Matt Pond PA Setlist

Halloween
So Much Trouble
Several Arrows Later
City Song
Deep Pockets
Closer
Still Summer
New Hampshire
KC
Snow Day
The Ballad of the Natural Lines
Love to Get Used
Brooklyn Stars
Side Eye Rolls
Specks
Champagne Supernova (Oasis cover)
Spaceland
Measure 3
Hole in My Heart

Tour Dates

17 Jan Sat Blue Jay Listening Room Jacksonville Beach, FL
18 Jan The Lynx Books Gainesville, FL
21 Apr Club Passim Cambridge, MA
22 Apr Baby’s All Right Brooklyn, NY
23 Apr The Parlour Providence, RI
24 Apr Billsville House Concerts Manchester, VT

Can you believe it? It’s been 20 years since Matt Pond PA’s Several Arrows Later album came out. To celebrate the anniversary, Matt Pond went back to the studio to re-record the album with various musicians, including John Courage and Hilary James, and re-issued it as Several Arrows Later 20th Anniversary Album. While the songs are 20 years old, it’s now being played and sung with a different, fresh approach with new meaning and experiences. The band was very excited to play the album, as well as some deep cuts, at the sold-out Blue Jay Listening Room.

To start off, I’d like to talk a little about this eight-year-old venue called The Blue Jay Listening Room. It is a small, intimate room, with a capacity of 75, located above the Casa Maria Mexican Restaurant in the Costa Verde Plaza, in south Jacksonville Beach. It is own and operated by fellow musician Cara Murphy. Her goal is to create a listening room, for singer/songwriters, poets, writers, speakers, etc. They have a strict “PBQ” (Please Be Quiet) policy, which is a great policy. We’ve all been there, seeing a concert and being distracted by a group of people just talking to each other and not paying attention to the singer on stage. In fact, I can recall that KT Tunstall stopped singing one of her songs to ask two girls in front to shut up (politely asked, of course).

Cara, in her own words, described her vision:

For years, I’ve wanted a place where I could go and listen to live music. Not just any place. An artist centric place intended solely for listening. I wanted to sit on a comfy couch and without distraction, listen to artists share their stories and inspirations. I wanted to be able to clearly hear their lyrics and see the expressions on their faces. I wanted to meet them and have the opportunity to thank them. I grew tired of going to see my favorite local artists at bars and restaurants where they’re shoved in a corner, forced to sing covers and sneak in only an original or two. I wanted more than being one of thousands of people in an arena or theater, where the band is only able to really be seen on the screen behind them. I wanted to be up close and personal. I wanted interaction. I wanted connection. I wanted to create the ideal listening environment for show-goers and the ideal storytelling environment for artists. And thus, the dream of Blue Jay Listening Room became a reality.

Before the show started, Cara came on stage to explain the venue’s rule… and something about celebrating her birthday. Basically, the rule was to be respectful and “just don’t be a jerk.” She then introduces us to Stirling (sorry if his name is misspelled), who have been working behind-the-scenes to bring national acts to Jacksonville. He said they started in Gainesville, but concentrated to Jacksonville and surrounding area now.

Minneapolis’ bathtub cig (Hilary James’ stagename) opened the concert with a very brief 3-song set. It started with a break song (by text), followed by a 6-day old song (yet untitled at the moment, but I think she can call it “We Are Not Afraid” or “Minnesota ICE”). The final song, “Marry Me”, is about “a love song to her best friend, Addie”. She joked that people sometimes misheard it as ‘Daddy’, and insists that it’s not a Daddy-issue song. James said it was her first tour to Florida, and probably her first time in Jacksonville.

After a 15-min intermission, Matt Pond PA came on stage, with guitarist John Courage and cellist Hilary James (bathtub cig), as people were shuffling to their seats. Pond apologized that they came on stage too soon.

Again, the audience was very quiet, and at times, Matt even confessed it was uncomfortably quiet. I don’t think Matt had ever played at a show where he had a captive audience. It was so quiet that you probably don’t even need a microphone!

For “Deep Pockets”, Pond said that he played the song by himself on acoustic guitars. Then approached John and Hiliary to add their instruments to the song, and he said the song was transformed to something that Pond never expected, but loved it.

Pond also mentioned that he used to live in Florida, but moved all over the place. His word, he was “running away” from music, and for the time being, he confessed that his life is better now than it’s ever been. He then joked that they wanted to play Florida to get away from the snow, but what happened? It’s so cold here! The temperature was on par with Minneapolis sometimes… but the good thing is that it doesn’t snow normally in Florida. Having said that, they did play “Snow Day” on the set.

The written setlist ended with Oasis cover song “Champagne Supernova”, but since they still had a little time before curfew, Pond promised to play a sad song and a really sad song, which turned out to be “Spaceland” and “Measure 3”. But that’s not all, “Hole in My Heart” (another sad song!) ended the show.

Matt Pond PA’s Several Arrows Later 20th Anniversary tour continues to Gainesville, Florida.

Please note: Singer/Songwriter Anya Marina, although advertised on the marquee, was a no-show.