Matt Maltese recently entered the Howard Theatre stage sheepishly, yet when the Reading-raised singer-songwriter opened his mouth, everyone listened.

At the Howard Theatre on March 20, the crowd consisted of a mix of folks from an older generation who might have particularly appreciated Matt’s classy baritone performance and younger TikTok-obsessed college students who clung onto the barricade in front of the stage and sang along to the ballads of existential dread.

One of the younger audience members even had the zeal to ask me to pass a note along to Matt before he walked out, a request that I respectfully declined. This individual might have come across Matt’s music in 2021 when his melodramatic 2017 single, “As the World Caves In,” trended and captivated social media angst-scrollers.

Watch the official music video for “As the World Caves In” by Matt Maltese on YouTube:

An epic tune about a night of romance between Theresa May and Donald Trump at the end of the world sounds like a big enough storyline to serve as a one-off in an artist’s discography. Yet, when listening to Matt Maltese’s music from a distance, nearly every song has the potential to carry such a sizable storyline. The text from my friend halfway through the show said something to the effect of “he’s so dramatic.”

At times, it can be easy to listen to Matt’s music from a distance as well, for he sings and unravels songs with incredible ease. But during the show at the Howard, he refused to keep us at arms length. Between charming quips about the band or his travels during pauses and stretching his vocals in more vulnerable moments, Matt brought the audience in and kept them there the entire show.

I’m not quite sure how social media will change live music or its consumption, but I am sure that you will always know a pro when you hear one. Matt Maltese is a pro. The Army, The Navy, the first artists signed to Matt’s new label, opened the show and were pros. Whatever the means may be, it’s great when more ears land on the music of deserving artists, and Matt proved yet again that he is certainly deserving.

Here are some photos of Matt Matlese performing at the Howard Theatre on March 20, 2024. All pictures copyright and courtesy of Gabriel Adler.