Could Monday have been a better day? Probably. But would I have wanted it to turn out any other way? Hell no.
Matt and Kim, the cutest dance-punk duo ever to grace the planet, swung by Bloomington yet again this past Monday and rocked the faces off the crowd at Uncle Fester's. Guest performers filled the rest of the bill-- Best Fwends, the only Texas-based, iPod-toting twosome that perform with a couch and blow-up gargoyles (I promise, I have pictures), and Bloomington's own Andy D., another iPod-backed performer who will simultaneously make you scratch your head and shake your ass. Crazy, I know.
If you'd like an official write-up or more background info on the bands, check out this preview I wrote for the IDS. If you want the real story, keep reading.
So last Monday, the day I have dubbed "Awesome Day" (I know, super creative), started around 12:30 in the afternoon. My co-Music Director at WIUX, George Drake, had managed to set up an in-studio interview with the band, and they showed up smiling for their 1:00 interview. I was especially excited to meet them. Not only are they a band I totally dig, but I was lucky enough to do a phone interview with Matt just one week prior and really wanted to meet him in person.
Let me just say this: Matt and Kim are exactly as amazing as you would think they'd be. You listen to their music and can't help but dance and smile, so you would only expect the musicians behind it would be happy, awesome people. Well...they are. They were unbelievably sweet and grateful, and they gave one of the best on-air interviews we've ever had at WIUX.
Regaling us with crazy tour stories, taking over the airwaves with their ultimate tour playlist (this included the likes of Pink, T.I., and 50 Cent...yes, 50 Cent), and showing us some hot dance moves in the studio (one of which led to Matt losing his balance and falling over, and YES, video of this does exist), Matt and Kim were unbelievably great.
We sent them on their way, and after offering us a spot on the guest-list for the show (HOW NICE!), we told them we'd see them later that night.
Hours passed and, finally, the time arrived for George and I to head over to Fester's. Matt and Kim and their tour manager Taylor all greeted us and hung out for a bit, continuing to amaze both George and I with how nice they were. "Awesome Day" had gotten just a bit more awesome.
So finally the show kicked off to a start. Andy D. took the stage and, without much difficulty, managed to both shock and awe the crowd in front of him. Traipsing around the venue, humping the floor, and wearing a Viking costume, Andy D. was the perfect way to open what would end up being such a raucous show. We laughed and enjoyed, and it was...well, entertaining.
Up next were Best Fwends. Matt and Kim had nothing but great things to say about their tour mates, and judging by some reviews I had read about them, I couldn't wait to see their live show.
The twosome proceeded to set up a backdrop, a couch, and two inflatable gargoyles on the tiny Fester's stage, and right away turned on their iPod and blasted through an unbelievably ass-kicking set. Combining dance-punk with hardcore vocals, the duo whipped through a set that was as loud and raw as it was mind-blowingly entertaining. I know I wouldn't mind seeing them again.
Before we knew it, Matt and Kim took the stage. My friends and I traveled down from the balcony to get up close for the set and, of course, find a spot on the floor to dance. The couple came on stage to wild applause--Bloomington is a hot spot for hardcore M&K fans.
They launched into their set, and I swear, all that touring has done them a lot of good. They sound tighter than ever and they can RIP through those songs. Kim pounds the drums harder and faster than any drummer I can recall, and Matt has such a wild energy on stage that just spreads like wildfire to everyone who's in his presence.
They played a heavy number of older tunes, including "Yea Yeah," "5k," and "It's a Fact (Printed Stained)" and even whipped out "Good Ol' Fashioned Nightmare" off of their new album Grand. Their new single "Daylight" wasn't played, to my disappointment, but the rest of the set was solid and , in my humble opinion, much too short. But I think that's only because I couldn't get enough. I never wanted "Awesome Day" to end!
Their set finally came to an end, but we knew there was more in store. Matt and Kim had clued us in earlier about their after-show ritual: DANCE PARTY. There was no way we were going to miss it.
They exited the stage and came right over to us, and we danced, danced, danced. Everyone in the room was having the greatest time, and M&K were just so nice and humble to everyone that approached them. Made me like them even more.
Finally, the night had to come to an end. After chatting with their merch guy (I'm pretty sure his name was Dan!?!?!? Regardless, he was nice as can be.) for a while, all of us grabbed pictures to commemorate "Awesome Day". Including the one you saw up top, we decided to recreate Matt and Kim's "T.I. Dance" AKA the one that made Matt fall over in the WIUX studio. See here:
As you can see, the night was pretty stellar. In fact, the entire day was everything I could have hoped for. "Awesome Day" was truly awesome.
