Thighs Wide Shut

Matthew Friedberger
Le Poisson Rouge
October 22nd

What was that?  Yeah Matt, what the fcuk was that?  You had like two keyboards on stage.  And you kept touching them, but you weren’t really playing them, even though music was being played from them.  One time you touched one for a second, and then moved over to the other one and touched that for a second, and then went right back to the first one and touched that for a second, and then back to the second one for a second.  Who’s on first?  More like who’s on würst!!!  Well, it wasn’t the würst, but we don’t know what you were doing Matt!!

Sure, your music can sometimes be super dense and moody boos, and REALLY hard to listen to, but you are also capable of producing wonderful sounds, that ooze with breazy fluidity and peppy happiness and playful playfullness that is so full and rich and rich of fullness.  Tonight you leaned toward the former, and it was strange.  You didn’t engage your audience, but maybe you meant to do that.  But whatever it was, it was strange, but your hair looked awesome.  It always does.  But seriously, what kind of performance was this?  You were like karaokeing to your own music, if it were microwaved in an 8-bit bowl of sonic vomitace.  What was that all that?

We always thought you were better off without your sister (who was in the audience), even though we love her and you, and your sibling riving-rule-ing.  Yer first solo album (the Winter Woman half) was brilliaaaaaaaaaaaaaaant.  Easily one of my moist flavorite albums of the 2000s.  Never got to hear it live.  Then you released EIGHT solo albums last year.  Only heard one of them, cause we don’t own a record player.  You have a new album.  It has no words, and I’ve only listened to it twice, but I looooves it already.  Are you exhausted?  You probably are.  It’s OK.  We all need rest, even when there’s no time for rest.  But what was that show all about Matt?  We want to know cause we care, cause we love you and we want you to succeed.  Is this how you succeed in the music bidness, by not really trying?  I don’t know, maybe it is, but keep on keeping on, and pleeeease, one day I’d love to hear you play Winter Woman from start to finish, or even from start to infinity.  Then I won’t have to ask questions.  I’ll just say statements like ‘THAT SH!T FCUKING ROCKEXXEEEDDDD, YO!!!!!!!!!!!!’