physical comedy, audience participation, and a wickedly powerful yet beautiful voice, Puddles owned his performance.

The environment of this concert was something I never have experience before. It was filled with both a heightened sense of excitement, but also a large amount of playfulness. This sense started when Puddles walked all around the balcony, and floor seating before the show started. He took the time to shake hands, greet, and hug as many people as he could before he took the stage.

This adorable act of love and kindness was something to behold, but I was happy to see how Puddles made it a point to shake hands and thank all the Englert’s ushers and workers before beginning his show.

Once the show started, Puddles started with an onslaught of hilarious physical gags that caused the audience to be in humorously tense anticipation, with people calling out from the audience through out to support the clown performer.

The amount of time Puddles spent taking audience members to the stage and including them in on gags and his powerful performances was something I was shocked and delighted to see. The way he graciously greeted and treated all the participants was something that warmed my heart.

The audience was definitely a great aspect of this concert, with nonstop love being shouted at the stage. The cheers of joy when seeing Puddles accomplish something as wacky as skidding a stool across the stage was something that made the show a warm place to be.

I was shocked to see that the age of the audience ranged from middle age to toddlers. I won’t lie, I was shocked to see such young children love this 6-foot-tall clown, but it was a heartwarming sight to see them run up and tackle him for a hug.

The main aspect of this concert that made it great was Puddles’ amazing voice. I have never heard someone carry such a beautiful tone in person before. His voice created a wall of sound that wrapped around you in a way you never knew a voice could.

He was also extremely expressive when singing. Not only putting in the occasional gag, but to see the real emotions these lyrics were bringing out of this white pastel face performer. The huge presence he brought physically was minor compared to the mammoth size presence of Puddles’ voice.

Hearing songs such as Pinball Wizard, Royals, and REM’s “Losing my Religion”, was something I was so excited to hear in person. I have been a fan of Post-Modern Jukebox for a while and thus became a big fan of Puddles, a frequent collaborator.

Hearing these songs be sung by someone with such a new style and powerful voice definitely added a new depth of love for these songs. For anyone who has not looked into Puddles the Clown, I highly recommend him. His music covers all generations and his voice will find a spot in your heart that you never knew you had before.

For some videos of his songs see the links below.

Royals 

America’s Got Talent 2017 Puddles Pity Party

Space Oddity 

The post Witching Hour: Puddles Pity Party @ The Englert Theatre 10/12/18 appeared first on KRUI Radio.

Bill MacKay is an artist of different river flows and yet they all run alongside each other side each other making a powerful and beautiful musical river. With aspects from Avant-Garde jazz to folk and rock, MacKay has always created music that represents who he is. “I couldn’t help myself being myself from coming out when I was writing.”

MacKay is a musician based out of Chicago. Alongside his solo work, he has been part of many acclaimed bands such as Darts & Arrows, Broken Things, and his recent collaboration with Ryley Walker in “SpiderBeetleBee”. His new album “Esker” is out now, produced by Drag City Records.

Recently I got the chance to talk to Mackay and ask a few questions about his past, present and album

As I walked down the Hill from E Prentiss St. to interview MacKay, I was nervous. This was my first interview for Ozzy’s Spotlight and MacKay seems like a very intimidating artist.

Once we were sitting down at a local venue to discuss his recent album, career, and influences, I was welcomed by a warm, gentle, amount of earnest that I have never encountered before from an artist. During an interview with a vegan mushroom quesadilla and Billie Holiday playing through the speakers, I got a great connection with Bill.

MacKay spoke about growing up listening a wide spectrum of music. “I really like hybrids of things.” That showed true when he later told me the names of artists who have truly spoken to him. MacKay always admired Chopin, John & Alice Coltrane, Laura Nyro, Jimi Hendrix, and their beautiful melodic music.

MacKay definitely shows influences from Hendrix in his work. “I always think of the improv pieces in a compositional way,” says MacKay.

The melodious grooves that are MacKay creates are fascinating. You can hear the human element to his songs. When I asked MacKay how he approaches an album, he explained how he goes into a studio with a very hard set of blueprints he wants to put on an album to have complete fidelity over them.

“Mistakes aren’t necessarily mistakes, they’re just off roads that you take in the moment.” He spoke about how that some of the best elements that come from music are the ones that weren’t planned or rehearsed, but simply came out due to the moment.

MacKay explained the “Human Element” in music further. “I’m getting to a stage where I’m learning those things … they just tingle your mind and endure more often.” He is excited to go into each album with a sense of safety, but to also be open to all the new and opportunistic moments that come with them. “The more you get away from that safety the more things open up.”

MacKay is a skilled guitarist and wise soul at this point in his life. With a long and acclaimed resume, this Jazz, folk, and rock artist has an exciting and bright future. I must end on a note that being open to new things always helps create exciting changes in one’s life. I will be an fan excited to follow MacKay’s future.

For music from Bill MacKay, see the links below.

Powder Mill Park 

Bill MacKay & Ryley Walker “Lonesome Traveler”

Nelsonville Music Festival 2018: Bill MacKay

The post Ozzy’s Spotlight: Bill MacKay Interview appeared first on KRUI Radio.

On Saturday night, Randy Bachman took the stage at the Englert for a truly memorable intimate concert. The stage boomed with fantastic guitar riffs and stories from the past that show just how much history Bachman has seen in his over 50-year-long career. Sitting only feet away from this icon of Rock was something that I will always remember, but this concert was made especially special because I was seeing it with my father, who saw Bachman back in 1976.

This concert was very different than others I have seen in the past. This event had music that existed decades before I was ever born, yet they still hit parts of my soul like they did to the then young adults of their heyday. Bachman even mentioned the use of his song, “Laughing” by The Guess Who, is used in the new Joker origin movie teaser trailer. Yet another example of how his music is a timeless addition to the world. The music was just one part of the concert though; stories from Bachman’s past took center stage as well.

Bachman told stories of his high school days in Winnipeg, Canada. He spoke about playing the local scene with his band and driving to the US for gigs no matter if they were in Boston or San Francisco. He spoke about his high school friends that also later become famous musicians, most notably Neil Young.

Randy Bachman reminisced about the origins of many of his famous songs that had some strange and entertaining starts. One of these was the famous song, “American Woman” by The Guess Who. They band was playing a venue and while in the middle of a long set, Bachman’s guitar string broke. They took a short break and when he had his guitar re-stringed, he tuned the instrument and enjoyed the new chords he was playing.

He told the singer to sing anything and the band to follow his lead. That was how this iconic song was created. He later referenced how mere need was also a motivation of art due to the lead singer losing their voice the day of a concert while touring. Bachman, an insecure singer, took the mic and played a song he longed to play for an album, sang “Takin’ Care of Business” (Then called, “White Collar Rider”) and thus another icon of rock was born.

This concert showcased the still impressive guitar skills Bachman has. Every time the musician opens up on his guitar during solos the entire audience rose to their feet to cheer in awe at this aged master guitarist. It is always an enjoyable experience to see an artist like this who has affected the music industry over the course of their career.

One thing I noticed, and which happens very often when I attend certain concerts of musicians of this note, is that I am always the only person or part of the few under 40 years old in the audience. That being said, the energy of the crowd was still heightened and fully engaged by Bachman when he was on stage. This concert, titled “Randy Bachman’s Every Song Tells a Story” was definitely one for the books. It will always hold a special place in my heart due to the intimacy of the venue and the history the artist brought to every moment.

Check out Randy Bachman’s “By George”, an album devoted to famous member of The Beatles, George Harrison.

Click the links below to check out some of Randy Bachman’s music:

Laughing –  The Guess Who

You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet – Bachman Turner Overdrive

Takin’ Care of Business – Bachman Turner Overdrive

The post Randy Bachman @ Englert 9/29/18 appeared first on KRUI Radio.

Last Thursday night, the Trumpet Blossom Café welcomed Bill MacKay back to Iowa City for the second time. MacKay took the stage with his arsenal of blues/folk/rock blend songs and expressed resonate sound that echoed through the open celling’s of the Trumpet Blossom. With the lights dim and the crowd watching while enjoying their friends and drinks, this venue made for a great intimate environment for music.

MacKay is an artist based out of Chicago. He has collaborated with many artists and helped form many noteworthy bands and artist such as Darts & Arrows, Broken Things, and Ryley Walker in SpiderBeetleBee. I sat down with MacKay and had an excellent conversation about music and his experiences as a artist that will soon be dropping as one of my “Ozzy’s Spotlight” Columns for KRUI in the next few days.

MacKay is currently touring a few dates for his new album, released on Drag City Records, Esker. The new album is a beautiful blend of all the parts that helped influence MacKay in his music and to hear it played aloud in a live format was a very memorable experience.

MacKay’s skills on the guitar were something I was truly taken back by. It was smooth and elegant and yet the sound that came from it was robust and full of melodious grooves that help create a world made of just his music and the venue. It was awe-inspiring to watch an artist who really knows their craft perform it in front of you. This concert was an intimate and subtle performance but that’s what makes it so memorable. MacKay wouldn’t want it any other way.

MacKay’s set consisted of old songs and new, but due to his being alone on this date, the only instruments being used were his voice and his guitar. That made it for a more primal and close affair.

Seeing an artist truly take a stage by themselves in something that shows a side to them which helps you see the musicality and power brought to their music. MacKay definitely had that power to showcase when performing as a solo act.

I must mention the local artist opening the show, Vero Rose Smith, whose opening set included such raw and original music about both her past and the present. She commented on the importance of hearing voices, especially women’s voices, in our society. Her songs and comments really rung true after the events of the current Judge Conformation hearing.

MacKay’s music can be found for sale on Drag City’s website or on his own website. They can also be found on Apple Music and Spotify.

A few links to Bill MacKay’s Music that can be found below:

Powder Mill Park 

Bill MacKay & Ryley Walker “Lonesome Traveler”

Nelsonville Music Festival 2018: Bill MacKay

The post Bill MacKay @ Trumpet Blossom Café 9/27/18 appeared first on KRUI Radio.

Last night Elizabeth Moen took the stage in the historic Englert theater and was a fountain of powerful music. I have seen Moen twice now, once in the spring when she opened for another band, and both times she has amazed me with how much emotion and soul her music brings out of me. This September, Moen dropped her second LP, “A Million Miles Away”, and is currently preforming shows debuting it. Because of this, I went in thinking that would be the majority of her set list, but I was pleasantly surprised to find out she played both songs off the record, new unrecorded songs, and the first songs she had ever written.

The audience was warm, enjoyed every song and was not afraid to let the band know it, with shouts, wooing, and yelling of appreciation towards the music filled the Englert Theaters.

The last time I saw Elizabeth Moen she was preforming a solo act on stage with just her guitar whilst she sang. Last night, she had a full band with backup singers and trumpets. It was amazing to see how with each version of her performances, she still brought the same level of intensity and musicality to her act. The aspect I find truly special about Moen is her ability to take a simple song and by adding her beautiful voice to it, making it into something truly memorable.

The band ended their set but didn’t make it off the stage before the crowd was screaming for an encore. The whole band was almost half way off stage, turned around and played one last song to send the crowed out into Iowa City.

My favorite aspects of seeing local music such as Elizabeth Moen is getting to see how their act has both changed and stayed the same. Since my last time seeing Moen, she has travel overseas on a tour and released a second album. A lot has changed but the same power and emotions are brought to the stage every time she takes it. Elizabeth Moen’s music and especially her voice, is something that will stay within you long after the song/concert is over.

Elizabeth Moen’s openers were Sweet Tang and Young Charles. These are new bands that show promise and definitely had a few songs that I added to my Spotify as they left the stage. Sweet Tang’s “Secret Beaches” has made a hole in my head and still has not left it even now.

All of Elizabeth Moen’s music can be found on both Apple Music, Spotify, and your local music shop. If you haven’t heard of Moen before, now is definitely the time to take a dive into her rich and powerful music.

Below are a few of the tracks by Moen that I have really enjoyed and also tracks by Sweet Tang and Young Charles.

Best I Can Do – Elizabeth Moen

Red – Elizabeth Moen

Secret Beach – Hot Tang 

Armageddon Party Dress – Young Charles

The post Elizabeth Moen Album Release @ The Englert 9/14/18 appeared first on KRUI Radio.