Free At Noon Flashback: Mattiel scales back their sound without sacrificing any energy at World Cafe Live

Mattiel | photo by Jamie Stow for WXPN

Atlanta rocker Mattiel Brown turned a lot of heads at NonCOMM this spring with a gripping set on World Cafe Live’s upstairs stage that showcased her band Mattiel‘s excellent 2019 record Stasis Factory. Marked by heavy riffs, punchy drums, and an excited Amanda Palmer broadcasting the set on Instagram live from the foot of the stage, it was a memorable introduction to one of the year’s most exciting new artists.

At today’s Free at Noon concert, Mattiel took the stage without a rhythm section — just Brown and Randy Michael and Jonah Swilley on guitar. While it initially appeared that this might be a scaled-back, mellow affair, that was not the case. A song in, we could tell that Mattiel held on to the grit and energy of their songs, no matter how minimally they were arranged. On “Food For Thought,” riffs roared and Brown showed off a seriously Siouxsie-esque delivery. It was followed by “Millionaire,” where her dynamic delivery recalled the very person we spotted Instagramming her just three months ago.

“Rescue You” showed off the band’s raw, bluesy chops; “Blisters” found them dipping their toes in rockabilly waters. And the single “Keep The Change” is an unstoppable force no matter how its played. The band encored with a cover of The White Stripes’ “The Air Near My Fingers,” with promises to see the crowd again at Union Transfer this November with Temples. Tickets and more information can be found at the XPN Concert Calendar. Listen back to the performance below, and check out a gallery of photos from the set.

Setlist
Athlete
Food for Thought
Millionaire
Je Ne Me Connais Pas

Rescue You
Blisters
Keep The Change
Count Your Blessings

The Air Near My Fingers (The White Stripes cover)