Matt Maltese at The Fillmore Silver Spring

September 21, 2025- Silver Spring ,MD

Photographed and Written by Caden Forrester @flicksby4ster

Cornelia Murr

Opening the evening for Matt Maltese was Cornelia Murr, a British-born, New York-residing artist who mesmerized the crowd with her ethereal, slow, poetic songs. Stepping out on stage in an absolutely stunning dress, Murr immediately seized the venue’s attention. A fan along the barricade even shouted out, “I love your dress! Where did you get it?” mid-show. She laughed, answered, and continued with the show, but the moment truly showcased the awe the crowd was in. Backed by a small band, Cornelia Murr delivered a show that was mesmerising audibly and visibly. With Danny Garcia, AKA Reverend Baron, on guitar, and James Preston on bass, the duo melded together with a beautiful, cohesive sound throughout the set. Abdon Valdez on the drums brought a soft, but integral sound to the set. Finishing off the group was Henry Raker on the saxophone and flute. Raker arguably brought the most important sound to the group, really giving it a unique and cozy very slight jazz feel at some moments. Of course, there was Cornelia Murr in the center, on vocals and keyboard.

By the end of the se,t it was clear Cornelia Murr had created a host of new fans, gathering quite the line at the merch table to meet her. Murr’s performance was the perfect primer for the night. Setting off a mellow, enchanting mood with her eye-catching dress and hypnotic sound, she proves to be an artist worth keeping an eye on.

Matt Maltese

Matt Maltese’s debut in Silver Spring was a very charming, intimate show. The British-Canadian singer-songwriter took the stage at The Fillmore Silver Spring as part of his Tour For You My Whole Life 2025 in support of his new album Hers. The venue’s crowd was a small mix of long-time fans and some curious newcomers. Maltese is known for his soulful vocals, witty, lovelorn lyrics. As soon as he stepped foot on stage, there was a warm, welcoming feeling throughout the venue.

Opening the set with “Always Some MF,” a track off Hers, his most recent album. It’s a bold song with some pretty tongue-in-cheek lyrics, “there’s always some motherf***er seeking the affection of my girl…” The piano groove accompanying the lyrics kicked things off with a laugh and a bang. Backed by a three-piece band, Maltese recreated the late-night vibes of his studio recordings. He moved to “Buses Replace Trains,” poking at the tube in London being better than the subway in the US. Then, going back into older songs like “Nightclub Love,” without missing a beat. Throughout it all, his soft, buttery vocals remained perfect and full of emotion, drawing the crowd closer. It was striking how at home Maltese seemed on stage, whether performing more of a pop-sounding performance or a much more mellow one. He truly made the 1200 capacity hall feel like an intimate jazz club.

Between songs, Maltese’s endearing personality came out. His humor was dry and a little self-deprecatory, but not in a bad way at all. He told a few little stories, continuing about the London tube in another instance. Telling us that just before coming to the US, an older gentleman had stepped off the tube, turned back with a mischievous smile, and said, “curl up and die.” Maltese laughed as he explained that those words inspired the track fittingly named “Curl Up & Die,” which he then launched into. He kept the comments going, mentioning a song about being out to eat at Chili’s before saying, “I’ve never been to Chili’s, I just know that’s a thing here.” Even when introducing his fellow bandmates, he told the crowd that they were 80% British, poking fun at the one American in the band.

One particularly memorable and heartwarming moment was mid-show when Maltese decided to celebrate a fan’s birthday in his own style. He explained that it was a “small dream,” of one day replacing the traditional happy birthday song with “Happy Birthday,” by the one the only Matt Maltese. To that end, he’s been bringing a fan on stage each night of the tour to serenade them. This evening, a young woman named Adriana in the crowd was turning 20, so Maltese invited her up with cheers. He sat her down in a chair at center stage and even plopped a goofy, happy birthday hat on her head. What followed was a sweet performance of “Happy Birthday,” Maltese’s own romantic and darkly funny ballad of the same name. He sang his lines about undying devotion while gazing theatrically at Adriana, who blushed and smiled under the spotlight. As he finished the song with a moment of sincerity, “Happy Birthday, dear Adriana.”

As the set neared its end, Maltese told everyone he was going to play a song that was “allegedly written about my cat,” poking fun at a viral rumor surrounding his most popular song. the gentle piano intro of “As the World Caves In” began, and the room absolutely erupted. This apocalyptic love ballad; Maltese’s most well-known song thanks to its viral popularity had fans cheering from the first note. When he started singing the opening lines “My feet are aching…”, hundreds of voices joined in. It was one of those hair-raising concert moments: the audience belted the chorus back to him with passion you could hear loud and clear. Maltese seemed visibly moved, often letting the crowd sing entire lines while he smiled broadly. The dramatic, end-of-the-world romance of “As the World Caves In” felt even more powerful hearing it sung by so many people in unison. By the final chorus (“Oh girl, it’s you that I lie with…”), some fans had tears in their eyes, while others were swaying arm-in-arm with friends.

There was a brief hush, and then an explosion of applause and whistles. Maltese and his bandmates gathered at center stage, took a collective bow, and waved appreciatively to the audience. In that moment, the feeling in the room was pure warmth and admiration. The crowd’s standing ovation did not let up until the house lights came on. In all, Matt Maltese delivered a memorable performance that artfully balanced humor and heartbreak. He gave the Silver Spring audience plenty to laugh about with his quirky banter and spontaneous interactions, yet also moved them deeply with the sincerity of his songs. Over the course of about 90 minutes, he took us through the full emotional spectrum – from cheeky jealousy in “Always Some MF” to the wistful melancholy of “As the World Caves In.” It’s a rare artist who can make you grin one moment and cry the next, but Maltese achieved that with ease. If this night was any indication, Maltese’s blend of witty romance and melodic magic is sure to win over even more hearts on the rest of his tour. We’ll be eagerly waiting to welcome him back for the next go-round.