If you have not made the trip to Empire Live for a solo show yet, here is your reason. Matt Maeson is bringing his Watch My Step Tour to North Pearl Street on Saturday, July 18, 2026, and the whole run is built as a stripped-back “Solo Experience” — just Maeson, his songs, and a 1,000-cap room that was made for exactly this kind of night. Show time is 8:00 p.m. Get there early. This is general admission, standing room, and the floor in front of the stage will fill up fast.
About Matt Maeson
Maeson is a Virginia native who broke through with “Cringe” in 2016, a song that became the longest-running No. 1 by a new artist on Billboard’s Alternative Songs chart. His 2019 debut, Bank on the Funeral, made him the first male solo artist to land two No. 1 Alternative hits from a debut LP. The Watch My Step Tour is a 19-date US run between May and July 2026, and the Albany date sits near the back end of the road. The Solo Experience framing means you are getting his catalog rearranged — gritty folk delivery, less rock production, more of the actual writing exposed. If you have only heard him through earbuds, this is the version of these songs you want in a room.
The Venue
Empire Live sits at 93 N. Pearl Street in downtown Albany, walking distance to the dinner options on Pearl and Broadway and right in the middle of the Capital District corridor you can build a whole evening around. The room is 1,000-capacity standing only, which is exactly the right size for a solo set — close enough to feel the room hold its breath between songs, big enough that you can pick your spot whether you want the rail or a sightline from the back. Park in the Pearl Street garages a block over; Saturday-night street parking downtown is a coin flip.
Tickets
General on-sale opened March 27, 2026, and tickets are moving. VIP options on this run include a Signed Merch Package and a Soundcheck Experience — both worth a look if you want the poster on the wall and an early walk into the room before doors.