Last night felt less like a concert and more like being invited into someone’s memories. The evening opened with Gretta Ray, playing her first set in two years after taking a break from performing. She mentioned she’d been making music for ten years and had finally made it to New Zealand. There was something quietly inspiring about seeing her return to the stage; she seemed genuinely grateful to be there and played beautifully.
Then came Matt Corby. True to form, he walked on stage barefoot, cap on, guitar in hand, and immediately created that familiar atmosphere that only he seems capable of—equal parts intimate, emotional, and slightly mysterious.
Matt wasn’t overly talkative throughout the night, but when he did speak, it felt meaningful. One of the stories he shared was about a previous visit to Auckland, when someone in the audience repeatedly yelled, “Get your balls out!” Apparently, the memory stuck with him because, somehow, Auckland decided to keep the tradition alive. After several attempts from the crowd, Matt finally responded with a deadpan, “No, I won’t do that,” earning one of the biggest laughs of the evening.
The music, however, did most of the talking. He played a mix of older favorites and newer material. During some of the new songs, the audience listened almost reverently, but the moment the familiar tracks arrived, the energy in the room shifted. When “Resolution” started, the crowd came alive. At one point after the song, the room fell dark except for a single spotlight centered on Matt, creating one of the most striking moments of the night.
Somewhere in the middle of the show, I hit that strange emotional concert state—that mix of wanting to cry, feeling completely present, and somehow still wanting more. The whole performance carried a bittersweet feeling: sad in places, but deeply fulfilling. “Miracle Love” hit especially hard. When Matt invited the audience to sing along, the reserved crowd found its voice, and the room felt connected in a way that only live music can manage.
He also surprised the crowd with a cover of “Dracula” and later played my personal favorite, “War to Love.” From there, the set began to build momentum. The pace lifted noticeably as he moved through a run of beloved songs, and with each one the audience became more engaged, singing louder and feeding off the energy in the room.
When he left the stage, nobody was ready for the night to end. The applause was relentless, and thankfully, it worked. He returned for an encore and shared memories from ten years ago, speaking about his dad being one of the people who encouraged him to pursue music and perform in the first place. After that, he launched into a moving rendition bringing the room to a standstill.
Looking around and hearing the whole theater sing back to him felt pretty special. His band eventually returned, and he finished with “Brother”—the song everyone had clearly been waiting for. The crowd’s reaction said it all: people were singing every word and fully invested in the final moments of the night.
More than anything, Matt Corby seemed genuinely grateful—grateful that people had come, that they still cared about these songs after all these years, and that he could share them with us. It was emotional, nostalgic, and somehow both calming and intense at the same time. What a treat.
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