Matt Talbott plays a solo show at Armadillo Music
By ELIZABETH BUNT — arts@theaggie.com
On Oct. 2, after the storefront closed for the night, a small crowd of music lovers quietly descended on Armadillo Music, a vinyl record and CD shop located in downtown Davis on F Street. The main draw was a one-man show played among the boxes of records. The artist was Matt Talbott, the former lead singer and guitarist of the alt-rock band Hum.
Leading up to the show, there was little to no press provided by Armadillo. The only sign that a concert would take place was an Instagram post featuring Talbott’s name and the incorrect date for the show. In true indie fashion, those interested in attending had to track down Talbott’s Facebook (which had not been linked to the Armadillo post) and buy tickets from a third party website. Armadillo capped the number of attendees somewhere around 30. Anyone who had not bought tickets through the Facebook page was able to enter only by paying in cash.
Once inside, the crowd settled around the tiny stage set up in the front corner of the shop. An Armadillo employee at the back of the store served beers on tap and chatted with the regulars. Alongside couples, the unofficial uniform of black band tees and jeans seemed to ring true with the middle-aged audience. College students filled in the gaps among them in groups of three or four, with many sporting fishnets and long hair.
Talbott emerged and took a seat on stage in a wooden chair with green cushions that looked like it could have come from an estate sale that morning. He wore a shirt that read, “Someone in Des Moines Loves Me.” The lights went off in Armadillo, save for a single spotlight aimed above Talbott’s head. The audience rustled as they sat in front of his feet and amps, and the air could only be described as reverent.
The show itself was simple and intimate while the music was moody and atmospheric. By way of instruments, Talbott only had his two acoustic guitars and an analog foot pedal that allowed him to loop background noises and his voice. He played for just over an hour, telling stories about life on the road and the Sacramento DMV in between songs. Occasionally, Davisites illuminated by the streetlights outside would walk past the windows, peer into the darkened store at the little gathering and continue on their way. It only added to the ambiance and uniqueness of the concert.
When Talbott had finished his set, he stood and met audience members among the walls of CDs and vinyls. He sold some t-shirts and posters and signed old Hum records but mostly chatted with members of the crowd who had somehow found out about the concert and who were delighted to hear him play.
For anyone looking to have a different night out in Davis or for music lovers looking for their scene, Armadillo after hours is the place to be. Despite being a niche event, the staff and audience at Armadillo were incredibly welcoming. The events are small and companionable; each one offers something different, something not found at house shows or campus concerts like Sunset Fest or Lawntopia. If you can overcome the challenge of figuring out who is playing (and when), you will be rewarded with a night of music so intimate it feels like it’s being played for you alone.
Written by: Elizabeth Bunt — arts@theaggie.org
