This Sunday blow off your homework or your monotonous get-to-bed-early-for-work-tomorrow routine, and catch this killer three-act lineup:
Matt Nathanson: This 12-string troubadour has been working for more than a decade, but has caught on lately, especially after his 2003 major label debut Before These Fireworks. A quite plaintive affair, Fireworks served as a cool break-up album buttressed by Nathanson’s deft and complex guitar work. His latest, Some Mad Hope, happens to be starkly contrasting. Electric, plucky and fun instead of cloying, it’s much better suited to his lyrical talents. He’s yet to find total mainstream success but has a devout fanbase who’ll be cheering him along Sunday night.
Cary Brothers: Despite the misleading title, Cary Brothers is indeed one man. Like Nathanson, he’s a smart songwriter who can work his way through a good melody. One of his songs was on the giant soundtrack to Garden State, but don’t hold that against him. Most of his music is acoustic and folky, and his best have tinges of other things. “Ride,” from his album Who You Are, features unfocused and haunting guitar hints at the early ’80s, and “Honestly” is so spare that it could fall apart at any moment. His ability to propel it without making it boring shows how good an artist he actually is.
Kate Voegele: Though she’s the lowest on the bill, Kate Voegele could be the highlight. Her slight, soft yet utterly beautiful voice anchors lush songs. The lyrics are abstract, but still utterly effective. In practice, she sounds like a young, more innocent Feist while still maintaining all of that singer’s wonderful mannerisms. Don’t underestimate Voegele, though – she can rock when she needs to, or at other times, give her music some country twang.
Don’t miss Matt Nathanson, Cary Brothers and Kate Voegele at the Canopy Club on Sunday, Sept. 30. Doors open at 6 p.m. for the 6:30 show, and tickets are $12 in advance.
