Matt and Kim

Rickshaw Theatre, Vancouver BC September 27

BY Alex HudsonPublished Sep 28, 2010

"Matt, you'd better fuck the shit out of me tonight."

It was perhaps an inappropriate statement, given the number of impressionable teenagers in attendance at the all-ages show, but drummer Kim Schifino's words perfectly summed up her and her husband's joyful energy and complete lack of inhibitions.

Following a cheery opening set from Brooklyn punks the So So Glos, Matt and Kim bounded on stage, doling out high-fives as a rap song blared over the sound system. Things only got more giddy from there, as the duo blazed through bubblegum punk stompers like "I Wanna" and "Cutdown" with perma-grins plastered across their faces

The stage was set up with massive backdrop of diamond-shaped lights, and with the instruments placed on a riser in the middle of the stage, it looked a bit like a futuristic game show. The lights flashed crazily as the duo threw a pack of balloons into the crowd, instructing fans to throw them into the air as they tore through the blistering instrumental "Cinders."

While the band are best known for their hyperactive synth punk, they showed a clear affinity for hip-hop and mainstream pop. During "I'll Take Us Home," Kim took the microphone for a brief interpolation of Black Sheep's '90s rap hit "The Choice Is Yours." Soon after, they played a seemingly earnest cover of Alice Deejay's "Better off Alone," techno beats and all.

The set ended without an encore. Instead, Matt and Kim did something better: as Jay-Z and Alicia Keys's "Empire State of Mind" played on the PA, they walked out into the crowd and hugged practically everyone in the room, soaking in the good vibes while the Rickshaw turned into an impromptu dance party.

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