Mat Kearney is like the artist played after the cliche "taxi-cab" scene in every romantic drama, ever. Right after the '90's acoustic Goo Goo Dolls song, the rain clears, the two lovers embrace in a slow motion kiss and Kearney's "Breathe In, Breathe Out" cues.
Tuesday's Bluebird show was slightly less picturesque. The scent of beer, like glue, packed the crowd together. The way people swooned when Kearney took stage almost made me question if the venue fit his fan following. Girls cried. One girl in particular clung to another and sloppily said, "I can't believe you love him too" -- as if her task of pushing to the front wasn't proof enough.
Kearney opened with "Count on Me" off of his recent release "Young Love." The use of childrens' voices in the kick-off song seemed to create a jubilancy, which only encouraged the people on the outskirts of the room to draw even closer. That's when the crying girl was pushed into the other.
Suddenly, the new friendship built on love for a man in a vest, v-neck, and cap was torn over, ironically, that same love for that same man. The second girl pushed the first, accusing her of purposefully bumping into her while she was taking a picture of a smiling Kearney on stage. No one seemed to notice the sudden tension, which turned into a match over the intro to "Closer to Love." However, when the chorus hit, both women got that soft look in their eyes and settled back into the crowd.
Everyone knew the lyrics. Bro-lovers, first dates and girls-night-outers all sang, almost on pitch. Kearney prompted a sing-a-long where he mimicked the guy attendees' monotone "la, la, la's."
"And what about Bob Knight?" Kearney said in efforts to draw a holler from the audience -- but he was met with a few loan groans that seemed out-of-character for the IU crowd. Kearney guitarist Tyler Burkum caught the tension and replied to Kearney, "What about Tom Crean?" He got a slightly better response, but the best was Kearney's comment, "I don't know who he is. He should throw more stuff."
Kearney was sincere. Vocals matched the ones fans grew to love on the radio and occasional TV episode. ("Nothing Left to Lose" was in Grey's Anatomy, NCIS, Scrubs and 30 Rock). But the atmosphere was fresh with a setlist composed mostly of upbeat "Young Love" tracks like "Young, Dumb and in Love," which contrasts his previous tracks with slightly more light-hearted melodies that replicate that feeling of young love giddiness. And the crowd was just that -- giddy.
At one point, Kearney left the stage and walked through the crowd, climbing over the Bird's railings and interacting with everyone. Once back on stage, he claimed that someone got a little friendly by groping his butt. No one doubted his story: he had too many die hard fan attendees.
One of the best parts of the show was when Kearney did his version of Foster the People's "Pumped Up Kicks." The indie band's sense of playfulness was only enhanced by Kearney and his band's lively approach to the Billboard topper. But the song was also a tool of climax for Kearney's last song: new hit, "Hey Mama."
The entire bar, including me, left singing, "Hey mama, don't want no drama/Just a kiss before I leave."
Complete Setlist:
Count on Me
Young, Dumb and in Love
Fire & Rain
Down Breathe
Closer to Love
Sooner or Later
Learning to Love Again
Chicago
Girl America
Here We Go
Runaway Car
She Got the Honey
All I Need
Undeniable
Nothing Left to Lose
Ships in the Night
Pumped Up Kicks
Hey Mama
Post and Photography by Kelsey Collisi
