Mat Kearney, Riviera Theatre, Chicago, Illinois

We arrived at the Riv in the midst of the opening act, Parachute. Lindsey recognized a few of their songs. Even though we arrived not long after they took the stage, and we still could have found some room on the floor, we opted for the balcony. I was having some issues with my back, and I wanted to make sure I could have a bit of space to myself and sit down if needed. Like the Cold War Kids show, we were once again forced to the very last row of the balcony. Even in the corner this time. This was actually quite fortunate, as it meant there was no one behind me, and I could stand the entire show, even though nearly all of the rest of the balcony audience was seated. Of course, I probably would have just migrated down to the floor had I been forced to remain in my seat.

Though from Oregon, Mat Kearney claimed he had a special connection to Chicago, as it is the home of Aware Records, his first major record label. As common with many artists coming to Chicago, he recounted moving up through the various venues as his audience grew. Playing the acoustic guitar himself but accompanied by a guitarist, bassist, keyboardist, and drummer, Kearney and his band played a mix of old and new songs, including a song from Bullet (2004), a pair from Nothing Left to Lose (2006), three from City of Black & White (2009), seven from Young Love (2012), and a half dozen from Just Kids (2015). I enjoyed the setlist, as I’m a more recent fan, and there were not any songs that I specifically wanted to hear. Lindsey was disappointed that he didn’t play the title track from City of Black & White (2009).

Setlist:
Heartbreak Dreamer
Moving On
Count on Me
Fire & Rain
Closer to Love
Down
One Black Sheep
New York to California
Nothing Left to Lose
Where We Gonna Go from Here
Undeniable
Uptown Funk [Bruno Mars cover]
Runaway/Where the Streets Have No Name [U2 cover]
She Got the Honey
Heartbeat
Sooner or Later
Billion
Hey Mama
Encore:
Just Kids
Ships in the Night