CMW 2018 Kick Off Party with Matt and Kim and Friends
Canadian Music Week 2018 got off to a hot start on Monday night when Matt and Kim headlined the official kick-off party at The Phoenix Concert Theatre.
The room was filled with fans, and from the start of the show to the end the energy was everything that we could have hoped for, and more than we’re used to on a Monday night. From the Goodnight, Sunrise at the start of the show, through MONOWHALES in the middle, and Matt and Kim at the end, this was definitely a party.
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Goodnight, Sunrise was first on stage to kick off the kick-off party, and they got right to it. The energy level was high as the indie rock and roll super fun party band from Toronto. And as they ripped through their set, the crowd got more and more into the music and the party.
Things on the floor and on stage went to another level when the room filled with glow sticks (handed out by friends of the band during the set). In an instant, the vibe in the room got really cool.
In fact, good vibes ended up being the theme of the set when Vanessa (keys & vocals) looked out into the CMW audience and told them that music is all about vibes and…
You guys are the f*cking best vibes ever!!!
This is not the first time we’ve seen the Remember Now singers/rockers on stage, and it won’t be the last. High fives to them for the vibes and good times.
MONOWHALES kept the party going after the changeover, wasting absolutely zero time in picking the pace back up and pumping their energy and sound through The Phoenix.
The Toronto foursome was all in, and the crowd didn’t take long to get in on the fun. We saw jumping and dancing and general good times taking place on the floor – and it was awesome.
With a new EP coming in early June, MONOWHALES had new material to play for the CMW crowd, busting it out for the first time. The response had to have been everything they hoped for because there were no lulls, no letdowns, and no signs that these new tunes weren’t working. With all of that said, here’s an early congrats to them for that!
Note: We caught up with Sally and Jordan before the show to talk about their new music and more. Stay tuned for that!
One of our favourite moments in the set came as the band played their single, Take It Back, and we saw a dude standing at the bar, singing his heart out and dancing while he and a friend ordered and drank shots of tequila. It was peak Canadian Music Week.
And the final highlight came right from Sally and centre stage as she told the crowd she was coming, got herself ready, and jumped into the front rows. It was a perfectly executed stage dive and crowd surfing combo, and we really hope we get to see her do it again soon.
As the packed Monday night crowd at The Phoenix Concert Theatre waited for Matt and Kim to take the stage, there was a buzz. It was one of those buzzes that’s as much a sound as it is a feeling. And that feeling is generally reserved for Friday and Saturday nights… not Mondays.
When the Brooklyn duo hit the stage, there was an eruption of cheers. I expected a pop. I expected it to be loud. I underestimated the amount and power of dedicated Matt and Kim fans in Toronto.
From note one, CMW was all in. The call and answers didn’t need prompting. The hands waving in the air damn near filled the room. And the energy bouncing back and forth between the crowd and Matt and Kim on stage was palpable. More than once I thought to myself that Monday night’s don’t feel like this. I still think I’m right.
Matt and Kim have brand new music with the release of Almost Everyday (May 4, 2018), and as they wrapped their seven-week tour in Toronto, they took the opportunity to slide a few of the new tracks in. Here’s the thing about that… it’s risky. Fans want to hear the songs they know so they can dance and sing along and party. But, it worked. Matt and Kim continue to create jams that are 100% danceable on the first listen. So anyone that was hearing these songs for the first time on Monday night in Toronto, had no excuse.
Speaking of danceable… Kim is a maniac. Matt tries hard. But Kim, she’s legit. Heck, in 2016 when I spoke to Matt about Kim’s dancing in a WayHome preview, he told me -> “Kim is a machine!”
They opened the show with dancing. It continued throughout. Kim was up on the drums. Matt was jumping up and down and loving every second. And on the floor, people were moving.
Here’s is our list of recommendations after seeing Matt and Kim kick off CMW 2018…
1) Listen to Almost Everyday
2) See Matt and Kim live the next time you have the chance
3) If you ever want to turn a Monday night into a bangin’ dance party, call Matt and Kim
This was a much fun as we could have hoped. It was as silly and jokey and entertaining as we expected. And it was the perfect beginning to a week-long festival of music.
More Photos from the Canadian Music Week 2018 Kick Off Party with Matt and Kim, MONOWHALES, and Goodnight, Sunrise!
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