Christmas at the NAC with Matt Andersen

Matt Andersen brought his signature guitar playing to the National Arts Centre for some Christmas music on Thursday, along with mandolin, bass, piano, and appearances by Donovan Woods and Suzie Vinnick.

Andersen punctuated the show with self-deprecating humour and stories about life on the road. Looking at his bandmates, he joked that he was booking gigs with artists who wear suits now. A story about running out of clothes to wear, resulting in warming washed underwear in the microwave (rubber waistbands can catch fire in there, it seems) was a big hit with the crowd.

But while Andersen joked about his humble origins, the musicianship on display explained his presence at a venue like the NAC. Andersen seemed able to do anything with his guitar, from simple backing chords to fast chord progressions to artificial harmonics, occasionally followed up by unexpected tempo changes. His bandmates were equally talented, playing notes up and down their fretboards like it was nothing, or piano playing that was rich with colourful accent notes. Often building on the simplest 12 bar blues structures, choruses built to epic crescendos, and were immediately followed by the gentlest, quietest playing they could manage. It was one of the most impressive technical performances I’ve ever seen.

Thankfully, the music also had heart and warmth. Flanked by Christmas trees, the songs generally felt intimate and comfortable, with themes like seeing the community together at Church on Christmas, finding true love, or confiding in a friend. The band performed Christmas staples like “Silent Night”, “Go Tell it On the Mountain”, alongside some originals from Andersen’s albums. This Christmas music was no Twisted Sister-style oddity–the performance felt legitimately Christmas-y. The songs were the kind of unthreatening-but-impressive music favoured by upscale clothing stores and CBC radio programs, making the music a great fit for songs about returning home to see family, or the gentle glory of the Lord. Indeed the band’s CBC connections were clear, as  The Vinyl Café’s arranger John Sheard played on piano, and Andersen frequently thanked the famous radio show for giving him his big break.

Matt Anderson’s passionate voice would usually be the standout feature for such a show, since his expressive, powerful performance kept the music from getting too comfortable, but along such talented playing, it was yet another piece of the puzzle. Andersen demonstrated incredible range, able to lend warmth to a gentle Christmas scene with an earthy baritone verse, only to rise to an epic cry when the chorus called for it. While he sang into a microphone, it was clear at his most intense moments of singing that he was perfectly capable of singing to the cheap seats if he had to. In particular, his performance of “Ain’t No Sunshine” brought down the house, demonstrating his ability to hold high notes for well over 15 seconds as he tilted his head back and bellowed at the rafters.

But while the performances were tight, the show had a loose, jam session feel to it as well. Several songs featured extended middle sections, where each band member would take turns playing intricate takes on the song’s chords. When one of his bandmates executed a particularly interesting solo, Andersen would laugh hysterically, not because the song called for it but because he was having fun.

Suzie Vinnick’s singing and guitar playing lent a certain warmth to songs like “Blue Christmas”, providing a nice contrast to Andersen’s gravelly vocal performances. Donovan Woods brought his own, smoother vocals to tracks like “Maybe This Christmas”, led to some of the funniest stage banter, as Andersen commented on Woods’ toque, and Woods responded by saying it was a seasonal toque. “All toques are seasonal!”, Andersen replied. John Sheard gave an impressive solo piano performance towards the end, playing a medley of famous movie themes. Sheard, who can do a cracking Stuart McLean impression, ran through 10-second versions of key themes from Star Wars, Hallowe’en, Chariot of Fire and more, lending the pieces his characteristic accent notes. Both guests came onstage for the final run of songs, a couple of high energy pieces including “This Little Light of Mine”.

The band felt loose and relaxed, but with tight, impressive performances. The songs were inviting and comfortable, but not lacking in depth or emotion for it. This was another feather in Matt Andersen’s cap–one could hardly ask more from a Christmas show.

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