Matt and Kim at the Biltmore Cabaret, Feb 2009. Liz Stanton photo

Review – Matt and Kim at the Biltmore Cabaret, Vancouver, Feb 2 2009

– review by Kate Reid/photos by Liz Stanton

To all the alt kids who think married people can’t be cool, let me point a neon-gloved finger in the direction of hitched hipsters, Matt and Kim.

The kooky couple’s songs are stripped down, sing-along anthems and their energy on stage incites hand clapping, head bobbing and general moving of the body. Their look is best described as “a sweatier Mates of State“. And just like their fellow marrieds, Matt Johnson and Kim Schifino write saccharine songs that would fit perfectly on the mix CD you’re making for that doe-eyed barista who works at Finch’s. My recommended track: “Good Ol’ Fashioned Nightmare”, for the twee, yet gritty line, “Show me the sidestreets in your life.” Aww, how painfully hip.

A random couple in the audience was so inspired by the straight-outta-Williamsburg lovefest, that they hopped a speaker and proceeded to awkwardly gyrate for the duration of the show. The lesson: if you’re going to jump on a speaker, you should probably take some drugs or drink a lot beforehand so you don’t appear as distressingly self-conscious as these goobers did.

Matt celebrated his 27th birthday at midnight with a lyrical throw-down of R. Kelly‘s “Ignition”(hells YES, he did), which Kim good-naturedly berated him for, by making the claim: “Matt knows he looks stupid ’cause he’s seen the video on YouTube, but he keeps doing it anyway.”

Matt and Kim at the Biltmore Cabaret, Feb 2009. Liz Stanton photo

It’s doubtful that another year of supposed maturity will affect this puerile pair, and the odds of the couple giving in to adulthood and preconceived notions of domestic life seem slim to none. The music video for “Daylight” has the husband-and-wife team playing their instruments (keyboard and drums respectively) all around their Brooklyn apartment–jamming in the shower, in the closet, even in bed. I suppose that’s one way to spice up the married sex–good thing neither plays the slide whistle. Heyo!

The duo played the whole show in front of a huge banner that was branded with the band’s name and hundreds of signatures from past audience members–like the autographed back page of an over-sized high school yearbook.

The border between adult and child is blurred for these guys, and so, it seems, is the one between fan and friend. Matt asked the audience to buy him some shots to celebrate his birthday (this happened onstage after the last song) and he kept reiterating how awesome the crowd was and how he thought this was the band’s best show ever. Two winsome kids who like the spotlight, Matt and Kim don’t mind sharing their graham crackers and sippy cups with the rest of the youngins.

The set flew by and the energy of the room was so electric that even after the couple said their goodbyes, more than half the crowd stayed to dance it up some more. Looks like it’ll be a long and happy marriage between Matt and Kim, and their fervent fans.