New York Apple Store shoppers got a special treat last Thursday in SoHo when singer-songwriter Mat Kearney performed a 45-minute set. During the week of his album release, Young Love, and after three days of it being the No. 1 album on iTunes, Kearney was overjoyed to be sharing the moment with a room full of fans who deciphered his cryptic Twitter updates throughout the day to find out about the free performance.
At 7 pm, Kearney took the stage to claps and screams from fans excited to see him. “You’re happy? You should try being me this week. It’s been a fun week,” he told the packed second floor.
On acoustic guitar with accompaniment by keyboard player Fred Williams, Kearney began his set with fan favorite “Closer to Love.” In fact, the night included many of his older classics, much to the audience’s excitement. “Ships In the Night,” off his new release shortly followed.
“I’ve never played this song live, but it went higher than any song on iTunes so I should probably play it,” Kearney admitted. Segueing from higher vocals to a slowed spoken word feature, Kearney impressed.
While fans enjoyed some of the newer tracks, it was his older hits that garnered the most screams. Older classics “Nothing Left to Lose,” “City of Black and White,” and “Girl In America” were well received, but it was “Undeniable” that left the biggest mark. Changing up the lyrics mid-track for the city he was in, the room erupted as he rapped for the “Jersey and bridge and tunnel” crowd.
Constantly interacting with the crowd, Kearney referenced a mother playing peek-a-boo with her baby during “Undeniable” and then chatted with her once the song ended.
“You’re playing peek-a-boo with your baby and I think you’re doing it with me. It’s freaking me out! You’re looking right at me,” he said.
Soon after, Kearney asked fans what they wanted to hear and when they requested some of his new tracks he joked, “So the problem is we’ve never played these songs and I’m still learning them on guitar. This is like rehearsal with you guys.”
Despite his confession, he played new track, “Young Dumb and In Love” for one fan. Afterward, he admitted he had the wrong chords. “Sorry. You didn’t notice though because I’m a pro,” he joked.
Another new song, Kearney explained the story behind “Rochester,” a track he wrote for his father. A heartbreaking tale, Kearney said his father cries every time he hears it. Alone on acoustic guitar, his voice reverberated throughout the silent room.
“I promise the whole record won’t bum you out that much,” Kearney said as he finished the song. “He made it out alright,” he said talking of his father leaving Rochester.
Extremely appreciative, before he ended his set with energetic new single, “Hey Mama,” he profusely thanked the audience. “This has been an amazing week. I feel a little bit in shock. It’s amazing when you work so hard and people are so supportive. It’s for people like you why I do what I do.”
After teaching the audience their parts to sing along, Kearney informed them that “Hey Mama” is about meeting his wife in a clothing store and further convinced fans to sing with him.
“You’ve always wanted to sing in the Apple Store. This is what dreams are made of!”
Kearney will be taking the US by storm this fall with a headlining tour. For more info, visit his Web site. Be sure to watch his performance of “Hey Mama” on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno below.
Related Links:
• Q&A with Mat Kearney
• Song of the Week: “Hey Mama”
• Album Review: Mat Kearney’s “City of Black & White”
• So Long, 2009. Bring on 2010.