Three years ago, I missed seeing M. Ward in concert. And while I finally got to make up the missed opportunity by seeing Matt perform at the Somerville Theatre, something funny happened along the way: M. Ward recorded two new albums and stopped playing his old songs. Well, not entirely stopped. “Lullaby + Exile,” “Transfigurations of Vincent,” and “Big Boat” made appearances, but at least 14 of the 20 songs came from 2006’s Post-War and his new release Hold Time. Throw in a couple of tracks from She & Him, and I began to think my reverence for Transistor Radio and Transfigurations of Vincent was mine and mine alone.
But since M. Ward has perhaps moved on, I realized there’s no reason why I shouldn’t move along with him. Breaking out from his shy on-stage personality, M. Ward led the clapping in “Stars of Leo,” mesmerized the crowd with Don Gibson’s “Oh Lonesome Me,” and even worked in a Daniel Johnston cover with “To Go Home.” Particularly compelling was Matt’s first encore offering, “Magic Trick” off of Post-War, performed with members of opener Oakley Hall. The performance started out with the full rollicking fun of the recording, but finished in a quieter, more reflective mood. The Somerville Theatre truly lends itself to quieter moments, with its comfortable seating and vaulted interior. In all, it made for a truly stunning concert. M. Ward’s vocalizing and guitar playing is transfixing. What may not be apparent on the albums is readily accessible on stage: This guy is an amazing guitarist.
I left a humbled M. Ward fan. Apparently there’s much more out there than I realized, which means I have a lot more listening to do....
Set List
Hold Time
Lullaby + Exile
Chinese Translation
Epistemology
To Save Me
Some Lucky Night
Fisher of Men
Change is Hard
Oh Lonesome Me
One Hundred Million Years
Rag
Fahey
Stars of Leo
Transfigurations of Vincent
To Go Home
Beethoven
Big Boat
Encore
Magic Trick
Never Had Nobody Like You
Rave On
Stimulate the economy and your eardrums!
M. Ward’s brand new release, Hold Time, can be purchased on 
DOWNLOAD: M. Ward - Epistemology (MP3) or Follow us for more M. Ward MP3s (Twitter)
Two songs go in, one comes out. Pick a side.
thanks so much nadine! probably the best compliment a photog can get!
and thanks for reminding me to embed the video in the post too!
by Steve Benoit on Sun May 20, 2012 at 09.33 am from the entry: Father John Misty + Har Mar Superstar - Brighton Music Hall (Boston, MA; May 16, 2012)
I can’t get over how these photos captured my up close memory of the night.
by nadine on Sat May 19, 2012 at 11.08 pm from the entry: Father John Misty + Har Mar Superstar - Brighton Music Hall (Boston, MA; May 16, 2012)
Or should it be whoever? F my grammar.
by nadine on Sat May 19, 2012 at 10.30 pm from the entry: Father John Misty + Har Mar Superstar - Brighton Music Hall (Boston, MA; May 16, 2012)
Whomever took these photos certainly captured the night!
by nadine on Sat May 19, 2012 at 10.26 pm from the entry: Father John Misty + Har Mar Superstar - Brighton Music Hall (Boston, MA; May 16, 2012)
“Mindkilla” is awesome. I’ve got this music video last week and really impressed through watching every performance particularly “Glass Jar”. Thanks dude. :)
dance contest
by Mark Waugh on Thu May 17, 2012 at 05.54 am from the entry: Gang Gang Dance's Illuminating "Mindkilla"
Also, I have yet to pay this venue a visit, is it good spot? good people, good vibe, good atmosphere?
... man, i hope i win some tickets…
by Jaz Bonnin-Aldatz on Thu May 17, 2012 at 12.27 am from the entry: It's all good, see Fishbone for free at Fête
Looking forward to the show. Would love to win some tix for my pals.
by MC Breath on Wed May 16, 2012 at 07.40 pm from the entry: It's all good, see Fishbone for free at Fête
great photos!