Andrew Belle and Mat Kearney: Concert Review

By Nicole Wolf
Photojournalist

I remember listening to Mat Kearney’s debut album Nothing Left to Lose in the car when my mom would drive me to school, so it was a dream come true to see him perform live at Stubb’s Waller Creek Amphitheater on April 5. The icing on top of the cake was that Andrew Belle was announced to be the opening act for the CRAZYTALK tour. I’ve been following him since his All Those Pretty Lights EP.

Andrew Belle, a singer-songwriter from Chicago, took the stage with his new song “Dive Deep.” Not too many people in the crowd appeared to know the song very well, but that didn’t stop anyone from swaying and bobbing their heads along with the beat. The crowd really went crazy when they heard the first notes to “Sister” off Belle’s record, Black Bear. Belle performed a set with chill vibes that I found myself (and the rest of the crowd) dancing along to for each song.

Mat Kearney came onto stage and my eardrums rang from the crowd’s screams and cheers. Kearney performed the perfect combination of songs off old records and his newest hit songs. He started with one of his more popular songs, “Hey Mama,” off his record Young Love. The crowd clapped along with the band to the funky, upbeat tune. This electric energy carried on throughout Kearney’s entire performance. I was surprised that the final song was “Nothing Left to Lose;” normally artists don’t end their set with a slow song. For Kearney, it was the best decision. This song is arguably the most popular in his discography, as well as my favorite. So, the crowd sang their hearts out one last time to their favorite Mat Kearney song to close out a terrific evening.

All photos by Nicole Wolf.