Matthew Loiacono has recently undergone a name change – but that’s ok, because there’s no forgetting a man with hair more bombastic than the “Little Boy” nuke. Last night, Matthew, now surnamed Carefully, treated upstate New Yorkers by playing the famed Caffe Lena, the very venue where Bob Dylan performed when he was still baby faced and undiscovered. The weekend show marked the release of Matthew Carefully’s Community Balloon, his third solo release since playing mandolin for the Kamikaze Hearts.

There’s more to the record’s name than you may think – Community Balloon is literally a community effort. Last fall, Matthew asked his fans to provide creative seed for his new songs; they responded with poetry, photography and music samples. “Clever” came from a drum sample made by a little girl, while Alex Muro of Albany octet Sgt. Dunbar and the Hobo Banned gave Mr. Loiacono a series of poems entitled “The Age of Reason.” The gambit paid off: Community Balloon is a great listen, with standouts like “Space Nurses,” “Risky Yellow Fly,” and “Poughkeepsie” (check out a couple tracks below).

Kicking off the night was Rosary Beard – Matthew’s side project (does this guy ever get tired?) with Alta Mira member Hunter Sagehorn. The two played dueling acoustic guitars in a mix of folk and classical guitar picking. It was music so beautiful and serene it tickled the back of my neck. The two joked that they’re hoping to sell their songs for use in pharmaceutical commercials – hopefully for a drug that cures neck tendon tingling. The duo laid down four songs before Matthew stole the show. Switching between his mandolins and gorgeous cherry mahogany acoustic guitar, he performed all ten songs from Balloon, plus a couple of old tracks, like “Knee to Knee” from Kentucky. With the help of a loop peddle and sequencer, Matthew provided drumbeats and even harmonized with himself. The styles ranged from folk to experimental, Matthew sometimes softly, emotionally singing to dreamy fuzz noise, hand claps, or maracas.

There’s high expectations when, as a musician, you step foot into not only the oldest coffee house in the country, but the birthplace of a folk god’s music. Matthew Carefully did not disappoint the Lena audience, eliciting liberal laughter during his banter and a long applause for his show. Matthew Loiacono / Carefully’s music can be heard on his website, where his albums are also available for purchase.

Photography by Jennifer Monteagudo