Words by Erin McWhinney
Even though The Matches’ music disappeared from my playlist years ago, I definitely got excited when I heard about the reunion tour for the 10th anniversary of E. Von Dahl Killed the Locals. Who doesn’t want to relive their adolescent pop-punk glory days? The last time I saw the Californian quartet I was 17 and attending the all-ages matinee at the very same venue. This time I prepared myself for some awkward teenage nostalgia, perhaps a bit of apathy from tired and disenchanted musicians, but neither eventuated. The atmosphere in that stuffy, sticky room was buzzing, the band was as dynamic as ever, and though everyone was a bit older now you couldn’t deny the timeless energy of the band and the youthful delight of the now-grown fans.
The reunion tour started out last year as a one-off California show before snowballing into an international jaunt. Melbourne was the final stop. The band played the re-released Epitaph version of EVDKTL, kicking things off with Dog-Eared Page. Crowd favourites Audio Blood, Chain Me Free, The Jack Slap Cheer and Sick Little Suicide had everybody up and about. It was also an educational show; we all learned that attempts at synchronised crowd beatboxing do not work, even when everyone does know how Eryn Smith goes.
The encore included songs from both Decomposer and A Band in Hope. Jon demonstrated his vocal chops during Darkness Rising before popular single Wake the Sun. As the lucky last city on the tour we got to hear the oft-requested Sunburn vs the Rhinovirus, not played anywhere else on the tour. Then came What Katie Said and Papercut Skin before they finished with a song written when they were 14 years old, a song that was never officially released in Australia, Superman. At the end of the set there were hugs all round as the band members thanked each other and the crowd. It really was just like they’d never been gone.