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A Good concert
Maureen Lau
From the Nov 15 print edition
Updated: Today at 06:02 AM
Matthew Good played a sold out show at the majestic Massey Hall on Oct. 26.
Toronto was just one stop of many, nearing the end of his solo acoustic “Nothing to Hide” tour to support his latest album, Hospital Music. Although the album details Good’s more painful experiences with bipolar disorder and failed relationships, the concert was anything but depressing.
Opening act, Dala — a female duo native to Toronto — impressed the audience with their playful songs, unique vocal harmonies and jokes that appealed to the audience’s hockey loving sensibilities. They set the tone for a fun, upbeat night.
The audience went wild with cheering when Good took to the stage with “Girl Wedged Under the Front of a Firebird.” Fan favourite “Strange Days” followed with Good improvising the vocal melody, as he would for the rest of the night with more familiar songs.
Good kept the concert lighthearted and entertaining, engaging the audience with witty stage banter between songs, including an impromptu ballad about hobbits Sam and Frodo.
Partway through the show, Good informed everyone that they were being recorded by Duncan Coutts of Our Lady Peace.
Throughout the night, Good enjoyed a bottle of wine and told the audience that his performance would gradually suffer as a result. If it did, the crowd didn’t notice as their applause brought him back for two encores.
The night’s highlight was the passionate performance Good gave of the rare B-side Fated, during which the audience fell completely silent with rapt attention.
Armed only with an acoustic guitar and minimal stage production, Good still kept the audience riveted.
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