Matt and Kim @ The Electric Factory

WRITTEN & PHOTOS BY: Katie Donahue

If I had to describe Matt and Kim’s show at the Electric Factory in one word, it would be fun. The indie, electronic duo captured my attention and I was thoroughly entertained throughout the evening. This is the first tour the couple has gone on in a while due to Kim Schifino tearing her ACL during a show last year. Matt and Kim proved they made a triumphant return to the stage on Sunday night.

The show started with a performance from Tokyo Police Club. Before this, I didn’t really know much about Tokyo Police Club. Their electrifying performance made me respect them as musicians. The band gave a performance that displayed pure musicianship. The performance was not flashy but displayed pure power in the music and instrumentals. The band did an excellent job of setting the mood for the evening.

Matt and Kim put on a captivating performance that engaged the entire audience. The show began with a message on a screen telling the audience to get ready for a bumpy ride. Matt Johnson and Kim Schifino took the stage and sang “It’s Alright” from their 2012 album, Lightning. The energy Schifino and Johnson put into their performance was contagious to the audience.

The show was an age restricted show and audience members had to be at least 16 years old to attend. This rating allowed Johnson and Schifino to act as they pleased on stage. Matt and Kim have been in a romantic relationship almost as long as they have been in a relationship musically. The couple is very open when talking about their relationship on stage. From making jokes about intimacy, to Schifino playing the drums with adult novelty products, nothing is off-limits for Matt and Kim. A mom standing near me covered her sons’ eyes once during the show.

The banter and jokes between the couple didn’t stop there. Their jokes also involved a lot of pop culture references. The duo joked about everything from Fergie’s performance at the All-Star basketball game to Channing Tatum’s divorce. Memes and scenes from movies played on a screen behind them throughout their set. A graphic consisting of white text that simply said, “Don’t vape on the pizza.” was a personal favorite.

To me, it was admirable how they didn’t seem to take themselves too seriously. It seemed like they just wanted to keep the concert light and make sure everyone in attendance had fun. In an age where it’s popular to talk about geopolitical issues at shows, it was refreshing to not have current events and world issues mentioned. Matt and Kim created an atmosphere where audience members could escape their lives and just have fun.

Johnson and Schifino went out of their way to encourage audience engagement, encouraging audience members to crowd surf throughout the show. The duo even got the audience to do a wall of death, a staple at heavier shows.

Matt Johnson revealed the fact that one of his girlfriends from high school was in the audience and encouraged her to crowd surf to the stage while he sang “I See Ya.” She didn’t crowd surf to the stage.

Johnson remained at the keyboard while singing throughout most of the show. He varied his movements by jumping around and climbing on Schifino’s drums. Towards the middle of the set, Johnson climbed on top Kim Schifino’s drums and almost slipped. Luckily, Johnson caught himself and did not fall. Later in the show, he did an interpretive dance to a recorded mashup of Snoop Dogg’s “The Next Episode” and Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody.”

Schifino’s performance on the drums was one of pure power. She showed strength while equipped with a pair of drumsticks.

Matt and Kim played a variety of songs from their albums, along with covers of classics between songs. The duo recently released three new songs promoting their upcoming album, Almost Everyday. The two only performed one of their new songs to keep their more widely known songs in their set. Matt and Kim performed “Forever” from Almost Everyday, set to be released on May 4.

The show ended with a performance of “Daylight”, one of Matt and Kim’s most well-known songs from their 2009 album, Grand. The duo left the stage before returning for an encore. Johnson and Schifino returned to the stage while dancing to a remix of Otis Day and the Knights’ “Shout”. The duo ended the show with a performance of their upbeat song “Let’s Go” from their 2012 album Lightning. Schifino dedicated the song to anyone that has had a bad day, week, month, or year.

Setlist:

1.     It’s Alright
2.     Hey Now
3.     Thunderstruck (AC/DC cover) (snippet)
4.     Make a Mess
5.     Forever
6.     Cameras
7.     Started from the Bottom (Drake cover) (snippet)
8.     Like I Used to Be
9.     Now
10.  Jump (Van Halen cover) (snippet)
11.  Can You Blame Me
12.  In Da Club/Daylight (prerecorded, played by DJ)
13.  I See Ya
14.  Barbra Streisand (Duck Sauce cover) (snippet)
15.  Get It
16.  Tonight
17.  The Next Episode/Bohemian Rhapsody (prerecorded, played by DJ)
18.  Daylight

Encore:

1.     Shout (prerecorded, played by DJ)
2.     Let’s Go