Matthew Ryan Jams In Fairfax

This past Friday I found out that one of my favorite singer/songwriters, Matthew Ryan, was doing a private house concert nearby, in Fairfax. One of my fellow music bloggers, Pete from Ickmusic, cleared things for my attendance, and my rainy Friday was made.

Driving out I had no idea what the house in question and atmosphere would be like. Turns out it was hosted by some very cool folks at a well-decorated house, and there couldn’t have been more than 20 or so people there. So we’re talking a nice intimate setting, with Matthew Ryan standing up and playing in the living room, hanging out with the everyone the whole evening. How cool is that?

Anyway, the two-set show was excellent. There’s just something so immediate about listening to someone just play and sing directly, and not having to hear their sound sent through a PA system. It was mostly Ryan with his acoustic guitar and a bit of harmonica, and he was in very strong voice. He played a good number of tracks off of his new CD, Dear Lover, and he hit a lot of my old favorites, too (especially enjoyed “Me and My Lover”). The audience got him talking throughout the evening; he’s very compelling to listen to, revealing a few stories about the music industry and answering questions about the logistics of being a musician.

Great evening, and thanks to John for hosting.


Concert photograph courtesy of Ben Maphis

Comments

Anonymous said…
I love Matt Ryans stuff. Great post. Regret Over the Wires is some of his best. When are you going to show Def Karaoke Jam some love though?
Tom said…
Was great chatting with you at the show. Nice writeup for a great night.