Matt Costa
Melkweg, Amsterdam, NL
October 5, 2006
I am always surprised to learn which bands do well in Amsterdam and which fizzle. There is no formula; I have been to wretched shows that have sold out and brilliant shows with only a handful at hand. So would the Dutch take to Matt Costa’s breezy, So-Cal skate-pop? As I arrived late and soggy to an over-packed Melkweg, that question had been answered.
Focusing primarily on material from Songs We Sing, his unpretentiously
catchy collection of simplistic sunshine pop, Costa worked through an
hour’s worth of material. He performed each song much as it sounds on
record, from the languid “These Arms” to the slightly funky “Cold
December.” Dressed more like a lumberjack than a surfer, the singer
gleefully smiled at and toyed with the audience, creating an intimacy
in a non-intimate setting. As the set rolled on, he often found his
voice in a constant battle with those in attendance, who were whistling
and humming most every word of each song.
While Costa’s music is not extraordinary or overly original, his
inaugural headlining slot in Amsterdam was more about the sum than its
parts. I didn’t even care that I had to bike home in a downpour. Shain Shapiro
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