We Went There: Mattson 2 at the Turf Club
There is so much that could go wrong. A duo of brothers…twins nonetheless! A double neck bass and guitar. A record covering Coltrane’s classic LP A Love Supreme and live versions of those songs. A looping pedal! But despite all these hurdles, and seemingly because of them, Mattson 2 played their second mesmerizing set of the year at the Turf Club in St. Paul. (The first was opening for Khruangbin in April.)
The band played a spirited, tightly orchestrated set that spun out over 50 compelling minutes Monday night. Jumping back and forth between their covers of A Love Supreme and their back catalog, the duo kept the crowd engaged in a way that you shouldn’t take for granted when you’re working with as few moving parts as they do. Looping bass and guitar parts live and manic drumming (with no click track between them), the band sounded funky and gigantic, and it was hard not to assume a key component of their locked in grooves was their lifetime of playing music together.
You can watch a short clip of their set HERE to get a sense of the energy and precision the band bring to the stage. Despite their technical chops, you didn’t get an overly calculated feeling from their music, and there is a clear joy they bring to making music on stage together. From opening for a buzzing touring band earlier this year to Monday’s headlining set, Mattson 2 have given me more than enough reason to believe that despite all the reasons they could be a niche band, they are certainly setting up to go well beyond that. If you have a chance to see them on their next jaunt through Minnesota, make sure not to miss out.
(Astronauts, etc opened the show, but the Turf Club’s new crazy early set times caused me, even when walking in the door at 9:05, to miss their set completely. I love getting home at a decent time, but sets at 8pm seem a bit excessive.)
Writer / co-founder
