A greatest hits compilation today seems far-fetched, but Matt Ward and his songs have more than earned such an observance.

The Southern California native’s been recording music and touring as M. Ward for about 25 years, and in that time he’s become one of the most treasured and influential singer-songwriters of the modern era. Rightly so, his longtime label home Merge Records recently assembled For Beginners: The Best of M. Ward, intended as a starting point for new fans and a worthwhile listen for his longtime followers, too.

Ward already had plenty of cause to be out on tour, including his spectacular 12th studio album, 2023’s supernatural thing. There’s also the simple fact that he’s not visited some cities since before the pandemic.

But with the recent drop of For Beginners, arranging favorites in “mixtape” fashion and featuring his newest track, “Cry,” Ward had every reason to make a Sept. 17 stop at Union Stage in Washington DC for what turned out to be a delightful, intimate set showcasing his prowess by way of some of his most celebrated songs.

Listen to Merge Records’ For Beginners: The Best of M. Ward via Spotify:

For this special run of shows, Ward enlisted Evan Sillence, “his favorite guitarist from Australia” and a member of numerous bands in or around Melbourne. Ward of course led the way but together they presented the setlist mostly in duo form, each taking the mic or coming together under the lights to jam facing one another.

The memorable Tuesday night at Union Stage began with “Duet for Guitars #3,” an alluring piece from Ward’s third album and first on Merge Records, Transfiguration of Vincent. Early in the set, onlookers could see Ward and his mate from abroad were in sync, stomping and swinging their guitars about, a hup here or a hoot there.

“This is his first time in DC,” Ward let it be known of his travel partner. “I told him we’re going to love Washington DC.”

“So far, so good,” said Sillence, who was able to get eyes on some of the famous monuments earlier in the day. Within a couple tunes at Union Stage, the Aussie was comfortable enough to slip off his shoes, playing toes-out the rest of the show. He’d put a foot up on a speaker, picking to the pleasure of wide-eyed onlookers.

The tour started the prior weekend in Woodstock, NY, essentially in the sticks of the Catskills. A couple days later, Ward reaffirmed he was at his best in an urban setting.

“I’m more of a city person,” his admission seemed to humor everyone as he tuned. “I like the country for a few days, then it starts to drive me crazy.”

Still, Ward relished in the intimacy of the dark Wharf District space, and he captured the audience with an impassioned take on “Requiem” and the wistful and streaming “Chinese Translation,” two favorites from his fifth album, Post War.

He played more from Post-War, dedicating the track “Magic Trick” to anyone in the room from Maryland. He prefaced it with love for one of his “guitar heroes,” the late, great finger-picking John Fahey, who was a DC native and lived most his life in the Free State, founding Takoma Park Records in 1959.

As the set moved along, Ward impressed with his own intricate abilities on both the acoustic and electric guitar, a virtuoso whose play emanates affection and despair and in moments defies the idea of a genre, much like Fahey’s.

Listen to M. Ward’s 2023 studio album, supernatural thing, via Spotify:

But Ward’s voice is its own kind of magic. Live in person, his natural tone yearned and loved, even if sometimes tongue-in-cheek. Either way, his stunning articulation at Union Stage was the result of decades of thoughtful songwriting, and he moved a crowd grateful to see him.

Fans heard additional classics like “For Beginners,” the Best Of title track pulled from 2009’s Hold Time and “Helicopter,” another cut from Vincent. And eventually those on hand were treated to another guest when the night’s opening act, James Felice of the Felice Brothers, took the stage and remained for much of the back half of the set.

A multi-instrumentalist who writes his own songs, James has yet to record them but was called in on short notice to start the evening for Ward and Sillence. His presence alongside them, his vocal support and his careful use of the accordion made for a rare presentation of M. Ward numbers like “Outta My Head” and “Vincent O’Brien.”

“That sounds pretty good, right? They just met each other two days ago,” Ward said. “I love his music so much. It’s been a huge pleasure to share the stage with James.”

Ward thanked the crowd with an understanding of what else was going on in town, namely a Ringo Starr show a few doors away at The Anthem.

“I know you guys have a lot of options,” he said. “You came here instead of Ringo. … I mean, this is more interesting. Let’s be honest. We love Ringo, but this is much more entertaining.”

Pushing the jokes aside, Ward shared that he and Sillence were able to cross paths with the Beatles legend that day thanks to friends in both touring parties.

As it would turn out, Ward’s encore brought a premiere with the first ever live rendition of “Sympathy for the Stones,” a hilarious but fantastic piece of songwriting paying tribute to another one of the all-time great rock bands. He used the performance to lighten the mood but reweighted it by closing out with an assortment of requested tunes, sharing the backstory as well.

Couples huddled closer to the stage for the last few songs, swaying together and even wiping tears from their faces during Ward’s gorgeous, heartrending take on “Here Comes the Sun Again,” a song he penned in the wake of George Harrison’s passing.

“You’ve been very kind,” he said. “We didn’t really expect this. … We want to be back sooner than every seven years.”

M. Ward Setlist (copied from stage sheet/some memory, might not be 100% accurate)

Duet For Guitars
Requiem
Chinese Translation
Magic Trick
Sad Sad Song
For Beginners
Helicopter
One Life Away
I Get Ideas>
Outta My Head
Poor Boy, Minor Key
Get To The Table On Time
Poison Cup
Vincent O’Brien
Let’s Dance (solo)

Encore
Sympathy for the Stones
Rollercoaster
Lullaby and Exile
Here Comes The Sun Again

Below are home-rolled/developed/scanned 35mm movie film shots of M. Ward along with the night’s opener, James Felice, performing at Union Stage in Washington DC the night of Sept. 17. 2024. All photos copyright and courtesy of Casey Ryan Vock.

M. Ward

James Felice