Matt and Kim @ Pitchfork Music Festival 2009

[photo by Benjamin Haines via flickr per Creative Commons]

If you’ve ever seen any of Matt and Kim’s music videos, you probably have a good sense of how much energy the Brooklyn-based duo has. That energy is only amplified when the duo is performing live—and further intensified when there’s been some drinking going on. It might have been the multiple missed cues, or when Matt (Johnson) told Kim (Schifino) that she’s got to put down her beer half way through the set, but I think there might have been a little of that aforementioned drinking going on during the duo’s Pitchfork set. Either way, the band was a blazing ball of excitement that hit the stage with “It’s A Fact (Printed Stained),” before pounding down an instrumental rendition of Dead Prez’s “Hip Hop.”

The duo was playing Pitchfork’s auxiliary stage, which Kim later referred to as the party stage, “And we feel at home of the mother fucking party stage.” Repeatedly jumping on and off of their stools, Matt (on keyboard) and Kim (on drums) later played “5K,” “Good Ol’ Fashion Nightmare,” and “Cutdown.”

As with most Matt and Kim shows, the band’s interaction with the crowd was electric throughout the entire performance. Typically Matt or Kim will offer up a memorable story which is good for a solid laugh. This time around Matt explained that his girdle (back brace) had previously prevented him from jumping around the stage like he normally does (and his mom makes fun of him for wearing it) while Kim explained how they had just seen Beyonce at Madison Square Garden, and they were both blown away by how low she could get. Matt then cued up some electro-funk and Kim started dancing… though she admittedly couldn’t get that low, she explained that she’s practicing and hopes to someday get “Rub your vagina on the floor low.” Very nice.

The duo ended the set with “Daylight” from this year’s album Grand. As Matt and Kim thanked the crowd—Kim while standing on top of her drums (see: beer)—the band’s brilliant smiles were reflected by the young group of fans that had turned out to see them.

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Also: Matt and Kim “Lessons Learned” Video