MUTEMATH

New Orleans-based MUTEMATH shook off the cobwebs by digging deep into their older material and getting up and close with the crowd....
MUTEMATH : Live

MUTEMATH : Live

As temperatures dipped below 30 degrees in Austin on Saturday night, January 7th, fans of MUTEMATH bundled up in their winter jackets and beanies to nearly sell out the 1,700-capacity club, Emo’s, for the band’s first show of 2017. With nearly two months off since their last performance at Voodoo Fest (QRO photos), the New Orleans-based band shook off the cobwebs by digging deep into their older material and getting up and close with the crowd.

The Paul Meany-fronted MUTEMATH recycled the first seven songs of the set list from Voodoo Fest, starting off with “Used To” from 2015’s Vitals, a soulful drippy electronic tune that got concert-goers swaying. The tempo picked up on the next piece, “Light Up” from the same album, causing drummer Darren King to gaffer tape his headset to his ears before beginning his drum kit assault. The song was accented nicely by the club’s rainbow colored lighting and strobes. The explosive number “Blood Pressure” from 2011’s Odd Soul (QRO review) came next, and while it served as a soundtrack to Meany’s acrobatic tendencies at Voodoo Fest, this night his feet remained firmly planted on the ground as he banged the keys.

As MUTEMATH neared the middle of their 90-minute set, the fans started getting more animated, clapping along to “Prytania” and cheering as Meany climbed into the crowd for “Changes” from their 2016 release of remixes with the same name. The remainder of the evening leaned on older material with “Noticed”, “Obsolete”, “Chaos”, and “You Are Mine” from their self-titled album from 2006.

MUTEMATH

Paul MeanyPaul MeanyMeany reserved much of his energy for the end of the set, flailing like a possessed man during fan favorite “Spotlight” from 2009’s Armistice, which had the audience clapping along as he came out into the crowd once again. As the show reached crescendo, Meany punctuated their performance by crowd surfing on a mattress lined with LED lights during “Typical” before ending the show with drummer Darren King taking pieces of his kit into the crowd for show closer “Monument” from 2015’s Vitals. While MUTEMATH’s upcoming show dates are months away, Shaky Beats Festival in Atlanta and Hangout Music Festival in Gulf Shores in May, fans should check out the video TOPxMM, where Twenty One Pilots recreated five MUTEMATH songs live on camera.

MUTEMATH

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