Tears were shed at The Tallest Man on Earth

The most difficult aspect of being an opening band is drawing in the crowd. In my experience, openers are usually perceived as background music before the headliner. With intriguing arpeggiated acoustic riffs and his raspy, melodic voice, Kristian Matsson of The Tallest Man on Earth cracked through this stereotype. 

Matsson was joined by his tour band at the Greek Theater on Saturday, October 8th. The Tallest Man on Earth brought a full 10 song set, with a healthy balance of new and familiar tracks. Matsson started off with back to back songs off his most recent album, Dark Bird is Our Home (2015), and then went into his new single, “Time of the Blue”.

The cool October breeze complemented the acoustics of the Greek nicely. If you’ve never listened to The Tallest Man on Earth, just imagine looking at a picture of a crisp mountain with a melancholy inducing filter. Matsson’s raspy voice is very comparable to John McCauley’s of Deer Tick. This type of voice isn’t the prettiest, but it is intriguing enough to keep you listening. Soon enough, you will realize that you love the voice you once only tolerated.

The final song of the evening, “Like the Wheel” saw Matsson transition from performer to puppeteer, tugging at the emotions of the crowd. He seemed to have complete control over the atmosphere of the venue. It came as no surprise that this wistful song evoked a pensive sadness in the audience. As a part of the crowd, I saw the effect of minor chords and soulful lyrics in the form of silent tears from fellow listeners.

A burst of applause snapped me out of my nostalgia-induced stupor and the Tallest Man on Earth indulged this applause appropriately with a deep bow. They left the stage accomplishing something very rare for openers: having the audience want more.