Matt Maltese Serenated The Riviera Theatre in Chicago

Photos and concert review by Cait Dennis

The Riviera Theatre, Chicago, IL: October 11, 2025

Matt Maltese is a British-Canadian singer/songwriter who has been releasing music since 2015. You may recognize his song ‘As The World Caves In’, that took the internet by storm a couple years ago, despite its original release being in 2018. Matt’s sound is a blend of indie-pop ballads and soulful vocals. Matt has taken to the road this fall to tour the US, UK, and Europe. Amongst those stops was the Rivera Theatre in Chicago, Illinois.

To open up the show, the beautiful Cornelia Murr took to the stage. Cornelia is a British singer-songwriter who just released her latest album after six years away from releasing music this February. She had command of the stage the second she put her foot on it. Her indie-folk soul melodies and angelic voice filled the entire theatre, echoing across the venue beautifully. She dressed the part too, donning a long white silken dress that the light bounced off of beautifully. A full band accompanied her on stage, including a saxophone/flute player. Gorgeous music and incredible vocals came from the entire set. They didn’t miss a beat, and the fans were instantly charmed by her aura. She is definitely one to watch and I would recommend checking her out!

Next to the stage was Matt and his band. Fans cheered as the lights went out and

everyone took their places on stage. A baby grand piano also graced the stage for Matt to play. Throughout the whole set, one thing I noticed was the great banter he had with the audience. It felt very personable and flowed really well with the vibes of the show and the music. He had a few fun little stories about certain songs, and held his stage presence really well despite being sat down at a piano, which for some artists could prove difficult to hold the audience’s attention sometimes. The whole set also felt like a serenade. The music was a great blend of ballads and emotion that the fans soaked up every second of. I also must point out the visuals. The layout of the band on stage with platforms and the subtle projections and gorgeous lighting effects really elevated the whole dynamic of the show, adding a layer of dimension to the stage that I really appreciate; especially when an artist does have a large repertoire of ballads and slower, heavy hitting music. Overall, it was a gorgeous set and I personally will be keeping an eye out for his next project. I recommend checking him out if you haven't already!

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Cornelia Murr