Nathanson dominates

“Don’t be scared if you feel your nipples get hard during the show,” singer/songwriter Matt Nathanson said at the beginning of his performance at the Water Street Music Hall, following Charlotte Martin’s performance. He promised an energetic, soul-arousing show, and most definitely delivered just that. Starting off the set with “Lucky Boy,” Nathanson delved into everything, from his first cult hits such as “Illusions” and “Answering Machine” to the more recent “Laid”- from the “American Wedding Soundtrack”- and “Pretty the World.” Playing to a psyched crowd of college students, Matt turned his act into a comedy routine at random times throughout the show, busting out classic rock ballads, a little Zeppelin and even an original little ditty titled “Church and Produce” that he made up on the spot at the request of an audience member. Nathanson brought the goods to Rochester as he kept everyone on their toes with his creativity, originality, interest in his fans’ requests, by interspersing comedic stories into his set and, of course, by playing the hits off his albums, which drew the crowd in. At the end of the night, it was the audience who ended up being the lucky ones at this show. Gray can be reached atkgray@campustimes.org.