Matthew Sweet, Abe Partridge

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Evan Carter

A close-up of Matthew Sweet.

Matthew Sweet

Since finding the sweet spot between sensitive and swaggering on the 1991 album Girlfriend (his third, the title track of which was a big rock radio and MTV hit), Matthew Sweet has steadily added to his catalog of power pop gems. A new album is on the way this year, and he's recently returned to playing shows for the first time since the pandemic. Sweet will be joined for this tour by an all-star band including members of The Bangles, Velvet Crush and The Orange Peels. With Abe Partridge.

$25 ($20 adv.).

media release: Matthew recently played his first shows in nearly four years, selling out his Midwest run and garnering rave reviews. For his first Madison show since 2019, Matthew is bringing a full band that includes Debbi Peterson (The Bangles) on drums, Paul Chastain (Velvet Crush) on bass, and John Moreman (The Orange Peels) on guitar. Alabama songwriter/podcaster and visual artist Abe Partridge will open the show.

The power pop pioneer is hard at work writing and recording his next studio record due out in 2024. In addition to new material, Sweet just released a live recording of one of his most fabled performances, Live at Grant Park Chicago July 1993. Originally recorded by Metro Mobile Recording for Chicago radio station WXRT, the blistering 17-song set includes hits and fan-favorites including “Girlfriend,” “I’ve Been Waiting,” “The Ugly Truth,” and a spirited cover of John Lennon’s “Crippled Inside.” Matthew is backed by Richard Lloyd (Television) on lead guitar, Will Rigby (the dB’s) on drums, and Tony Marsico (Cruzados, Bob Dylan) on bass and background vocals. Remixed and remastered from the original DAT source by engineer Brian Kehew, known for his work with The Who, The Pretenders, The Stooges, Crazy Horse, and The Replacements, the live album captures Sweet live at the peak of the alternative rock takeover when he first achieved commercial success with a series of gold and platinum records that still hold up today.

Sweet’s loyal fans will be delighted to know he recently launched a Patreon page. Sweet regularly shares writing demos, visual art and sculpture (cats!), livestreams, and more.