Matt & Kim’s Joyful Rampage

Matt & Kim delighted a large crowd at the Midland Dec. 7 with their joyous, feel-good indie pop.

The free show was a part of radio station 96.5 The Buzz’s “The Night The Buzz Stole Christmas” concert series.

Armed with just a synthesizer and a drum set, Matt & Kim make a ton of noise for two people. The Brooklyn-based duo played with a frenzied passion and energy throughout their one-hour set.

Starting off with an instrumental cover of Europe’s “The Final Countdown,” Matt & Kim had the crowd dancing all night. They featured a wide range of covers during their set. Biz Markie’s timeless rap hit “Just A Friend” inspired a big sing-along, so did Alice DJ’s pop-dance anthem “Better Off Alone.”

Hearing 3,000 people sing to classic tunes is a great way to be reminded how music can bring people together.
While the covers were entertaining, the main focus of the set were Matt & Kim’s original tracks. Songs like “Silver Tiles” sounded like a sped up version of the Super Mario Brothers theme music. Hit song “Lessons Learned” ignited a lot of singing and dancing from the crowd.

Drummer Kim Schifino served as the band’s driving force. She gave the songs a bigger energy live than on their more polished studio albums.

The crowd was a young one. Matt & Kim are a perfect band for kids just getting into independent music. On stage, Matt & Kim were constant blurs of motion. Beyond the music, they also had a few crowd pleasing tricks up their sleeves. They threw balloons out to the crowd for them to blow up. Matt did a handstand on his piano and Kim balanced precariously on top of her kick drum. The crowd loved all of it.

The joy they have in playing classic songs and their own material came through at every moment on stage. Matt & Kim delivered a night of pure indie-pop goodness.