It was a Sunday afternoon and campus was empty, save for a few maintenance guys and their jackhammers. At high noon, the day wasn't exactly cooling off, but a light breeze was blowing outside Matthews Center (where your favorite campus newspaper is designed, created and slaved over daily), and someone from the SPM Acoustics crew might have been whistling. When Matthew Reveles, a locally based folk singer-songwriter, sat down for his set, he and pal/bandmate Armando Torres seemed like two unassuming, friendly dudes. It was, as some might say, chill.
A few minutes later, when Reveles started laying down the heartbreak with his tune "Kite Runner PSA" and an accompanying supremely sad cello, heads started to crane in our direction. A heavy calm came over the bench where the musicians sat, while the hearts of the small audience nearly audibly fluttered in their chests. Our chill afternoon was wrapped in a paper bag and blown away by an Americana-infused breeze.
That kind of reaction to Reveles's quivering vocals and heart-on-sleeve lyrics has made him a local music staple for years. He's played nearly every venue in town, opening for national acts and headlining local bills. His album, "We'll Meet Halfway" was released in May 2008. Get to know him a little better in the first 2010 episode of SPM Acoustics above.
Directed and edited by Andy Jeffreys. Videographers: Andy Jeffreys, Peter Lazaravich. Sound: Colin Lecher, Peter Lazaravich. Associate Producer: Jessica Testa. Text: Jessica Testa, Colin Lecher.
