You know, it’s been a tough time for male R & B singers lately. Autotune has dominated the industry and radio, the mention of a boy group sends most A& R’s into a laughing fit, and the very utterance of Chris Browns name…well, you get the picture.

Yet as I sit here at the Viper Room and listen to up and coming panty dropper/singer Mateo swoon through his set, I am reminded that there is hope for the ladies and men that need that good ol’ fashion baby making music. I mean, where is the lane for the soulful singer these days? Los Angeles based singer Mateo is paving his own way and is dedicated to bringing feeling back into the music, a lane that will secure that our future financial deficit inheritors are not left with a soulful musical selection as desolate as their loan options.

Mateo is a storyteller through melody who has not stood by and let the industry shape his art form. He is a singer, songwriter, pianist, and producer. His latest mixtape, Underneath the Sky has been buzzing from the online community to the real world recession, and itunes recently picked up the mixtapes first single “Complicated”. Myspace even got behind the young up and coming star as one of their first signees to their music label. Mateo has been a freight train of hustle and creativity and is re-shaping the mold of a singer in today’s standards.

“Sing it like your singing in the shower” Mateo encourages the packed Viper Room. He is playing the piano and coaching the audience with ease, instructing us to sing the Obama inspired hook of “Yes We Can” and “Yes We Did”. Mateo’s energy on stage glows of positivity and confidence, along with sincerity and humility. Having broken into the industry at the staple time during the election, Mateo usually makes it a point to be decked out in some pro Barak gear and does a great job to maintain his overall musical charisma in the same uplifting vein as the Presidents. He’s personable, even from 30 feet away with bright lights and fog.

Mateo has built up the energy since his opening song, having started out his set with the lax and harmonious tune “Oohh N Love” a personal favorite. Starting his set off slow and sexy was a nice touch, different from the big bang cymbal crashes- over used by attention wanting artists and singers. Backed by DJ C. Brown (no, not THAT C. Brown) and the technically impressive drummer Tony Westing Jr, Mateo’s set depicted well written and well rehearsed music, a different strand from what listeners have heard on his mixtape where he’s singing mainly over top-40 instrumentals.

The live music tonight is fresh and imaginative, an amazing compliment to the singer’s voice. Not afraid to step outside the box, Mateo pauses in between songs to explain to the audience how happy he is to be able to share with them his work. “I want my music to capture those favorite moments in your memory. Those special times that always come to mind whenever you hear a certain tune. I believe every song tells a story and this next piece is a medley I put together meant to tell a story to all of us.”

The chill Casanova on the mic and piano went into a barrage of well known songs, cutting the lyrics and splicing the tunes of hits from Usher, Justin, Jordin Sparks, Alicia Keys, and more. In between transitions of the songs he would tell of a girl he met, the ups and downs of the relationship, the break-up and make-up, while all the time jumping in and out of the classic tunes. The audience ate it up! Guest rapper Shawn Chrystopher also made a cameo, giving way as the only feature within the entire set.

Mateo parted the audience with some encouraging and relevant words before getting into the songs “Get to know Me” and “Underneath the Sky. “Stating that “Everyone wants to be known”, the singer reminded us how easy it is to get caught up in the hype, and not love one another for who we truly are. He thanked the audience for accepting him for who he is, and encouraged everyone to be true to themselves.

A. Landon
www.loudvine.com