SHOW GALLERY + RECAP: CMAT brings down the Basement East on Nashville EURO-COUNTRY tour stop

Even prior to the release of her third album, EURO-COUNTRY, Irish artist CMAT had been on a trajectory to superstardom. Following a handful of 'viral moments' and a debut at number one on the Ireland albums chart, it's undeniable that she's one to keep an eye on.

Though a short run, this tour of the United States has proven immense for her influence over here. Nearly every date was sold out, and the final stop of her U.S. tour supporting the release of 'EURO-COUNTRY' was no different. We were, and I don't put this lightly, absolutely crammed into the Basement East on Sunday night. It was a special one. There was a song on this setlist for everyone; we laughed, we cried, we danced (the Dunboyne two-step!), we screamed. Texan two-piece Tele Novella opened the night with a 45-minute set that held us all rapt, serenading us with songs that were more like spells than anything, an electric candelabra casting a soft light on the stage beside them.

At 9:00 on the dot, the lights came down and the band made their entrance - all of them except the face we were expecting to see. The opening chords to "Janis Joplin-ing" began to play, a little longer than in the recorded track, when a voice called "I'm a writer" from somewhere just outside of our view. Heads craned to try to catch a glimpse of its source, but no one was sure where she was. A few hesitant phones were lifted, makeshift periscopes peering over the crowd, and all at once it seemed everyone spotted her. Without notice the lady herself had made her way to the back of the room. The crowd roared as she continued on with the first verse of the opening track of the last night of her U.S. tour. She made her way to the stage, holding hands and kissing heads in such a way that the Princess of Wales herself would have been proud. If anyone in the crowd had doubts about her prowess as a performer - which, if they did, they would have had to never have heard of her in their lives - she proved them wrong before the first song was even over.

A classic Nashville moment occurred about halfway through the set: one of the cowriters of "Iceberg," Tori Tuller, was in the crowd, and a spur of the moment decision was made for her to join the band onstage. "This song is for Titanic-loving bisexuals everywhere," CMAT declared, and the crowd roared.

Though the entire night was unreal - CMAT and her Very Sexy CMAT Band have a chemistry unlike any other group of musicians I've seen, and each performance was somehow, miraculously, even better than the last - I have to say that the encore was my favorite part of the set. I knew that seeing the title track of her newest album live was going to be an emotional experience given the subject matter, but hearing her scream the bridge had my chest tightening in a way that had me worried I was going to cry in public. To hear her speak so candidly about the multifaceted issues Irish people are facing and how similar their strife is to ours was immensely powerful. After "EURO-COUNTRY," she picked up her guitar and told us that to her, Nashville is a very special place, and that she doesn't play the next song very often. They had played it in Boston, and she joked that she wasn't even sure half the crowd had heard it before. But the moment the opening notes rang out, it was clear this crowd did know it, and everyone was thrilled to be experiencing it live. I had the pleasure of seeing her play at 3rd and Lindsley for WMOT Roots Radio in 2024, and she played "Nashville" then, too. It's a song you won't soon forget once you have heard it.

After that, it was time to have fun! Ciara quickly instructed us all on how to do the Dunboyne Co. Meath Two Step - we all essentially shuffled right, then shuffled left, making sure to stay in time with the band; she could see every person in the crowd and wouldn't start the song til we were all moving - and had us two-stepping for the entirety of "I Wanna Be A Cowboy, Baby!" We traded in our cotton-wool arms for thighs of steel. It's a nearly five-minute song, but no one wanted to disappoint her and stand still.

"Alright, that's it everybody. That's the show," she sighed into the microphone, making her way down to the side of the stage closest to merch. She kept the bit going, assuring us that, no, that was the last song; she really was done. The crowd began to chant "Olé, Olé, Olé," and in true CMAT fashion, she couldn't resist the opportunity to shake it. She indulged us further by turning, bashfully, to face the back of the stage. Someone yelled the title of the final song on the setlist from somewhere in the crowd, to which she turned back around, wicked grin on her face, and murmured into the microphone, "Oh, I forgot to stay for something!"

This was everyone's last chance to give this show every part of ourselves.

During an extended outro of "Stay for Something," CMAT made her way back down onto the floor, running through the venue as the crowd parted for her like she was Moses attempting to cross the Red Sea. I lost sight of her many times, and when I found her again, she was throwing herself back onto the stage, ripping her shirt off, and death dropping off the drumset like a drag queen had a baby with a hair metal band. There's only one word I can use to describe the way that last song felt: mental.

Ciara (if you didn't know, CMAT stands for Ciara Mary-Alice Thompson) made use of every inch of the Beast's iconic stage - and then some. I couldn't help but think to myself that if this is what she can do in a sub-1,000 capacity venue, what would she be capable of in arenas? At one point during the set, she joked about being an internationally-renowned pop sensation, but it can't possibly be a joke when she's selling out shows and holding audiences' attention like that, especially outside of her home market. She has an undeniable star power and I think the sincerity with which she sings has a lot to do with that. All artists strive for honesty but I think few actually succeed in laying themselves bare the way that she does.

I had an absolutely fabulous time dancing the roof down with CMAT and her Very Sexy CMAT Band, and I am so looking forward to the next time she blows through town, gracing us with her presence and her formidable tunes. She heads out on her completely sold out tour of the United Kingdom and Ireland starting next week. Hopefully you're lucky enough to have tickets; you will not want to miss this show.

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