Matt Andersen spills a ‘Big Bottle Of Joy’ on the stage at the Jubilee Auditorium in Edmonton on Easter weekend and shook the walls.
Andersen’s is in the middle of an extensive cross Canada tour bringing ‘Joy’ to all corners of Canada. After “What’s On My Mind” Matt was getting ready to dive into “Let It Slide” when someone shouted “Hello Matt” to which Andersen replied, “Well hello.” “Thanks for coming,” chirped the audience member. “No thank you for coming,” said Matt and then added, “Otherwise this would be pretty awkward singing to an empty room.” It may be awkward, but the walls would appreciate Matt’s amazing voice.
Andersen has played in smoky dive bars, smaller soft seat venues, huge festival stages and everything in between. One of my favourite venues to see people of his vocal caliber is The Jubilee Auditorium or Winspear Centre here in Edmonton. Both have stellar acoustics that can showcase powerful vocals and amazing musicianship. It’s nice to see people in an intimate setting such as a smaller lounge, but it’s so much better to hear them open up and let their voice fly free across the perfect acoustic curves of these great theatres. This night was no exception.
If you’ve seen Matt Andersen before you know his love and appreciation for his family shines through with many of the stories he tells between songs. The story that precedes “What Would Your Mama Say” is golden and never gets tiring. “Mom would have this whooping spoon. She called it the bread spoon, but we always referred to it as the whooping spoon. If we ever said anything out of line, out came the spoon. With all the crap that’s being said online these days I often wonder if people would say these things in front of their mothers. I think the world needs more spoons right now.
The set list zig-zagged through his entire catalogue going all the way back to his self released debut album from 2004 “One Size Never Fits” with “If I Can’t Have You.” Of course, the set heavily featured several tracks from “Big Bottle Of Joy,” such as the first three songs of the night. Many artists wouldn’t dare jump on stage with unfamiliar music to start a show. That’s what I like most about seeing Matt Andersen live. He throws caution to the wind and does things his own way. Tonight was no exception.
Introducing one of my personal favourites from ‘BBOJ’ Andersen says, “This was written by an incredibly talented musician and songwriter named Terra Spencer. She used to be a mortician now she’s a musician. I guess she’s working her way through careers alphabetically.”
When he started a vague guitar riff that could have been from any song there were a few hoots of pleasure. Matt said “You don’t even know what song I’m going to play next. It could be anything. But seriously, these days there’s a lot of arguing on and off line and people are being complete dickheads. You can be a dickhead no matter what side of the argument you sit on. So just don’t be a dickhead. I play this drinking game whenever I’m on the road where I take a drink after the show for every dickhead I’ve said on stage. So dick head, dick head, dick head, dick head, dick head, dick head, dick head, dick head, dick head, dick head, dick head, dick head¸ dick head, dick head, dick head, dick head.” “Time For The Wicked To Rest” is a very apropos song for our times. He may not dabble into politics in his music, but he sure sends a solid message with some songs.
When the first bars of “People Get Ready” opened up I told my seat mate to get ready for an amazing powerful vocal performance. They had never seen Matt Andersen live before and didn’t know what to expect. Well I didn’t know what to expect either. When the singing started it wasn’t from Matt Andersen, it was from one of the Smith Singers, the ladies providing backing vocals all night. They were front and stage right all night standing just out of the spotlight and now it was time for them to shine and shine they did. It was a chill inducing moment as Haliey, Reeny and Micah took turns to step forward and sing a verse. Wow. Just wow.
A stage hand brings out a huge easy chair for Matt and he took a moment to thank the crew, “Otherwise I’d just be up here talking about stools. And yes my hair is getting better as the show goes on. Soon I’ll look like Fabio up here.”
He then sat down for a four song acoustic solo set starting off with “Coal Miner Blues,” “Shoes” and “…this one is for Stewart McLean. He helps me out and got me into rooms like this when I was first starting out. He loved it when I played this song.” “Ain’t No Sunshine” didn’t just reverberate around the Jubilee auditorium. It burrowed into each and every one of our souls that night only to haunt us with joy every time we rethink about that moment. It truly was a chill inducing song that will stay with many of us for a long time. And it received the deserved standing ovation.
“Only An Island,” “Rolling Down The Road” and “My Last Day” wrapped up the main set expecting him to leave the stage at this point Andersen jumped right into “Hands Of Time” which was a great lead in to the final song of the night. There was no leaving the stage, no walking off and coming back. As I mentioned earlier, Matt Andersen does not play by the usual rule book. He drove us through a set list that intersected highlights of his career. He dropped familiar favourites so they could showcase the new album. He gave the spotlight to others so they could shine their light for a few moments. He gave us everything we could ask for and more. He then wrapped this amazing night up with a solid performance of “With A Little Help From My Friends.” Matt Andersen and the Big Bottle of Joy took their final bow and poured off the stage. This show will resonate with many for a long time. I know it will for me.
Opening for Matt Andersen’s “Big Bottle Of Joy” tour is a great roots group, “The Hello Darlins” who blend Americana, Gospel, Blues and Soul music together to give us a unique sound. They are the perfect vintage to be bottled up with this tour
This was the second time this week I was privy to hear “Will The Circle Be Unbroken” live at the Jube. The Hello Darlins rendition was just as impressive as hearing the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band just a few short days prior. Singer Candace Lacina introduced “What Is A Broken Heart For” as an homage to Linda Ronstadt.
The Hello Darlins are a rocking tight unit. Every now and then I hear a band and automatically think there is something special about this band. That thought more than crossed my mind this past weekend. The Hello Darlins are the real deal. The band is comprised of highly sought after session musicians who have played with many artists such as B B King for years. They decided to just form their own group. I for one am glad. They are the real deal.
The “Big Bottle Of Joy” tour continues across the country until early May ending with four dates in Halifax. Hopefully you can take a sip. This is one elixir that will stay with you for quite some time.
For more info check out https://thehellodarlins.com/ and https://www.stubbyfingers.ca/
