A week before the show, I found out they were playing at Club Downunder, FSU’s own free-for-students indie music club. The night before that show, I found out they were playing in Tampa the day that I would arrive home for spring break. Two Matt Pond PA shows in 4 days? Yes. And I had yet to have the privilege of ever seeing them live. There was also a factor that played a huge role in the importance of these two shows. And that was the mix CD played on this past summer’s amazing road trip slash best week of my life spent in the music city of Memphis, Tennessee. That trip was the first time I heard ‘Lily Two’.

Club Downunder. The crowd was okay, a lot smaller than I had guessed it would have been. But the show was great. The first thing I noticed was how the setlist included both of my favorite songs. One being ‘Lily Two’.

The band got on stage and immediately began performing ‘Last Song,’ off of what I believe is their best album, Emblems. The setlist to follow (which would also be a preview, minus one, of my future Tampa show) looked a little something like the one taped to the stage..

I vote that this was a pretty flawless setlist, although I would have really liked to see them play ‘Closest,’ but I won't poke any fingers at Matt Pond’s chest for that, because the performances were just great. They are just as amazing live as they are on record. And as you probably know, that is always a positive thing to feel after seeing one of your favorite bands for the first time. The calming sound of their music was identically duplicated for every song, and rather than dancing and/or rocking out, MPPA puts on the show that makes you sway around, tap your hand in unison to Matt’s Tambourine, and realize the beauty of your night. They also do some sweet stand-up in between songs, and texting your friends could leave you the brunt of one of their “call out’s.” Anyway, compared to the Tallahassee show, Tampa was much better. I think this had a lot to do with the rowdier crowd. The energy between the crowd and the band was much, much better. For both shows, ‘New Hampshire’ almost had me, and probably every girl and half of the guys in the audience in a pretty teary-eyed trance. In Tampa the show was finished off with ‘Halloween.’ Everyone put all their pent up energy into dancing to this last song and it was nothing short of fantastic. After their performances, all the guys from the band hung around to chat with everyone. They were all super nice, and more determined to thank their fans than really any band I’ve ever seen. They really made my two nights something to remember, and I’m glad to say that since last night I’ve been on a non-stop MPPA kick, and I’m very happy about it.