Kim Schifino stepped into the sea of lifting hands and was pushed up above the entire audience. The Westcott Theater speakers emitted a booming bass as she danced above her screaming fans.

“What Kim’s gonna do is that she’s going to walk on your hands and shake her booty,” shouted Matt Johnson over the roar of the crowd.

Booty shaking was merely one part of the multitude of dance-fused, foot-stomping and enthusiastic moments from Thursday’s Matt and Kim concert at the Westcott Theater.

The concert was initially scheduled to open at 8 p.m., with doors opening at 7 p.m.. Despite the fact that the doors and concert were pushed to 10 p.m., the line still went out the doors onto the sidewalk, and the show sold out.

The opening act, which lasted until 11 p.m., was Oberhofer, a band from Brooklyn, N.Y. Like Matt and Kim, the group energized the crowd with pounding rock and fast-paced songs.

The band is benefitting from touring with Matt and Kim, rising in recognition and seeing the whole country.

“It’s pretty amazing,” said Sadie Treleven, a freshman biology major on the pre-med track, and sister of the group’s bassist, Dylan Treleven. “They’re with a band like Matt and Kim and getting their name out there. We’re a really proud family.”

At about 11:30 p.m., Matt and Kim finally appeared. The duo took to the stage, walking up to the edge, standing on speakers and drums, bowing and saluting the crowd. Schifino and Johnson sat down, and the song “Block After Block” exploded from their drum set and keyboard. As the song started, their stage backdrop of building edifices flicked down in a flourish behind them.

The concert was filled with an array of songs, confetti tossing and funny interchanges between Schifino and Johnson. At one point, they threw balloons in the crowd for the audience to blow up. Within about two minutes, nearly a hundred balloons bobbed up and down amid the crowd.

“Everyone’s going to get laid tonight,” Schifino said. “But it will only happen if you say ‘da-da-da-da-da-da’ as loud as you can.”

Schifino and Johnson then started “Lessons Learned,” and the space was filled with the audience chanting along.

It was indeterminable to see who — the fans or Matt and Kim — were more excited to be at the concert.

The band was also enthusiastic about playing songs from its new album, “Lightning,” which came out on Oct. 2. Syracuse was the second stop on its new tour in support of the record.

Like its musical sound, the band had a very upbeat attitude.

“We have a saying on one of our shirts,” Johnson said. “‘I know that things aren’t perfect, but let’s make tonight worth it.’” The saying also appears in their new song “Let’s Go.”

The band played favorites such as “Yea Yeah,” “Good Ol’ Fashion Nightmare” and “Daylight.” They also played covers cleverly woven in their songs, such as “Jump On It.”

In addition to the pulsing music, the atmosphere contributed to the effervescent excitement of the venue. Fans danced and sang the entire concert. The heat of the venue posed a problem for some. There were instances of concertgoers being dehydrated and fainting. Despite that, most people stayed until the end.

“It was the best concert I’ve ever been to,” said Dave Keiter, a senior wildlife science major at the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, who also went to the band’s Westcott performance in 2010 and thinks Schifino and Johnson’s energy is what makes them stand out.

“It’s like the difference between a professor who uses PowerPoints and one who is actually invested in what they’re teaching,” he said.

The concert ended with “Cameras.” Before the song started, there was an audible sound of disappointment as Johnson said they only had one more song left to play.

“We’ll see you soon if you see us soon,” said Johnson, hinting to the crowd that performances at Syracuse were far from over.

cmdunder@syr.edu

Published on October 7, 2012 at 11:52 pm

Contact Claire: cmdunder@syr.edu | @ClaireDunderman