At Anodyne Coffee in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, fans of all ages gathered to see Matt Pond PA on his 20th anniversary “Several Arrows Later” tour. The venue is, as assumed by the name, a coffee shop and was serving drinks during the show, which was nice and contributed to the chill vibes.

The show started off with Hillary James, aka Bathtub Cig, from Minneapolis. She is a solo acoustic artist whose music focuses on themes of depression and grief. The music was soft and sorrowful, yet had bright undertones that made me want to listen to more and more. In contrast to the somber sound of the music, Bathtub Cig engaged the audience with her quirky and fun personality. At one point in the set, one side of her guitar strap fell off and she said “that’s rock and roll baby,” which garnered a laugh from the audience. Bathtub Cig shared the backstory behind one of her songs about the grief surrounding her mom’s death, and how she coped with cocaine and threesomes.

Bathtub Cig talked about her album, set to release next week, and closed her set with a song she wrote about her best friend, dedicating it not only to her own best friend but to all the best friends out there. Bathtub Cig left me wanting more with her raw themes, honest sound, and contrastingly upbeat personality.

Taking the stage next was Anya Marina, a seasoned artist known for her amazing records and music featured in “Twilight (New Moon)” and “Grey’s Anatomy.” She is also married to Matt Pond.

One thing that I loved about her set is that she took audience requests, which engaged the crowd in a really unique and special way. One of the audience members drove six hours to be at the show, and had their request played, which was memorable. 

During the set, she also told the story of how she met Matt. She worked as a radio DJ and would consistently play a couple Matt Pond songs, and when she got home, would listen to those songs and never get sick of them. Later, they would meet and collaborate, which led to them building the relationship they have today.

Anya played “Asteroid,” which is the title track off her 2025 album. The song was written after a fight she and Matt had when she was running away, and that was something that she found herself doing in her childhood as well. I thought this song was beautiful, healing, and real. Next, she played a breathtaking cover of “The World at Large” by Modest Mouse. This song has been with me through many seasons of life, and hearing her uniquely soft rendition in such an intimate setting felt very special.

Towards the end of her set, she took two more requests and played “London Blues” and “Girl Shit.” Closing the set, she said that she would never forget this night, and recounted a childhood memory of herself standing in the mirror and telling herself to never forget that moment, and she hasn’t. This made me chuckle because I also have a bunch of random memories of myself as a kid telling myself to remember that moment, and I do.

Anya Marina closed the set with her song “Nothing Lasts,” and then took a 15 minute intermission to run the merch table with Bathtub Cig before Matt Pond took the stage.

After the short break, Matt Pond PA took the stage with his band members – John Courage on guitar and Hillary James (Bathtub Cig) on Cello. Aside from a Summerfest appearance, Matt Pond was last in Milwaukee playing a show at Riverwest Club Mad Planet. He recalled that during this show, an audience member started stealing his stuff mid-show. Matt jokingly  asked our audience if any of them were the thief 16 years ago. One woman in the front row shockingly raised her hand and said that the person who tried stealing from him was her ex-partner, and the audience erupted with shock. This story and revelation were definitely a memorable part of the night, and a hilarious interaction.

Matt Pond continued his set, playing iconic songs from his 20-year-long discography, including “Deep Pockets” and “Halloween.” Matt Pond PA makes beautiful, string-forward music that is relaxing, vibey, and reflective. I love the way all of the instruments blend throughout his songs. Matt also played “New Hampshire,” which is about where he grew up, and “The Ballad Of The Natural Line,” which was the title track of his 2025 album, where he asked the audience to sing along with the chorus. 

Matt Pond PA also played his cover of “Champagne Supernova“ by Oasis, which had the whole room vibing. When the song finished, an audience member yelled, “Is it too late to ask for ‘Wonderwall?’” which provided another comedic moment during the show.

For the last couple of songs, Matt brought Anya Marina back out and played “Specks.” They expressed that this was the best show on the tour they played so far, and felt that it had been such a special night. The final song of the night was “Loved To Get Used,” which also happens to be my favorite Matt Pond PA song. This song, though still chill, is much more upbeat and was the perfect conclusion to a night of amazing music.

Matt Pond PA has created an incredible legacy through his music and has fostered a great community of musicians around him. I highly recommend making your way to a Matt Pond PA show if you ever get the chance.

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