No one at the Culture Room really knew what they were getting themselves into at The Tallest Man on Earth's debut South Florida performance last night.
After Strand of Oaks set the stage with their mellow but invigorating tunes, The Tallest Man came out with "King of Spain," and hushed the crowd. His albums demonstrate his abilities as a good finger-picking guitarist, but live, he revealed a whole different side of his talent.
Kristian Matsson, as the Swedish indie crooner is also known, adds certain little stops in concert that the albums lack. In addition to his fast and precise finger work, the singer was constantly moving around the stage. His whole body became an expression of his tunes. With every note, you could feel his intense passion for the music, giving each song new meaning. As a wannabe guitar player, I am still in total disarray over this guy's phenomenal ability. He's totally underrated.
Throughout the night, you could hear both girls and guys alike showing their devotion and affection for Matsson. Voices from all throughout the crowd announced things like: "I love you!" "I have a man crush on you!" "Take your shirt off!" and "You're the hottest man on earth!"
You'd have to be somewhat lifeless not to feel something during this show. TTMOE sweat his heart out with every song, and the crowd mopped up each note.
I never even looked at my watch to see how long he played for last night, but I could have listened to the whole show again immediately after the first. He played everything I wanted to hear, plus a few new ones that I equally enjoyed.
TTMOE had good control of the crowd, and despite the packed house he was able to hush everyone by raising his index finger to his lips and shhhing. He even played a song on the piano, telling the crowd, "This is my quietest instrument, so you are going to have to be quiet and listen."
Even while locked in position behind the piano, he didn't pass over the opportunity to let his feelings go free. Although his music is mad mellow, the performance TTMOE puts on isn't putting anyone to bed. Well, at least not without dreams of Matsson himself.
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