Medium Build

On Monday, October 1, Medium Build graced the “vampire church” stage with one of the most energetic, funny, and equally emotional performances I have seen to date. I read a comment recently under a video from a Medium Build set that said “GENUINE TALENT IS SO BACK,” and I think that about covers it. I’m not sure any combination of words could do his performance justice, but I’ll give it a shot.

Nick Carpenter, better known as Medium Build, brought his King of Having Fun Tour to Mr. Smalls Theater for the second stop of the tour, promoting his fifth studio album, King of Having Fun. He truly is the king of having fun because one moment you’re dancing, and the next you forget you’re at a concert and not a stand-up comedy show.

Though his personality is big and bright, his set started out quite the opposite. He began completely in the dark, slowly becoming illuminated by red light. That mood didn’t last long, though, as he dove into “Do Something Productive” and “Perceived,” then tore up the stage with “Bird Woman.” The first three songs of his set gave the audience a glimpse of the whole night as Nick seamlessly moved between light acoustic moments into loud, heavy instrumentation. 

The setlist continued to cover the majority of his new record, with older tracks like “Triple Marathon” and “White Male Privilege” sprinkled in. 

Of his many strengths, Nick’s vocals are easily my favorite. One moment, his vocals are smooth and gentle, and the next, they’re raspy, loud, and explosive. His performance of “Rabbit” was a testament to that and then some as he moved across the stage and leaned into the audience. At times, he stepped far enough away from the mic that it didn’t pick him up, but you could hear him just fine because his voice was simply that powerful.

After a setlist full of new tracks, fan favorites, and a performance of “Superimposed” with show opener Ken Yates, Medium Build closed out the night with “Armor.” Easily one of the most upbeat and energetic songs on the record, its live performance was no exception. 

Another one of Nick’s strengths is his ability to grow a phrase into a huge moment, throw it into the audience, and, before you have time to sit with it, pick the beat back up and move right along. His stage presence follows suit as his movements grow with the music, and when the song returns to its baseline, he shrinks back down and moves with the beat.

If everyone’s experience was like mine, then there was not one “Sheetz eating f*cker” who left without becoming an even bigger fan. Go catch a Medium Build show for yourself before he’s selling out arenas.