Photos & Review: Anthony Green
Featuring: Anthony Green, Mat Kerekes & Secret Space
Summit Music Hall, Denver CO
9/23/16
Photos & review: Jordan Altergott
Full photo gallery HERE.
When entering the Summit Music Hall on Friday, I knew that I was in for a treat. With Anthony Green known for his untouchable stage presence and two impressive recent releases from both of the opening acts, my expectations were set pretty high, and from the moment I walked in the venue, the sense of camaraderie between the each musician on the tour and all the fans in the room was like nothing I had ever experienced before.
Playing in Denver for the first time was Secret Space. Although most attendees weren’t quite familiar with Secret Space, it became very evident that they would have to return to Denver soon, as the crowd embraced the Toledo band with open arms. When introducing “Beyond the Display,” vocalist Dean Tartaglia mentioned that it was his favorite song off of their recently released album, The Window Room, which was proven to be true with his impressive vocal performance on the track. After finishing strong with “I Will Not Survive This,” the band thanked the crowd.
Next up was Mat Kerekes, who was touring in support of his solo project’s new album – a change in pace for Denverites who are used to seeing Kerekes with his band, Citizen. He started his set with the catchy track “My Lucky #3”, the most upbeat track off of Luna & the Wild Blue Everything and quickly commanded the attention of the entire room. A few songs later, Mat took a break to share the story of how he thought he left his wallet in a venue 18 hours away, but it turned out to just be in his backpack after turning around a few hours into the drive to check. His set was a great assortment of tracks from both of his solo releases and even included a rendition Citizen’s “Sleep.” One highlight of the set was without a doubt when Anthony Green joined Mat on stage to sing his part in “Direction.” When exiting the stage Anthony playfully bit Mat which lead to a tangent of “Charlie Bit Me” jokes, which was a true testament to how close the musicians have become with each other on this tour. Even though I had high expectations for Mat Kerekes’ set because of my affinity for Luna & the Wild Blue Everything and Citizen’s unbeatable live energy, I was not disappointed.
Anthony Green is one musician that you really must see live to get the full experience of who he is. Even with his dreamy solo project, his stage presence is otherworldly. As Anthony Green’s flawless vocals rang through the intimate venue, the whole crowd stood entirely captivated.
Between songs, Anthony’s fun personality became evident as he bantered about Neil Degrasse Tyson, his disdain for the word “lit,” and even made post show plans with a member of the crowd. The ease in which Anthony engaged with the crowd made this show feel so intimate even in a larger room.
Even when the mood began to mellow out, Anthony knew how to command the crowd by playing crowd favorite after crowd favorite. When the beat to “Dear Child” started, the room erupted in energy as everyone began to sing along.