In Review: Matt Maltese at Schubas Tavern
Photos by Meriah Fearon
I was first introduced to Matt Maltese’s music while creating the Amplified Chicago show recommendation list last October. While sampling his music I came across the song “Curl Up & Die,” which brought me to tears upon first listen. I had never had this kind of abrupt reaction to a song before, so I knew I was going to be in for a treat exploring the rest of his discography. Since then I have become a huge fan of Maltese’s music and will probably find him as one my top listened to artists on this year's Spotify Wrapped. Needless to say, I was very excited for his Lollapalooza after-show.
There's something about the intimacy of a Lollapalooza after-show that I love so much more than an actual set at the festival. You can feel the energy of the crowd's excitement after a day of seeing their favorite artists, or the anticipation of seeing them the next day. This show specifically was the day before the first day of Lolla so everyone was full of energy before the big weekend.
The night started out with Rat Tally, a local act, who set the mood for the sold out show. Fans got there early to get the best spot they could, filling the room once doors had opened. After Rat Tally finished their set, excitement rose as fans waited for Maltese to walk on stage. Every time a crew member went through the door Maltese would soon be entering through, you could feel a surge in the crowd's energy as they thought it might be him. Finally Maltese walked through the door, and fans rushed to get their phones out to record him as he approached the stage.
Before getting into the set, Maltese prefaced the show by explaining how jet lagged he was. You could tell he had a long day of travel and was tired but he still played the show as if it was any other, like the music was just moving through him. Maltese continued with personal anecdotes throughout his set, adding a bit of humor to his deeply personal style of music. You'd hear him play a song like “Hello Black Dog,” a song presumably about the inescapable cycle of depression, and right after he'd be reading funny tweets about himself to the audience. It is this balance between the light and heavy at his shows that makes them so captivating and enjoyable.
Maltese only plays with a drummer and bassist to accompany his piano and vocals and no more is really needed to get his music's point across. It's the type of music that makes you want to lay on the floor and stare at the ceiling to really take it all in (something that I saw one of the other photographers at the side of the stage doing for a bit). I’ve found that when listening to Maltese’s music, the part that particularly stands out is the lyrics. He has a way with words that just kind of makes you want to melt, and the many people who I have introduced to his music can attest to this. Some of my favorites include:
“I forget if I ever loved anyone else” - Krystal
“You say hello and I’m nothing at all” - Jupiter
“I am usually able, but your effect is fatal, I was doing fine, then I met you” - Intolewd
The audience was clearly full of dedicated fans of Maltese. They sang along to every song from old to new knowing all the words. They shouted things at him as if they knew him personally, congratulating him on starting his own record label (Last Recordings on Earth) and playfully responding to his banter. At one point someone even shouted for him to play an extremely underrated deep cut of his called “Wedding Singer.”
Maltese ended his set with his most popular song, “As The World Caves In.” The crowd sang along so loud it almost drowned out his own voice. He then left the stage just to come back shortly after for one more song, this time just him and the piano. For this encore he played the song “Widows” from his most recent album Driving Just To Drive. This song was one of my favorites from the album so I was super excited to hear it end the set. The room suddenly felt very still as everyone took in the final song that we were going to get for the night. The fans who began the night feeling anxiously excited had fallen victim to the ease of Maltese’s music, ending the night on a peaceful note.
I can not name another artist whose music captures the kind of raw emotion that Matt Maltese does. Once you get introduced to his discography and fall into its beautiful velvety charm there is no going back.
Maltese has put out a lot of music so if you're looking for a place to start you can listen to my top recommendations on our Tour Features Playlist. Give him a follow on Instagram as well (@matthewmaltese) to stay up to date with new music.
