Matt and Kim bring experience to music

Olivia Balcerzak
Mon, 23 Apr 2018 15:51:59 +0000
Arts & Life, Music, arts and life, Columbus, columbus music, concert, duo, Express Live, matt and kim, music review, party on, shout, singing, The lantern review, umbrella

Duo Matt Johnson and Kim Schifino of Matt and Kim performed an energetic set during their show at Express! Live on April 20, 2018. Credit: Ris Twigg | Assistant Photo Editor

Matt Johnson, lead singer in Matt and Kim, urges the crowd to sing along to the song "Make A Mess" at Express! Live on April 20, 2018. Credit: Ris Twigg | Assistant Photo Editor

Kim Schifino, drummer in Matt and Kim, dances on stage at Express! Live during the opening song, "Make A Mess" on April 20, 2018. Credit: Ris Twigg | Assistant Photo Editor

Matt Johnson, lead singer in Matt and Kim, takes a break from performing to express his love for Kim after their opening song at Express! Live on April 20, 2018. Credit: Ris Twigg | Assistant Photo Editor

Kim Schifino, drummer in Matt and Kim, takes a break from performing to talk with lead singer Matt Johnson after their opening song at Express! Live on April 20, 2018. Credit: Ris Twigg | Assistant Photo Editor

Kim Schifino, drummer in Matt and Kim, struggles to hold back tears when lead singer Matt Johnson expressed his love for Kim after their opening song at Express! Live on April 20, 2018. Credit: Ris Twigg | Assistant Photo Editor

Kim Schifino, drummer in Matt and Kim, performs the song "Overexposed" during her and Matt Johnson's show at Express! Live on April 20, 2018. Credit: Ris Twigg | Assistant Photo Editor

Matt Johnson, lead singer in Matt and Kim, performs the song "Overexposed" during he and Kim Schifino's show at Express! Live on April 20, 2018. Credit: Ris Twigg | Assistant Photo Editor

Kim Schifino, drummer in Matt and Kim, performs the song "Overexposed" during her and Matt Johnson's show at Express! Live on April 20, 2018. Credit: Ris Twigg | Assistant Photo Editor

Kim Schifino, drummer in Matt and Kim, performs the song "Overexposed" during her and Matt Johnson's show at Express! Live on April 20, 2018. Credit: Ris Twigg | Assistant Photo Editor

Duo Matt Johnson and Kim Schifino perform a song off their last album, "New Glow", released in 2015. Matt and Kim are set to release their sixth album "Almost Everyday" in May. Credit: Ris Twigg | Assistant Photo Editor

Matt Johnson, lead singer in Matt and Kim, lip sings a parody of Ozzy Osborne's "Mama I'm Coming Home" that speaks to his love for Kim Schifino, drummer in Matt and Kam, during the duo's show at Express! Live on April 20. Credit: Ris Twigg | Assistant Photo Editor

Kim Schifino, drummer in Matt and Kim, takes in the moment as Matt Johnson plays the keys and the crowd cheers her own during the duo's show at Express! Live on April 20, 2018. Credit: Ris Twigg | Assistant Photo Editor

Duo Matt Johnson and Kim Schifino perform a song off their last album, "New Glow", released in 2015, during their April 20, 2018 show at Express! Live. Matt and Kim are set to release their sixth album "Almost Everyday" in May. Credit: Ris Twigg | Assistant Photo Editor

The Matt and Kim concert at Express Live Friday night was everything you would expect out of a Matt and Kim concert if you have ever had the privilege of watching them perform live. For those who don’t know, Matt and Kim concerts consist of singing, a lot of dancing and practically any other strange event that has ever happened to you at a concert wrapped up into one, cohesive performance.

Except maybe Matt’s interpretive dance to a 4/20 rendition of Bohemian Rhapsody — that was a surprise.

But everything else fit the fun, energetic brand of Matt and Kim. Within the first two songs, Matt threw 100 balloons into the crowd to be blown up and thrown up during the performance. Throughout each song both Kim and Matt climbed onto their instruments — her on her drum kit and he onto his keyboard setup —, continuing to play while unrelated images flashed on the big screen behind them including the Cowbell skit from SNL and various scenes from the Wizard of Oz.

And, as always, Kim also did a fair share of flashing the crowd.

Playing new, old and classic songs spanning their five-album catalog, the two also played several other songs including “Shout,” “Barbra Streisand,” and “Umbrella.” They played “Party Up” so many times at the beginning of the performance, that it really seemed like Matt and Kim were featured artists on DMX’s latest album.

Throughout the performance, Matt and Kim used only two instruments, relying on the sold-out crowd as a third source of music. Even those who paid to sit down could not stay in their seats for the show.

From breaking the crowd into two and having them fight each other, to passing around a sign with a camera in it to see each person individually, to Matt’s personal serenade to a random kid crowd surfing — it was clear that the audience was not just there to watch the show, they were there to participate.

To make the night even more impressive, it is to be noted that Kim tore her ACL last March putting the two off the stage for a year while she recovered. With that said, she brought the same energy to the stage with an undeniable elation behind the drum-set.

Of course, the vocals, musicality and overall sound of the music were also fantastic — but the music itself got drowned in the excitement that Matt and Kim, as people, brought to the stage. By the end of the concert, it became increasingly obvious that Matt and Kim did not necessarily play for the music, but for the experience.

If that is true, they more than delivered.