Potent, Powerful and (un) Plugged In!
First off, a pristine recording and the sonics help create one heckuva rich Matthews' live experience. And Iain's voice- known for its lilting sweetness, lending itself to vulnerable emotional story-telling- is deeper and more gravelly here. And it works perfectly. He sounds strong and full of energy, giving his work a ballsy, forward edge, without forsaking his folk roots. But it's not a bass guitar or percussion driving that edge- its him. His guitar and voice are up front as they should be with his band as a perfect complement- the keyboards, even the slight coloring they provide, add something indefinable to his voice and playing. My only regret is that some of his best known songs are missing here (with the exception of "Woodstock") and I would have liked to have heard some of them in this venue, at this time, with this "voice." Sounds like the concert was a fun night... with the artist in fine form.
