Matt & Kim make second Syracuse appearance at Westcott Theater
IF YOU GO
What: Matt & Kim concert
Where: Westcott Theater
When: Doors at 7 p.m.
How much: $17
Matt & Kim will perform Wednesday night at the Westcott Theater — ‘hitchhiking to Maine,’ not required.
Best known for their hit song ‘Daylight,’ the dance-punk duo from Brooklyn, N.Y., will return to Syracuse for the second time. In October 2007, Matt & Kim performed at Syracuse University’s Schine Underground as part of that year’s Bandersnatch Music series. Wednesday’s show will be the first of the 2010-11 season at the Westcott.
Tickets for the 8 p.m. concert cost $17 and can be purchased online at the Westcott’s website or at the theater’s box office. The doors open at 7 p.m. As of 3 p.m. Tuesday, only a couple hundred tickets were left, said Dan Mastronardi, the Westcott’s booking director.
‘This has been one of our biggest-selling presale shows,’ Mastronardi said.
Since their last concert in Syracuse, Matt & Kim have released their second studio album, ‘Grand,’ in January 2009. ‘Grand’ peaked at No. 4 on Billboard’s Top Heatseekers chart. Matt & Kim is comprised of lead singer Matt Johnson and drummer Kim Schifino. Johnson and Schifino met at the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn and formed the band in 2004. Since then, they have become known for their simple dance rhythms and energetic performances.
Getting Matt & Kim to the Westcott has been a long-term goal of Mastronardi’s. Syracuse is the perfect place for a group like theirs, he said.
‘I’ve been listening to them for a long time, and I’ve been wanting to have them in the theater for a while now,’ he said. ‘We’re a college town; the music that they’re playing is very conducive to students and locals, alike.’
With a theater capacity of 700, the show promises to be more upfront and personal than massive SU concerts like Juice Jam Festival and Block Party. The combination of talent and a personal environment may be the major strength of the show, said Emily Becker, a sophomore political science and policy studies major.
‘I feel like they are a more known talent, without being overly sellout,’ Becker said. ‘It keeps the Westcott’s underground, less-known feel, but it’s also more popular, so it’ll attract more students.’
Many students have no idea who Matt & Kim are, a sign that they are no Passion Pit or Lupe Fiasco. Though she has no plans to go to the concert, Megan Griffo, a sophomore magazine journalism major, thought theWestcott was the right venue for Matt & Kim.
‘They’re still small enough that I feel like the Westcott would be a good thing for them,’ she said. ‘They are the kind of band where it would be better if you were close to them.’
Matt & Kim have been featured on many television series and video game soundtracks, and have used MySpace and YouTube to gain a strong local fan base.
‘My roommate from last year really liked them, she put up posters and stuff. I wouldn’t call myself an uber fan, but I think it’s upbeat and fun,’ Becker said. ‘I saw an interview with them, and they seem like cool people. I think it’s a good image for (the) Westcott.’
Published on September 13, 2010 at 12:00 pm
