Let's go!!! Matt and Kim with Beach Goons at the Regency Ballroom

Matt and Kim’s breakout album GRAND (2009) just turned ten years old, and to celebrate, the duo is touring the album in its entirety, including tracks never before part of their live shows’ repertoire. On Monday, they came to the Regency Ballroom in San Francisco and brought San Diego rock band Beach Goons along for the ride.

Their special guests, Southern California’s Beach Goons, were sonically in vast contrast to the electro pop powerhouse, but nonetheless provided a great opening act with their punk-rock stylings. Being a rock and roller from SoCal, I am more familiar with their music than Matt and Kim’s, and was excited to see them touring with such a big act.

At first, I noticed that most in the crowd were not familiar with Beach Goons or their kind of music. Drummer Chris Moran’s Bad Brains shirt could be seen as a clue as to how they sound, but by the audience’s initial reaction I do not think they noticed or knew Bad Brains. There were a few confused faces, probably wondering why the sharp electronic power couple would bring in this trio of scruffy young “vatos tristes” with a rougher, rawer sound. They were not as prepped and had to adjust volume settings a few times, and Pablo Cervantez’s forgetting how to play the guitar part for “Artificial Flowers” when addressing a fan’s sign were both treated with endearing comic relief from the group’s bassist, David Orozco.

After a few songs, those baffled by the bilingual lyrics and onstage rowdiness started to go along for the ride, realizing that the simplicity of their setup and the rebellious, youthful music flows from much the same well as their idols. Once they gained the approval of the crowd, the trio went off with “Choker,” “Chunti” and a nice mix of jams from Boisad (2016) and hoodratscumbags (2018).

Ending with a medley of Weezer’s “Undone (The Sweater Song)” and “La Bamba,” the Goons made this Southern Californian proud. As a Mexican American from east of LA it is nice to see some of SoCal’s Hispanic groups branching out, expanding the range of their scene. Now if only “los vatos tristes del barrio Logan Heights” could remember how to play “Artificial Flowers!”

Post-Goons, I watched as the stage was stripped down until only the keys and drum set sat on the stage. Matt and Kim eventually leaped up and got going.

As Matt would say, losing my “Matt and Kim virginity” was an experience slightly painful, but eventually enjoyable. One of my friends in high school first introduced me to their music, and while this certain strand of pop had never particularly appealed to me, I would still recommend the experience of their live performance. I say experience because Matt and Kim put on a production that goes beyond their music. The barebones setup of keys and drums is the foundation upon which they build their performance, incorporating the audience, popular culture through memes and other artists’ songs, and their own philosophy. I realized that this fan base is incredibly solid; the crowd knew all the words to even the deep cuts off GRAND that had never seen live performance. To their fans, Matt and Kim are heroes, their Clash or Beatles.

The chemistry Matt and Kim share on stage and their interaction with the audience is extraordinary. Whether Matt was inviting the crowd to “shake that ass” or Kim was flashing the entire audience, there is a deep love for their art, and the fans made it clear that love was reciprocated. Many wore Matt and Kim merchandise, and if not, struggled for the freebies tossed into the crowd. Some even brought inflatable, nude representations featuring the duo’s likenesses. There was a general release of inhibitions and, for a time, a sense of youthful disregard that was all palpable as in any great rock and roll performance: the spirit of rock.

This was the longest set they had ever played. Musically, the two were on fire. Kim drove the night with passionate and ferocious drumming, ever-flowing and incredible given her recent tearing of her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). Matt’s keyboard work was on point, obviously well-rehearsed. They definitely earned their work-out attire that they would sporadically strip off and redress themselves in throughout the show.

There was more sexual energy than you would anticipate for such joyous, seemingly child-friendly music. The anthems provoked the tossing of the naked blow-up dolls like beach balls across the crowd. That and Kim’s call to “find someone you can fuck” helped me realize this is really a more adult kind of music, aimed at awakening the inner child rather than getting kids grooving.

Tracks like “Daylight,” “Don’t Slow Down,” and “I’ll Take Us Home” captured the audience, taking the crowd back to 2009. Their playful, sing-along cover of Biz Markie’s “Just A Friend” and closer “Let’s Go” provided a stunning conclusion. Other than an odd moment when Matt attempted to start “indie beef” with Two Door Cinema Club, who happened to be playing across town the same night, they were consistently captivating. They prove to still be as energetic and entertaining as when they first released GRAND a decade ago.