Rain, finals, and a basketball game are probably equally responsible for almost all IU students missing one very talented musician visiting Bloomington on Sunday night. Grammy nominated singer-songwriter Matthew Santos put on an eleven-song performance to remember at The Bishop.
Santos' performance was a perfect display of what earned him his Grammy nominations. The versatility of his voice was on full display and was absolutely astonishing. On multiple songs from the set, Santos incorporated his beatboxing skills to provide a rhythm section to his performance, which are just another example of the array of talents that lie in Santos' voice.
Santos' set included some of his existing hits: "Shadows in a Shoebox", "Daughter of the Sun," and "Break Free." He also mixed in a cover of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" and Tears for Fears' "Mad World". On the song "Make Your Name," Santos referenced his time touring with a "crazy famous" group of artists. "This song came out of reflections of that dark period," he said.
Santos also performed a pair of songs from his upcoming album, one titled "Dead Star Watching." The new album, Quickly Disappearing, is set to come out within the next few months, according to Santos.
While the turnout at The Bishop was small to say the least, Santos embraced that fact and turned the performance into somewhat of a private concert. He conversed with the audience after every song, giving explanations for the inspiration of most of the set. The audience was also given a view into the relationship of Santos and his guitars, which provided additional comedic entertainment throughout the set. "I gotta show this lady how to dance," Santos said of his third-string guitar.
Hopefully, Santos is able to make another appearance in Bloomington sometime soon, although Little 500 week is out because he is already booked. Based off of last night's performance, it might not be long until Santos goes from Grammy nominee to Grammy winner.
Post by Will Gryna
