Tallest Man on Earth, 9:30 Club, Washington, DC

Farewell 9:30 Club

I really liked the Tallest Man on Earth’s 2010 album, The Wild Hunt, but perhaps what made me really love his music was listening to his last show at the 9:30 Club, as podcasted by NPR All Songs Considered’s Live Concert series. So I had high expectations for getting to actually see his live show myself. Instead of my normal spot on the left side of the venue on the main floor, we climbed the stairs and found a good vantage point from above on the left of the stage. We could still hear well and it was nice to be able to see the whole stage and audience. A solid spot for a more chill show such as this.

I don’t know exactly where Swedish singer Kristian Matsson picked up the moniker, the Tallest Man on Earth, because it certainly isn’t true. To look at him, you’d think he was barely 5’7” and 120 pounds soaking wet. As he took the stage and started playing, I thought he was more like the squirrelliest man on earth, darting and lurking around the stage like Lord of the Rings’ Gollum/ Sméagol. However, this man of below average height has a huge voice. The entire show was just him on his guitar or piano, but his voice was captivating. Concerning his lyrics and vocal style, he can’t help but remind you of Bob Dylan. But while the poetry of his lyrics could never really match a true giant like Dylan, the Tallest Man on Earth’s voice is vastly larger and better.

 I was shocked to learn that he recently released a new album, There's No Leaving Now. Normally, I’m much better about keeping up with new releases of artists I enjoy. He played a mix of old and new songs. I wish I would have had the chance to hear some of his newer songs before the show, but I still enjoyed all of them. And I loved his rendition of the familiar ones. He also had good stage presence and rapport with the crowd even though I couldn’t understand a word he was saying. So even though the Tallest Man on Earth doesn’t quite live up to his name, he certainly lived up to my expectations. It was a beautiful show and the perfect way for me to part with the 9:30 Club for the time being.