Matt Kelley shines like the sun every time he performs, and it’s not just because he’s usually wearing a bright yellow vest paired with tight orange bell bottoms. Of course you’ll have fun listening to the extremely talented musicians that make up Matt Kelley and the Big Reveal, but I’m also having fun watching Matt having fun listening to these extremely talented musicians. It’s a collective experience rooted in genuine love of the game.
Matt’s unique brand of rock-and-roll is infused with his country twang. It is brightly theatrical, enabling him to bounce around the stage like a photon, a packet of light itself bounding between baby grand, keyboard, keytar, and dancing like no one is watching. It doesn’t take long before the fur coat is peeled off and Matt is soaked in sweat, bathing in the sounds put out by his bandmates.
The Big Reveal’s saxophonist Nate Hopkins was a particular standout for his stage energy, smiling like a golden retriever as he cycled through a supply of woodwind and percussive instruments. Their pianist played both a keyboard and a washboard with gusto, taking a tour through the crowd. That’s not to diminish Matt’s capability as a musician himself– his jet black keytar was a deadly weapon in his hands.
Please don’t mistake their exuberance for a lack of depth—each song is carefully calibrated to span the gap between hope and heartbreak. One song stuck with me, perhaps because of how ephemeral it was. As of right now, seeing Matt Kelley live is the only way to see my favorite song, “Too Afraid To Die,” a powerful soulful bend to the country twang. It is sung with exuberant celebration and nostalgia twisted together. This feels like the song you’d play over a montage of a funeral billed as a “celebration of life”. I can’t wait for the studio version to drop so I can hear it again.
The band also doesn’t shy away from covers, especially in a venue as iconic as the Bitter End. As Matt explained, playing at the historic Bitter End was always a dream for him, a milestone they celebrated with roaring renditions of Bruce Springsteen’s “Sherry Darling,” John Mellencamp’s “Hurts So Good.” I’ll always remember the very first time Kelley played at the Bitter End, when he ended the show with a touching tribute to Bitter End alumni Lady Gaga playing “Hair.”
If you’re looking for some feel-good music, a Matt Kelley and the Big Reveal show is the right place. You can dance, you can cry, you can think about your life. You can’t help but fall for the nostalgia.