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Making it as a Taylor in this Town |
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Making it as a Taylor in this Town
Adam Atherton, Whatzup Magazine.
August 4, 2005
Monday, July 26 brought another show and another evening of firsts. My wife and I caught Matt Taylor's evening set at Deer Park Irish Pub. Neither of us had seen Taylor before, and neither of us had ever been to this particular establishment. Upon walking in, we were greeted by the absolute friendliest bartender (also owner, Tony) I have ever met, and an equally jovial Denise waiting tables. Typically in a bar (sorry, pub) this size you can expect little more than the regulars shooting you a quick glance and waiting a half-hour for a drink. Not the case at Deer Park! Before Taylor's set. we grabbed a couple drinks (beer and wine only, kids) and ordered some dinner. Monday is pizza and wings night ... good stuff.
Taylor's set got underway with a couple of great originals. "Shade" and the almost Guster-esque "On My Way" really set the tone for the evening. While it is usually precarious to say the least, performing so stripped down (an acoustic and a mice plugged into a small PA), Taylor's sound was spot-on. Not too loud, not too quiet, and the clarity was perfect. Most of Matt's set consisted of classic rock covers ranging anywhere from The Band ("The Weight") to CSNY ("Ohio) to some more amusing tunes. I honestly must say this is the first time I have ever heard a cover of Wilson Philips, "'Hold On" back to back with the full version of the theme from "Gilligan's Island." .
Taylor played to his crowd well, and given the predominant blue-collar element, fit in several requests, including Jimmy Buffett and Bob Seger, but not George Jones, much to the dismay of one patron. One of the gems of Taylor's set was an original “Rosaline," a finger-picked ode to a love, present or former. Other high points were his rendition of "Cat’s in the Cradle," played so precisely you really wouldn't miss the rest of the band playing along. "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" was pretty nifty, too, even if he did have to make up some of the words as he went along.
Taylor's most recent CD, Subject To The Wind, is a well-assembled and produced collection of songs, recorded, surprisingly, at Taylor's house. The caliber of area musicians making guest appearances on his CD (Brian "Onionhead" Lemert, Jen Fisher and Rob Van Ryn) really make me want to see Matt with a full band in a more originals-oriented environment. You can learn more about the CD, and stay abreast of Taylor's many live events at www.matttaylor.biz.
With catchy hooks, sing-along choruses and rhythms that will stick in your head for days, Taylor has no problem holding his own among the best of Fort Wayne's original artists. I'd suggest stopping out to the Deer Park Pub any Monday from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. to catch his set .You won't be disappointed. And you never know, your chances to see him in such an intimate venue may not last forever.
While watching Taylor wrap up the last songs of his set (the original "Whatcha Gettin' In2" and, of course, the crowd uber-favorite "Freebird") and pack up to head to the next of his numerous gigs, I made a realization: your name doesn't have to be Kenny or Sunny to make it as a Taylor in this town.
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