Ahead of Clearwater gig, Mat Kearney recalls the best gig he ever saw

There’s absolutely no shame in sentimentality playing a large role in your life, and it’s at the forefront of 46-year-old singer-songwriter Mat Kearney’s mind on his aptly-titled latest album Still Drowning in Nostalgia.

He blends the minimalism of indie-alt and the production of contemporary pop, all while looking back on how his two-decade career is going, with a little help from alt-indie outfit The Brook & The Bluff playing backup on a few tracks.

Ahead of his show in downtown Clearwater this weekend, Kearney told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay about the best gig he ever saw. Read his full quote below.

Bruce Springsteen at the Meadowlands. He was playing Born to Run top to bottom. The way he covers the entire spectrum of emotions in a show is like a great movie. I remember being particularly moved by his exuberant joy on stage. I grew up under artists who took themselves maybe too serious on stage, The Boss didn’t have any time for that.—Mat Kearney

Tickets to see Mat Kearney play Clearwater’s Bilheimer Capitol Theatre on Saturday, May 10 are still available and start at $34.50.

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This article appears in May 1-7, 2025.