Matt HumphreysThe Official Website-Matt's Blob

Friday, Mar 06th 2009 7:07 am	March already?
Seems like it was just Christmas...and I've got almost as much on the go as I did just BEFORE Christmas. The Mama Said Knock You Out video broke 5,000 view on YouTube! Isn't that incredible? Time to step it up even more and spread the word! I want to see that thing hit 10,000 soon. Can't wait for it to go completely viral and get me on a talk show...haha...wish Mike Bullard could see me now...

Tuesday, Dec 09th 2008 12:12 pm	What do MadDog and Billie want for Christmas?
The Breakfast Show on Virgin Radio 99.9, hosted by none other than MadDog and Billie, and produced by Planet Maurie, have commissioned (sounds formal) a Breakfast Show Christmas Song... to be written by me! And it's now available for a listen on the Breakfast Show, or by clicking here. I couldn't have put everything together so quickly without the help of Kelly Pedersen of Session 101 Studios. Check them out online: www.session101.com Big thanks go out to the Breakfast Show! Hopefully this is the start of a beautiful relationship Planet Maurie...

Wednesday, Dec 03rd 2008 8:20 pm	Mama Said Video reaches 2,000 views
I'm happy to say that the Mama Said Knock You Out video has reached 2,000 views on YouTube. Can't wait for the next wave of promotion. Stay tuned for even more of this soon-to-be classic. Check it out if you haven't already!

Sunday, Sep 14th 2008 5:34 pm	What's up with this new dress code in Toronto?
Friday night started out not unlike any other Friday night. We had guestlist at Ultra, getting ready to meet some friends beforehand downtown, and were dressed pretty respectfully. The only difference was that it was Filmfest in Toronto. When we showed up at the club, there had to be 500 people with the same idea. Not a chance getting in there. So, on to plan B: Spice Route. I hadn't been, but the group that I was with had and consisted of 3 doctors, a stylist, an investment banker, and myself. A pretty respectful crew as far as I'm concerned. We walked up to the door, and stood in line for a few minutes before approaching the doorman. He said to be patient, and we were. When we eventually were greeted to be ushered in, the doorman noticed that some of our party were wearing what he called 'sneakers'. Now, none of our group were wearing anything remotely close to running shoes, or cross-trainers, or any sort of sportswear, but he refused to admit us to the club. Ridiculous how I can wear $300 shoes and because they're a little funky I can't get into Spice Route. Bullshit. We spent our money elsewhere, and were happy to hit up another establishment that night.

Tuesday, Aug 26th 2008 11:11 am	No go this time Mirvish
I've seen many Mirvish productions over my years of living in this city. If I remember correctly, the first one I saw was Rent. I've gotta admit that the first half of Rent didn't really pull me in, and I was kinda disappointed at intermission. But, once the second half kicked in with the lead song of Seasons of Love, I was hooked. We Will Rock You was great, The Lion King was really impressive, even Hairspray was well done considering it was only here for a short time. But I was thrown by how bad tonight's show was. Really bad. I got complimentary seats to see the teenage angst classic Dirty Dancing, based on the movie made famous by the chemistry of Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey. There was no chemistry in this show. Also, there was not much in the way of acting either. The horn section was good, and the house band was pretty solid. Well, the dancing was actually impressive too so it wasn't 100% shit. I hadn't seen the movie, so I didn't know what to expect, but it was utter crap. I don't recommend it to anyone actually... unless they're big Melissa O'Neil fans. YES, Miss Canadian Idol 2005 sings a few numbers - the big one too. You know what I'm talking about.

Tuesday, Jul 22nd 2008 9:37 am	Toronto Roller Derby :: SMC Gig Cancelled
My weekend was great. I drove my scooter all the way to Hockley Village and back, about a 200 km trip. I don't know that I'd do it again...the scooter just isn't that consistent when it comes to speed. On inclines my speed sometimes dropped to 65 km/hr and on declines my speed would jump to 95. Not very safe for highway driving, but okay for backroads (which is where I was driving). Great day however, followed by an awesome evening. The Toronto Roller Derby League is fairly new, but with 6 teams and counting, it's bound to gain in popularity and grow out of it's home at the George Bell Arena, not too far from my place. On Saturday night, me, Andrew, Mike and Ross hit the game after a few steaks and some brews. The game kicked ass. We watched the Gore-Gore Girls narrowly take the game from Chicks Ahoy!, an old rivalry re-ignited from these top teams. For $10, you can't beat the action and excitement. Here's an action pic I took from my cellphone: In gig news, my scheduled set at the Summer Music Conference has been cancelled due to the organizers being completely disorganized. Even though I have been listed in their 'Artist Profiles' section for the last 6 weeks, they failed to contact me about a showcase until last Wednesday at which time they offered me a showcase for this Wednesday night. I told them I'd be available, and they indicated that they'd call me back at some point to schedule a set time and load-in. No call. Game over after I checked out their website and found my name NOT LISTED in the slot they had offered. I guess I now know what to expect from an electronic music conference - real musicians beware.

Sunday, Jul 13th 2008 7:00 pm	Stratford Festival :: R & J
I like to go to the theatre. More specifically, I dig Stratford and have for many years. On Friday evening I was chilling at home and got an email from the Festival. It was a crazy promotion for Play Encore members offering tickets to see Romeo and Juliet for $5 a ticket. Yes, five bucks for a Stratford play. This wasn't some chump play... it stars Peter Donaldson and Lucy Peacock, and a couple of awesome new players as the leads. They did a great job and I was impressed by the whole cast actually. So, for $10 me and the G'friend hit the theatre on Sunday in the 4th row of the centre balcony. Gotta love last minute plans.

Wednesday, Jul 02nd 2008 11:11 am	Happy Canada Day
I was lucky enough to catch two fireworks displays over the long weekend, first in Timmins, and then in Pickering. The Timmins trip took my whole band up with me to play the Timmins Rotary Ribfest on Sunday. We drove up the night before, and played a gig at Micky J's Big House, and were able to watch the fireworks right before we went on stage. A long drive but well worth it. Then on Canada Day, I subbed in for a cover band who's singer was missing... in Pickering at the Waterfront Bistro. Fun times, and another fireworks display. Fun party and some fun people. A very busy weekend and a lot of traveling. Gearing up for an action-packed summer guaranteed.

Tuesday, Jun 10th 2008 2:02 pm	Running back to Timmins
After a long stint between shows in my hometown, I'm finally coming back for the Timmins Rotary Ribfest on June 29th. The festival is held at Gillies Lake, and features a lot of great performers. I'll be taking on the Sunday @ 3 p.m. spot, and will be accompanied by my full band. We've been playing a whole bunch of different venues lately, so there's a great vibe going on right now... be sure to make the effort to come out and catch out set. I also just got word that I'll be doing a solo showcase for the Toronto Independent Music Awards on July 10th at the Annex Wreckroom. The outcome of this set is to determine nominees for the 'Best Live Acoustic' category. I hope I can actually win this one this year...

Tuesday, May 27th 2008 11:23 pm	Evil Dead - The Musical
Well, I can't say anything bad about this one. Holy crap it was awesome. Funny, scary, shocking, suspenseful, vulgar, action-packed, and bloody!!! Wow am I happy I didn't sit in one of the first three rows. They were ALL covered in blood! Raincoats people, raincoats. If you enjoy musical theatre that goes beyond satire, then this is the show for you. It has been extended until mid-July, so go and catch a show or two. A big shout-out goes to Jenn Perras from Rock-It Promotions for hooking me and Heidi up with not only the tix, but a few drinks as well. Visit the Evil Dead site here: www.evildeadthemusical.com Or the Rock-It Promotions site here: www.rockitpromo.com

Friday, Apr 25th 2008 2:14 pm	We Will Rock You... RAPTORZ!!!
What an entertainment-filled week. On Wednesday night, Heidi and I caught the Toronto production of We Will Rock You at the Canon theatre. It was awesome. The singer who played Galileo Figaro was outstanding. I recommend it for everybody. It didn't hurt that we were in the front row though... Thursday was the first Raptors playoff game at home... and WE WON!!! Awesome showing by TJ Ford, Jose Calderon, and Jamario Moon, who were completely responsible for bringing us the win. Not only did we win at home, but we won by a pretty convincing margin, AND I got free pizza because we scored over 100. That pizza was good. Cross your fingers for a win this Saturday. Let's go Raptors!

Sunday, Apr 20th 2008 6:18 pm	Foundation NIghtclub Barrie
We rocked Barrie. It was a great night all around - great weather, great sound, great crowd, great bands playing before our set - couldn't ask for more. The band pulled out all the stops and we closed the night off in style. It was a hot stage, and due to my motorcycling without sunscreen that day, I was burnt to a crisp and was sweating like a freak... but that didn't matter! We killed that place. Thanks to Full Fathom for having us, thanks to Ron the sound guy for boosting our popularity, and thanks to Paul Fairley for the PR work. We'll hopefully be back in Barrie soon for another romp.

Sunday, Mar 23rd 2008 3:23 am	FUCK YOU! City of Toronto
I've lived in Toronto for 11 years. I've always thought that this was the best place to live... until I bought a car. I've had WAY TOO MANY instances where I've had to either pay for a parking ticket, bail myself out of a tow-truck lot or just pay for overpriced parking. FUCK OFF!!! Why does the city expect tourism dollars at all when it costs $3.50 per hour to park in the core??!? Screw it. I'm not gonna do it anymore. I just spent $105.00 for a tow truck. I parked on Adelaide at 12:30 a.m. and my car got towed at 2 a.m. for some stupid reason. Why does the city have a NO STANDING policy from 2 - 6 a.m. on Saturday night? TO MAKE MONEY!!! FUCK YOU AND FUCK YOU AGAIN! It's all just a cash grab and I'm sick of it. It's finished Toronto - soon I will develop the fool-proof scheme to make your cash grab no longer valid. I will thwart your efforts if it takes all of my spare time!!! FUCK OFF TORONTO PARKING AUTHORITY!!!

Friday, Mar 14th 2008 7:30 am	Bon Jovi is my honorary Godfather
I've never been much of a Bon Jovi fan, but after a last minute ticket deal from my bro, I'm happy to say that it was an awesome show. Not only did they rock the house, but they broke the record for most shows at the ACC during a tour... 5!!! The music was bang on, and the energy was awesome. Bon Jovi makes me wanna hit the gym every day. I felt like a cowboy and it was cool. Here's a shot we took at the show:

Sunday, Mar 02nd 2008 9:21 pm	The Toby Jug
I went to Bolton last night and had a blast. No, I'm not still drunk, it was fun. I sang Karaoke and ate steaks and drank more that I could handle - and I still kicked ass on the mic. We were visiting some friends that we haven't seen in awhile, and they just happen to own and run this Toby Jug. It was a typical English pub, great food, good service, and a real mix of people. The Karaoke was as per usual - some people really blew, but a lot were seasoned veterans. I rarely do Karaoke, but considering I was out of town, I thought I would break my rule. I also decided to choose songs that I've NEVER sung before. Here's what I did: Play That Funky Music - Wild Cherry Brown Sugar - The Rolling Stones Superstition - Stevie Wonder Cracklin' Rosie - Neil Diamond I had to end with the Neil. Check out the Jug, they've got the cutest staff in town (Sam and Meeg).

Thursday, Feb 28th 2008 12:07 am	Paragon Singer/Songwriter Competition = HOAX
Yes, you heard it here first. The Paragon Singer/Songwriter Competition was just a cash grab for the event organizers. First, before you think I'm just ranting because I didn't win, let me put down some cold, hard, facts for you: 1. There was 1 judge. How do you have an unbiased competition with only one opinion? 2. The 1 judge left during my first song to have a cigarette. WTF?? 3. The event organizers, i.e. the people who are making the money, left early in the night due to the "horrible weather". If the weather was so horrible, why didn't you cancel the competition??? 4. The competition was at Holy Joe's. 'Nuff said. When pressed for information from the organizers, I got no response. They were quick to respond when I was interested in performing - and committing to sell $100.00 worth of tickets. Of course, it was easy to get back to me then. So, I write this blob in the hopes that musicians everywhere will find out how sneaky and unfair the PARAGON competitions are. Stay away from them, and tell them I told you to do so when they ask you... consider it my free advice to you.

Tuesday, Feb 26th 2008 8:22 pm	I'm on American Idol
Well, that's not completely true. I'm not an American citizen, so it's not really possible, but I've been getting "Hey Matt, there's this guy on American Idol that looks just like you!". So, I checked him out. The guy actually does look a lot like me from a style perspective. The contestant's name is David Cook and his favourite band is Our Lady Peace! Funny... I wonder if he knows that they're a Canadian band. Here's a pic of David on last week's show. Don't tell me you can't see the resemblance...

Monday, Feb 04th 2008 2:14 pm	Let's Talk About...Geoff
This weekend was my company's annual winter getaway at the Delta Pinestone Resort in the Haliburton Highlands. It was great winter weather despite Friday's snow storm, and the company party on Saturday night was awesome... from what I can recall. It was just cool to chill out with my new co-workers, and meet new people. The dinner on Saturday night was also the debut of the new T4G band, Her Majesty's Royal Morris, the greatest band in the world. We'll be posting the first single soon: Let's Talk About...Geoff, a song about the big cheese. We filmed a video and had a photoshoot too. It was tons of fun. Thanks to Del, Brent, Aaron and Shane for helping out. He loves bees!

Wednesday, Jan 16th 2008 9:22 pm	2 Year Blobiversary
Well, although things have been a little light on the BLOB front, I wanted to hit this one today due to the significance of January 16, 2008. It's my Blobiversary!!! Things have been awesome on the Matt front... I got engaged before Christmas, got a new day-job, had an awesome show in Timmins over the holidays, and played a live radio show on CIUT FM. Cool stuff. Thanks to Brian Farq for hooking it up, and the hosts for having me. You can listen to the segments in the Demo Room. So, my new company is called schark!. It's a usability design studio in Toronto, and the place is great. We do some impressive work, and we also have a great time too. I hope everyone enjoys the new year and that you all continue to support me and my music. Keep in touch and have a safe 2008.

Wednesday, Dec 05th 2007 10:22 pm	American Pie 6 meets Johnnie Walker
The busiest few weeks in my life is kind of an understatement. Well, it might not be the busiest, but most productive and rewarding while being enjoyable is a better description. For those of you who don't know, I've taken on a new day job as Project Manager for a company called schark!, a usability design firm here in Toronto. It's been a week and a half, and we finally had my 'welcome lunch' with the staff. It's a great group of people and I'm having a great time so far! This past weekend the city got hit with a whole load of snow... which people apparently forgot how to get around in... duh. Well, I still made it up to the Pacific Mall to do a little shopping (mainly pirated DVDs). Made it back to Little Italy for the Toronto premiere of American Pie Presents... BETA House, the newest film in the franchise, filmed at my frat house. For the budget they threw at that film, I thought it was hilarious. Great, young cast, and the gags were awesome. I also enjoyed the after-party with the cast... especially the free booze. Caught a great comedy show on Monday night that raised money for charity. It was called Brainsgiving and it was put on by my friend Amanda Terfloff who successfully had a tumour removed from her brain in 2001. It was really entertaining and felt good to participate in such a worthy cause. Last night I capped it off with a wild Johnnie Walker Scotch tasting party put on my the crew at XYYZ, an online men's magazine that I'm a member of. Dug it. Me and the Brenhan hit it up, and we got to sample some $250/bottle Scotch! Damn good. Met Nic from XYYZ and we had a bite afterwards. I think I'm Scotch fan now... ask me next week.

Friday, Nov 23rd 2007 9:52 am	'Porn Life' the Play
Hilariousness ensues... it's Boogie Nights and South Park jammed together in an indie run of a play by Bobby Del Rio. Great stuff for the whole family, well, if your family is older than 18 and isn't scared of a little pornographic content... Great performances by the whole cast, especially Brenhan McKibbon in the role of Walter, the aging porn star. I'd see it again if I weren't so freakin' busy. Hope to see a few more things by Bobby in the future. More info: www.apornlife.com

Tuesday, Nov 13th 2007 11:19 am	Signed, Sealed, Delivered at the ACC
Amazing is probably the least flattering word I could use to describe the Stevie Wonder show last night. What an awesome concert at the ACC... Stevie's voice is impeccable for a man of his age. None of his contemporaries measure, and it's a shame that his last tour through Toronto was 12 years ago. Even more surprising was that the show wasn't sold out. There were about 11,000 in attendance... a few thousand shy of a full house. I wouldn't have missed it for anything however... he wowed the crowd for a 2.5 hour performance... never missing a beat. Simply put, it will be placed among the BEST concert I have ever seen - right up there with McCartney, Paul Simon, and U2. Thanks for UD for joining me. We had 6th row on the floor, and then we ventured over to the Orbit Room to enjoy one of the best session guitar players in Canada, the one and only Kevin Breit. The Sister Euclid, the Monday night regulars, have been playing at the Orbit since I moved to Toronto in 1997. For those of you who don't know, Kevin has appeared on recordings by Norah Jones and Celine Dion... and Matt Humphreys. Yeah, I lucked out. Well worth the money.

Wednesday, Oct 24th 2007 9:15 am	Go Leafs Go! Uh, don't waste your breath...
At 6 o'clock last night I got a phonecall from Dave C and got invited to the Leafs game versus the worst team in the league, Colorado. The only problem was that I had two meetings scheduled... the first for 7 p.m. at Yonge/Bloor and the second was an 8:30 p.m. conference call of the Alumni Council. My priorities of course lie in the Platinum seats that Dave was graciously sharing, so I jammed everything in. I tried to keep my first meeting as short as possible, but even with running out a few minutes early, we ended up missing most of the first period. That was okay however, because Dave and I aren't big hockey fans. We grabbed a beer, and just as the second period was starting, I had to begin my conference call – live at the Leafs game!!! It was loud in the ACC, so I kept my phone muted most of the time and just half-listened to the conversation. It went on for the ENTIRE second period and then the ENTIRE second intermission. I hung in there, and quipped in with comments when I could. The late arrival wasn't really a big loss considering a few things... FIRSTLY, that was one of the worst games of hockey I've ever seen, and SECONDLY, the Leafs lost in a shoot-out. Whatever. Still have to thank big Dave for the RBC tix. Had a blast and caught Tyler Yarema afterwards at the Reservoir Lounge. Always a great show on a Tuesday.

Sunday, Oct 21st 2007 11:23 pm	Pattison Canadian International
Well, what a beautiful day it was. Holy shit for October. Couldn't stay inside for too long, so Chris G and I drove up to Woodbine Racetrack for the best race of the season - the Pattison Canadian International, featuring a $2 million purse. And what a race! The crowd was wild, the bets were flying, and we won absolutely nothing... but had a great time enjoying the atmosphere. Headed back into town just in time to pack up my gear and get over to the Frat for a rehearsal with the band. What a good one too... I introduced 2 new songs and then we jammed through a new one I just wrote. It was good fun... but we didn't get around to choosing a new cover tune yet - I guess we'll have to do that next time!

Wednesday, Oct 17th 2007 11:35 am	Philip Seymour Hoffman: Cool?
I think Philip Seymour Hoffman (Capote, Almost Famous) is cool in an awkward way. Not that he isn't a fantastic actor... but he's a fantastic actor because he makes weird seem natural. I caught his newest film last night, The Savages, directed by Tamara Jenkins who did Slums of Beverly Hills. Tamara spoke after the screening... very real and revealing. The movie was quite sad, but her point was that sometimes the most funny things are just plain sad. We weren't laughing at the sadness of the characters, but of their realistic reactions to the sad occurences. Great film. The passes for the film were courtesy of Bobby Del Rio, director and writer of the upcoming play Porn Lilfe which runs from November 15th to December 1st at the Alchemy Theatre in Toronto. I'm looking forward to catching a performance – buy your tickets now as the performances are selling out fast.

Friday, Oct 05th 2007 11:14 pm	No Wins at the Toronto IMAs
Well, I was hoping for 1 of 2, but it didn't happen. Maybe next year they'll have an Adult Contemporary category for me... thanks to everybody who came out! The show was awesome of course, and the winners totally deserved it.

Sunday, Sep 30th 2007 11:11 pm	5 States in 2 Days
How many Kilometres did I put on my car you ask? 3,000 My showcase as the Midpoint Music Festival in Cincinnati was great and although I couldn't have a beer at the venue, the attendance was awesome. I caught a few more acts after I played, including Laura Glyda who can really strum it up on the acoustic, and Greg Johnson who came all the way from Australia. I had to head back to the ever-popular Econolodge after that however... had to be up at 7 a.m. for the drive to New Jersey. And what a drive it was... I started in Ohio, and crossed through West Virginia and Pennsylvania before getting to my destination in Lawrenceville, New Jersey. Played two sets to a small crowd in the Rider University athletic building. Met some cool people and got to chill and have some coffee for once at a show (instead of having beers as per usual). It was a nice change of pace. So, my fifth state was New York of course, as I travelled back to Toronto today and was delayed by 2 hours at the border. Friggin' cross-border shoppers!!!

Friday, Sep 28th 2007 5:30 pm	In Cincinnati for Midpoint Music Fest
It's a good time here in Cincinnati. It also took me awhile to figure out how to spell it... is it two n's? two t's? one or the other?? Whatever. At least Mississauga has consistency. But I digress... I'm here to play a showcase tonight at the Pizza Bar on Main St. My set time is at 9:15 p.m. which will give me enough time to check out a few acts and schmooze it up before I retire to the comforts of my EconoLodge bed. When got here last night and immediately hit the clubs to check out some bands. The street was bustling with people by about 9 o'clock, and then the music began. Here's my roundup of the evening's proceedings: 9:00 p.m. @ Kaldi's – Jeff Rolka Jeff has a nice sound, and employed the harmonica for one of his tunes, as well as a pre-recorded flute part when he covered The Beatles' For No One. He didn't really stand out for me, and I got stolen away to another venue shortly thereafter. He did a one-up on me though coming all the way from California – on a plane! I hope he flew on points. 9:30 p.m. @ Pizza Bar - Cheree Silcox Great voice, but nothing impressive about her karaoke tracks and the cover songs she was playing... what's up with that? Couldn't find a guitarist or something? 9:45 p.m. @ cue – The Prime Ministers I couldn't get into their groove. The vocals didn't pop out of the mix at all, and the whole place sounded kinda muffled. I went because of their name, but left because of their sound. 10:15 p.m. @ cue – Elliott Ruther Trio I stuck around at cue because I still had a pretty full beer. The place smelled like paint, and it was making me sick... but beer is beer man. So, I was expecting something kinda funky considering one of the bandmates' friends said "Yeah, he sounds like Jamiroquai man!" but that was bullshit. I left after the first tune and wandered to the bar that shared the bathroom. 10:20 p.m. @ Speakeasy – Sons of the abyss Although my main purpose for going to this venue was escape, I enjoyed the sounds of Sons of the abyss. It takes a talented drummer to play to a click track, and he nailed it. I thought they had some great songs. I also met a couple from out of town that were in search of a band that sounded like Weezer. Not this place guys... but good nonetheless. 10:40 p.m. @ New Stage Collective – Earle Grey Well, Earle Grey were good... but I only saw one song before they played 'Hey Ya' and I had to leave. They guys looked like they've been around for awhile... and were tight because of it. They had a kinda Foo Fighters thing going on but with out the screaming. 10:50 p.m @ Courtyard Cafe – Steven Gregory Band Awesome. Randomly the 10 p.m. act didn't show, and SGB stepped up to fill the whole 2 hours slot. Great songs, and great arrangements. Folky pop with a funk vibe. Wish I could have stuck around, but I had to bust. Spoke with the bass player of MacPodz before I left. 11:10 p.m. @ Arnold's – Mark Wayne Glasmire Met a guy by the name of Steve Smith on my way into this club, and we share a table and some stories over Mark's fantastic set. Think James Taylor meets Bruce Springsteen. Awesome songs, and great voice. Made my night a little better. 12:00 a.m. @ Jardine's – The MacPodz Wow. Am I ever glad I ran into this guy at the Courtyard Cafe earlier. This band is tight and they kick ass! Wow again. Wow. Stayed way longer than I was supposed too, but for good reason. Left at around 1:00 a.m. So, it was a nice night, but I won't be able to do it again after my 9:15 set... gotta drive to New Jersey in the morning!

Wednesday, Sep 19th 2007 11:30 am	Cinefest Bound
I'm playing a show tonight at the Sudbury Theatre Centre for a Gala party for Cinefest, Sudbury's version of TIFF. Apparently the movie is an important one... 'Elizabeth: The Golden Age' starring Cate Blanchett. It was well-received in Toronto last week and expected to do well at Cinefest. The Gala is sponsored by Petryna Group and I'll be playing from about 9:30 until 11:30 (or whenever people leave). If you have tickets, I'll see you there! In other Petryna Group related news, the Tyler Currie RV is getting 'wrapped' tomorrow by Dan and a local helper. It'll have a nice, big picture of Tyler on it! He insisted that I make his face as large as possible... he's just that kind of guy. There's no better place to hang out than in an RV with your face on it. More info on the campaign: www.tylercurrie.com

Tuesday, Sep 04th 2007 6:18 pm	No Barrie Gig :: Long Weekend Awesomeness
Just spent the weekend up at my uncle's place in Sudbury... kick-ass. He's got a sweet lakefront property in Sudbury. We hit the lake a few times, and then he had a big bash on Sunday and invited the whole town (or at least part of the town). A few big-wigs were there, and I played a few tunes down by the water. Beautiful weather! Thanks to Dave and Sandra for having us up. I also learned over the weekend that our previously scheduled gig in Barrie for September 15th has been CANCELLED due to issues with the venue. Full Fathom regrets that they had to reschedule the date to November 3rd... we will not be able to get on the bill for that date. Good luck with the CD release guys! Can't wait to hear the disc.

Wednesday, Aug 29th 2007 11:23 pm	Lauderdale - BCC North Show
Well, I'm finally back from a GREAT show in Florida at Broward Community College's North Campus. I played two sets, one at 11 a.m. and the next at 7 p.m. I was sharing the bill with a great singer/songwriter friend of mine, Rebecca Loebe, and joining us on the bill was our new friend Johanna Jordan, the winner of BCC's Idol competition. The crowd was very receptive, and I thought the venue was really cool. A shout out goes to Archie, the entertainment coordinator for the college, for bringing me all the way down for the show. A big thanks to Becca for lending me her guitar! I couldn't have done it without her! I look forward to my next show in the big ole US of A at the end of September.

Monday, Aug 27th 2007 7:19 pm	TIMA Nominations - I got two!
I'm excited to say that I got two nominations for the Toronto Independent Music Awards! Thanks to Daniella and the judges for considering me... very honored to be on the list. I'm looking forward to the awards show on October 10th. More details: http://www.torontoima.com/nominees.htm

Monday, Aug 06th 2007 6:26 pm	New York, New York
I'm in New York City right now... well, actually I'm in New Jersey, right across the river from NYC at my buddy Ryan's place. Me and the Gfriend have had an awesome time over the weekend. I played a show last night at the Bitter End on Bleecker St. in Greenwich Village. Pretty cool show. There were over 12 artists playing 20 minutes sets. It was part of this big Singer/Songwriter's collective that plays every Sunday. I was up at 11 p.m. and there was a still a pretty good crowd! The craziest thing was getting there though... After spending over 2.5 hours waiting at the border, we finally made it to our interim destination on Saturday. Utica, New York was the location of the 175th Convention of the Alpha Delta Phi at Hamilton College. I was asked to sing at both the service and the dinner, so it was pretty essential that we show up on time... but we really didn't expect a two and a half hour wait at the border. Luckily, I was able to do 80 mph the rest of the way from Niagara Falls onward, AND the service was delayed about 30 minutes due to programs not being printed in time. The dinner was nice, and it was great meeting new Alpha Delts and seeing old acquaintances. We made our way to Jersey the next morning after a nice breakfast, and got to Ryan's around 4 p.m. We decided that it was too late for sight-seeing, so we took the tunnel over to the Upper West Side to catch some grub. Got down to Greenwich at around 8:30 p.m. and found a pretty decent parking spot. On our walk over to the Bitter End for my gig, I was totally blown away when a car crashed into a cyclist. It wouldn't have been as shocking if we weren't 6 feet away and staring in that actual direction. I wish I would have had my video camera up. The cyclist was okay, but in shock. I just stood there and stared. Ryan ran over to see if he could help (he's not a doctor, but he has first aid training). The guy who nailed the cyclist got out of his car and started yelling at the dude... amazing. It wasn't the driver's fault - he was actually following his green light... but it was a pretty pronounced accident. Needless to say that I needed a beer after that - but that'll be the last time I have more than 2 drinks at the Bitter End... they were $6 each and weren't even full pints! Blasphemy!

Wednesday, Jul 25th 2007 11:08 pm	Good Samaritan Matt
Well, on a rare occasion I've done some good out there in the world... and I just got in from what I would consider a pretty random act of kindness to strangers. I was returning a DVD to Blockbuster and right outside was a car with it's hood up. I breifly looked over and saw that the two women were pouring water into there coolant tank – from a McDonald's cup. Hmmm... Be it that my car leaks coolant like it's going out of style, I had a bottle of it in my trunk. I suggested to the ladies that I bring over some coolant and help them out. I ran back to my car and grabbed the bottle and filled up the coolant tank! I didn't even leave a card or a flyer or anything (which I probably should have done... fans can come from anywhere). Speaking of random fans, I'm playing a fundraiser at the Duke of York this Saturday. It's for the Fantasy Worldwide Film Festival. Hope you can make it out.

Monday, Jul 09th 2007 12:00 am	Tobacco Sting Op.
Thanks to everyone who made it out to the Party to End Breast Cancer this past Saturday. The prizes were outstanding and the music was great. Thanks to the bands, The Scene, Dave Borins, and my band: Ryan, Dave, and Brian. Good work guys. So, I'm starting this new Mystery Shopping job where I go to convenience stores and gas stations and try to buy cigarettes with teenagers. It's for Health Canada, and they take the info and produce stat reports. Last year I did it with a 17 year old male teen, and he got turned down most of the time. This time around, I've got two teens, one 16 year old female, and one 17 year old female. Should be fun driving around Mississauga for hours in the heat... Let me know which teen you think will get sold the most cigarettes:

Wednesday, Jun 27th 2007 8:20 pm	Getting ready for Silicon Valley
It's been a jam-packed week. Surprisingly I've been in Waterloo two days in a row for different occasions – first to support a friend, next to do some work with Christopher Norton at a show. I got some great footage of Chris working with kids, playing his pieces, and getting his music out to the public. I shot back to the city for a quick band practice afterwards, working with my new guitarist, Brian. Pretty busy, and a lot of driving actually, and it's only the beginning! Tomorrow I fly out to Santa Clara, California, for the MTAC Conference (Music Teachers Association of California). I'll be there until July 5th! This is a long show, but I'm ending it with a few days in San Francisco which should be fun. These shows are always good for catching up with people I haven't seen in awhile. I hope it's not too hot!

Monday, Jun 25th 2007 9:09 am	Casa Mendoza!!!
I've lived in Toronto since 1997, but I've never had the pleasure of hitting up the Lakeshore strip before this past Saturday. Me and the Gfriend went to Casa Mendoza for a friend's birthday on Saturday, and were amazed we'd never been before (in a sarcastic kind of way). The view from the back patio is outstanding, and the racoons that hang out on the roof overlooking the patio are scary... but I'm told they never attack you (ya, right). Apparently the place is a big swingers hangout, although I find that hard to believe since there were a few children running around. It's a cool place if you bring 10 of your friends, but otherwise I'd feel a little creepy going there for a drink. The one unique thing about Casa Mendoza are the huge platters of meat or seafood. There's more meat on there than you'd actually need in a week, but we saw dozens of people just chowing down on it. Different to say the least (at least for me). I guess it's an Argentinean thing. Here's a pic:

Sunday, Jun 17th 2007 6:05 pm	James Brown Celebrity Hot Tub Party
Okay, maybe there weren't any celebrities there, but I spent yesterday afternoon on a rooftop patio taking in the sun. This is one of the best rooftops I've had the pleasure to frequent (no offence Ross), stacked with a multitude of BBQs, tables, trees, games, and a hot tub. The crew pulled out a few guitars later on and we started jammin. Thanks to Hamish and Chris Hollow for having us over. I know Ty needed some time to chill after giving out all those beautiful trees to the people of Little Italy (haha). I've gotta say, it would be too much for me to have at my own place... especially with the LCBO right across the street... The guys with their cigarette skewers.

Thursday, Jun 14th 2007 11:11 am	Currie Campaign Launch
For those of you who don't know, I'm working on a political campaign for a friend of mine, Tyler Currie. Last night was the big campaign launch party, and it was a great success. A few VIPs showed up, some hockey players, politicians, and TV personalities. Grace O'Malley's was packed full of supporters as we announced Tyler's run for MPP in Trinity-Spadina (downtown Toronto). For more information on Tyler's campaign, visit www.tylercurrie.com And one other thing... today is the 2nd anniversary of my results episode on Canadian Idol. It's hard to believe that it was so long ago, but it was! The Idol video can be found on my Myspace page here.

Sunday, Jun 03rd 2007 11:23 pm	The Apache Trail
I've been in Arizona all week and it has been *HOT!* Loving it though... but lopping on the sunscreen when I can. It's such a different type of geography here. Mountains, deserts, cacti (cactuses?), and lizards – also known as Geckos. I played a little coffeehouse on Friday called Bunna Coffee, Tea, and Market which was a in south Tempe... a little out of the way, but attended by some great people. A special shout out to Marie Bryan for making the trip all the way from Tucson. My gig on Saturday was a last minute sub-in for a guy who's bus broke down in Texas. Go figure. It was at Fiddler's Dream, a little folk club out in north Phoenix. Luckily Terri and I had a cool rental to take us around to all the areas of Phoenix. On Sunday, after we wrapped the convention, we hit the Apache Trail for the good, old-fashioned touristy shit. Driving along the mountainside was quite dangerous at times, but it was well worth it for the fantastic scenery. Here's a little clip from the trip:

Monday, May 28th 2007 12:00 am	Shania Twain Centre
Wow. What a great time I had this past week. Old friends and familiar faces was the norm for me all week long... it felt good to get to know Timmins again. Great show at the Shania Twain Centre. The turnout was outstanding. We raised over $500 for the Porcupine United Way because of all the great people who came out to support my album launch. Special thanks to my parents for 'billeting' me for the week (and making me food), the media for reporting on the event and helping me promote the show, NUGE for allowing me to indulge my fantasy of becoming a radio personality for TWO WHOLE MORNINGS (woohoo), and all the staff at the Porcupine United Way. I wish I could give shout-outs to everybody, but the list is just too long! The day after the Shania Twain show, I played a gig at The Townehouse Tavern in Sudbury on my trek back to Toronto. The venue has been a mainstay in the indie-rock circuit for quite some time, and although the crowd was light, they appreciated my music. Thanks to Paul for booking me in. I hope to make it back up North in the fall... see you then...

Wednesday, May 23rd 2007 11:23 pm	Can I get a bus ticket to D'Eatery?
I'm co-hosting a radio show tomorrow morning with Luke Nugent on The MOOSE, 93.1 FM in Timmins. Word. I hope all 7 people enjoy it... haha. Had a fantastic show in Timmins tonight. Great crowd of people – very attentive to say the list. A special thanks for the BIA for having me. The last time I was in the Dante Club was for my high school graduation. Man was I drunk. I guess there aren't too many high-schoolers getting drunk at their grads nowadays since there isn't a grade 13... well, they're probably not PUBLICLY getting drunk at least... So, my plug goes out to D'Eatery because Nicky bought a whole whack of CDs for all of her staff (and Shannon's tattoos are cool). I'll see you guys for lunch (and possibly breakfast) tommorrow!

Saturday, May 19th 2007 12:01 pm	No Left Turn??
I'm making sausages. I'm making sausages because I just got busted by a COP for making a LEFT TURN. Huh??? Apparently you can't turn left from Dundas onto Bloor from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. from MON - SAT. Bullshit. There's somebody probably getting shot in Regent Park right now as this COP is pulling me over for $110. I'm SOOOOOO taking this guy to court. Most people will just pay the fine and go on with their lives... but this time I'm not most people. On another note, I'll be loading new footage on the site soon... I've got a meeting with my videographer tomorrow night and she's mixed together Bailee from the footage of my CD Release Party from March. Kick-ass I hope. I'll be up in Timmins next week for a few appearances, most notably at the Shania Twain Centre on May 26th. This is a charity show for the United Way so I hope it sells out! Get your tickets at a few outlets downtown.

Wednesday, May 09th 2007 8:20 pm	The NUGE get's a co-host
As some of you know, I'm making a tour back to the north at the end of the month... a big show in Timmins at the Shania Twain Centre on May 26th, a show in Sudbury at the Townehouse on May 27th. It's gonna be a rip-roaring good time!!! Yeehaw! While I'm up I'll also be dropping into Timmins High for a little 'career-day' sit-down with the music class, and I might poke my head into the Channel 3 and have a chat with Corinna Wrona as well. The newest news on the Timmins trip is that I'll be co-hosting the Morning Show on the MOOSE 93.1 FM with Luke Nugent. Other than the fact that I'll have to wake-up at 5 a.m., it should be a blast! Be sure to tune-in if you live in the area. I even came up with a name for our show... MORNINGS WITH HUMP 'N' NUGE (I get top billing of course).

Monday, Apr 30th 2007 11:57 pm	TFC! TFC!
I caught the first Toront FC game at BMO Field on Saturday. Beau hooked me up with tickets at Christmas, and the season opener is FINALLY here. Heidi couldn't come, and coincidentally my mom was in town so I took her. We wore matching FC toques and a lot of people asked us about them. The venue was really packed. Full house for sure. Unfortuntately thought, Toronto didn't score a goal. Boo. Next time boys. Friday night we hit up 7 Numbers on the Danforth with Dave, Becky, Andrew and Alison. Good times. I hadn't been there is almost 4 years, so it was good to drop into the new digs (well, not REALLY that new...). Before that I hooked up with a whole bunch of peeps at Brant. Mils, Bojan, Trudy, Julia, Carol, Andrea, etc. Shouts.

Monday, Apr 23rd 2007 12:00 am	You may be right Billy
Caught the Billy Joel concert on Friday night. It was great! I bought a pair up in the second row of the upper bowl for me an UD. Heid and AS got a comp pair from the Beau in 307. My 'rents were down in the 100s. So, family affair to say the least. Great show though... he did all the hits, and then some misses too. Kicked it off with Angry Young Man as expected, and gave us a choice of three tunes in the middle – Summer Highland Falls lost again! Saturday was a pretty busy day. Went to GAME 1 of the Raptors playoffs. The boys played well, but didn't pull it off. They trailed for 90% of the game. The weirdest thing was that the whole marketing promotion was 'Let's go Red! Let's go Raptors!' but it didn't make sense because the Nets were wearing Red. They even gave out Red t-shirts! I went with Caputo, D-man, and Brad, who enjoyed the game despite us loosing so badly. Go Raptors!

Monday, Apr 16th 2007 12:12 pm	A few dates up North
I'm going to be venturing up to the great white North at the end of May for a few shows. The first, on May 26th is a CD Release Party / United Way Fundraiser at the Shania Twain Centre. It's an intimate venue, and will feature a local opening act TBA, followed by a solo/acoustic performance by me and my guitar/piano. Further details will be posted here soon! The next day I'll be driving back through Sudbury, so I though it would be good to pick up a date there. On May 27th I'll be playing a solo set at The Townhouse Tavern. It should be fun if you can make it out! Still recovering from Saturday's Birthday Bash!*

Monday, Mar 26th 2007 4:23 pm	Thanks for coming! / NLFB Meltdown
I can't thank everybody enough for coming out and supporting me on Saturday night. The show was the best we've ever done, and the turnout was outstanding. Onward and upward! I got an email this morning inviting me to the NLFB Meltdown, a showcase/audition to be a performer at the Northern Lights Festival Boreal. It's a big music festival in Sudbury – I've been attending off and on for almost 25 years, so it'll be cool if I get chosen! I look forward to the show. If you're in Sudbury, come on out! It's only $5 for the acoustic showcases from 5 - 9 p.m. at the Jubilee Centre right downtown.

Thursday, Mar 22nd 2007 10:10 pm	The CD is HERE!!!
So, I finally have the discs in my posession, just in time for the release party. It was an ordeal however, and if I hadn't called to check in this morning there would have been NO CD at the release... which would have been somewhat problematic. So, at about 10 a.m. I called the CD replication firm and wanted to check up on the delivery of my CDs. They were supposed to be delivered on Wednesday, but they hadn't arrived so I figured I'd call. Well, the rep went to get the docket and came back to tell me that they'd be delivered on the 26th!!! I told them that was completely unacceptable, and asked them to do WHATEVER they could to get them over to me before the 24th. So, for the next hour I sat, waited and worried. I got a call back and a big apology... apparently they were looking at the wrong docket. Sony had the discs and they were ready to ship... AND... they could get it over to me that afternoon! It was a great. I had the CDs by 3 p.m. that same day. So, on to my release party!!!

Sunday, Mar 18th 2007 5:20 pm	Happy St. Paddy's
I wore my Guinness pint hat all day, even when I went for dinner with UD and the family at The Keg. Was that appropriate? After dinner, we were on our way home when we got a call from Stecom and aborted. Headed over for some drinks with the Bday boy, and proceded to The Social for a few more pints – with the Guinness hat on of course. Happy Paddy's Day!

Friday, Mar 16th 2007 9:12 pm	CMW Report PART 3
This is the last installment of my CMW report, and the best of the best were out for the PAQUIN showcase on Saturday night at the Drake Hotel. Luckily we got there at 9:30 because it would have been freaking impossible to get in later on. When we got there, we bumped into Steve Butler, an agent with PAQUIN, who is a friend of HT and me. He was really looking forward to the lineup, which ended up being awesome. Here's the lowdown: 10:00 p.m. Liam Titcomb 11:00 p.m. Kyle Riabko 12:00 p.m. Danny Michel We totally dug Liam's set. This guy's going to be a star. Chris and Lyndsey joined us during that set and stayed until we booted during Danny's set (which really wasn't that impressive). Kyle Riabko is a GREAT guitarist. I wish I could play that well. He did look a little odd with that mullet though... and the gay leather vest... Saw some guys from SUM41 in the crowd, and one of the guys from Finger Eleven. My buddy Rex Goudie was there as well – he shares a lead guitarist with Titcomb. Can't forget that Ryan Malcolm was also there... apparently he started a new band?? Good luck.

Wednesday, Mar 14th 2007 11:11 am	CMW Report PART 2
Friday of CMW continued with some great music. Chris Graham and I hooked up at the Brant House for $3 beers and grabbed a slice of pizza on our way over to the Horseshoe Tavern to catch one of my favourite emerging artists, Peter Elkas. He really tore up the 'shoe, and totally set the bar. Following Pete was a band from western Canada called You Say Party! We Say Die!. They were kind of a Ramones meets Metric type band. I enjoyed it, but I don't know if I'd listen to all the yelling at home... it's really a live experience. We booted from there after YSPWSD and I went to the Gladstone by my lonesome - really just to drop in on my way home. The act that was hitting the Gladdy stage was a non-CMW event. I didn't really find that out until I was already there though... but no big deal. I found the prime lezbro and he snuck me in the back door so I didn't have to pay Jonathan Ramos my money (sorry Jon). The act was just getting started, but the real reason I was there was to catch k-os who was supposedly going to DJ part of the set. Well, after two hours and a few beers, I just couldn't stick around anymore... and took off. Thanks to Brennan and Ben for hooking me up.

Monday, Mar 12th 2007 6:35 pm	CMW Report PART 1
Another Canadian Music Week has come and gone... and I've some cool stories to tell about the whole thing. WEDNESDAY: I started off the night meeting up with Rossco at Cafe Dip on College for some grub. Met some peeps and went over to catch the Paolo Nutini show at the Mod Club Theatre. This was of course preceded by me TRYING to get my freakin' wristband, but it wasn't successfull. I showed up at 7:15 p.m. and registration was closed. Check the website – they were supposed to be open until 8:00 p.m. What a waste of a trip to the Royal York. Sorry, back to the concert. The opening act was Valery Gore, local artist who's outfit needed an upgrade, but her songs were good. Kinda blended a little... but that's what you get when you're just accompanying yourself. She made a good impression nonethless. Paolo looked like he was on coke, but in a good way. Mystery is key when you're Paolo Nutini... he's what, 19 years old? One of my favourite songs of his is 'Jenny Don't Be Hasty' about this older chick that he dated. She broke up with him after finding out how old he was. What a dumb-ass. Didn't she know he'd be famous?? The concert was solid and then I went home. No encore for this guy... THURSDAY: Finally got my stupid wristband and picked up Heidi before heading back to the Royal York for a VIP party with Rockstar Entertainment courtesy of my bud Adam H. It was a slow start to the party, but I was able to meet Jarrett, manager of Live On Arrival, a new band out of Winnipeg. He had some good things to say for sure. We also me Louis Manzo, a promoter/marketing genius who's contact will be invaluable someday... and we also meet Dave from the Gibson agency who's main thing is club bookings (although he's repping an artist right now). Stayed there for awhile, enjoying the free Heiney's (thanks guys!). Part 2 of the update coming soon...

Thursday, Mar 08th 2007 6:12 pm	CD Replication
I just approved the proofs for the printed part of my CD. I still haven't heard the mastered audio, but at least I know FOR SURE that it'll look good! I'll be changing my Myspace page to reflect the look and feel of the disc soon. The CD face has a screen of MY face, and the cover is the picture from the front page of my website. 'Everything Changed On The Way...' is the title of the EP, and it'll be available online and in select retail stores in April. Come to my CD Release Party and you buy a copy before anyone else... AND you get to see me perform the whole thing live.

Monday, Mar 05th 2007 12:12 pm	HOTLANTA!!!
Good times in the hot city. Left the tDot in the middle of the WORST storm of the season... it took 3 HOURS to check my luggage. I almost missed the flight... but luckily they pulled me out of the line and processed me through. Got there in the afternoon, just in time to check in with my Agent and see some showcases. There are some really great artists out there! Unfortunately though, my luggage didn't arrive with me, and I had to wait until 4 a.m. to rest my mind about the whole thing. My guitar was kinda necessary (lol) and I didn't really have any clean clothing... My showcase went off well on Saturday, and the crowd dug what I was doing. Got some great compliments and hooked up with some great people there! Thanks to everybody for giving me such a warm welcome.

Tuesday, Feb 27th 2007 10:48 am	Off to Atlanta
On Friday I'm flying down to Atlanta, Georgia to play a showcase at the APCA National Conference. APCA is the Association for the Promotion of Campus Activities, and they facilitate the merging of entertainment with talent buyers from Colleges all across the USA. I'll be playing my 15 minute set at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday afternoon. Some of you may be asking: "Why are you flying so far for a 15 minute showcase Matt? Are you crazy??"... Well, it is a little bit wild, but this is a great opportunity to get myself into the US touring market. I'll be shopping myself to live music venues around the US that REGULARLY book talent. It's also a pretty decent paycheck if I land a small tour. Cross your fingers and wish me luck!

Monday, Feb 05th 2007 9:13 am	Superbowl Monday
It's gonna be a busy week... if you're an actor, come on out to the play reading tonight at The Sparrow (Ossington/Queen). I'll be playing an acoustic set to break up the night. It's put on by Dropship Entertainment, some cats that I met at the Gladstone Hotel. Good people. What happens is this: playwrights bring their new scripts, actors bring their talents, and they read some plays. Quite simple really. This Thursday is the annual cocktail party hosted by John Fortney and Garren Anthony. This year, the event will be held at the Windsort Arms Hotel in the Courtyard Cafe. Once again, I'll be the opening entertainment for the night, warming up the crowd for Bradley and the Bouncers. Click here for all the details.

Monday, Jan 15th 2007 1:24 pm	The Weather Sucks
I think that old man winter must know that I'm from Timmins because every time I've had a gig in the past 3 months, the weather has been crap. It's either snowing or just blistering cold. No matter - me and the band are still hitting the stage tonight at the Horseshoe, so make an effort to come on down and grab a drink. The opening act is 'Your Volunteer' and the act after me is called 'Ejune'. The whole lineup's going to be great, so set aside some extra time for transportation, and come to Queen and Spadina. The TTC also has two streetcar lines coming right by... I'll spot you a token if you need it.

Thursday, Jan 11th 2007 12:24 pm	Gearing up for the 'Shoe
I'm sure you're all going to pull out your miniature violins right now, but the holidays REALLY were busy for me (to some extent). I got a whole bunch of projects started, and tried to finish up a few as well. I've started working with a consultant to produce a Strategic Marketing Plan for a bar in Etobicoke. I'm linking up a few different things here, my love of making money... and beer. It's a cool opportunity, and those who know me are aware that I don't ever turn down opportunities (unless they pay crappy). I've got a show at the Horseshoe on Monday and hope that everybody I know comes out. It'll be a really good set - mostly all my own tunes. Best of all, it's free! No cover! See you there.

Monday, Dec 18th 2006 3:15 pm	The City of Kings!
I missed part of the Saturday night drama at Dave and Becky's fantastic holiday dinner bash to trek up to King City to Tom and Laurie Bell's place for THEIR holiday dinner party and play a few songs. My timing was tight but I pulled it off and had a great time at the Bell's. The food was superb and the people were even better. I'm glad I could fit it in. The Bell's had actually 'bought' me at a charity auction last year... no, it wasn't a bachelor auction, it was a silent auction for the Princess Margaret Hospital, and I volunteered an 'Evening of Music with Matt Humphreys'. And there you go. If anybody's interested in bidding next year, John Fortney's party is listed on my gig's page (Feb. 8th for you lazy people). Thanks to John for setting this up. Cheers!

Thursday, Dec 14th 2006 11:11 am	Bringing back the coffee
I played at a coffee shop last night. I've NEVER played at a coffee shop before, and it was quick nice to 1) not be hassled by drunkards, 2) not be drunk, and 3) not have a large tab at the end of night. But in all seriousness, I think this type of environment is perfect for just chilling out and playing good music. Thanks go out to Peter Bloom who shared the night with me, and to Coffee and All That Jazz for hosting our asses. We'd like to do it again sometime! Following that show, Heidi and I ventured into smoke-filled Yorkville (Sassafraz burnt down) to Cantine, a little eatery at Ave. and Dav. The host was the formidable Danielle Iversen, local PR Agent. The party was kick-ass to say the least. Bumped into Steve Black who introduced me to a few peeps. Had some good drinks and danced like a maniac. Heidi tore it up in her leopard print skirt - hot. Shout out to Sunshine baby.

Tuesday, Dec 05th 2006 12:12 pm	Now Lounge Show
Although the snow impeded the 'regulars' from showing up en masse, I enjoyed my featured spot nonetheless. Great little venue that Now Lounge. Awesome sound. Thanks to Jennifer for having me, Johnny for doing a great job on the sound, and all the wonderful friends and musicians who participarted and supported. I'm probably going to make an effort and show up for another night sometime soon.

Wednesday, Nov 29th 2006 9:21 pm	REJECTED: 401 Dixie NIssan Jingles
I've been cut out of the TOP 30 and can't fucking believe it. Listen to my jingles from the links at the left of this page and you'll know why I'm so pissed. The jingles that they've got online on the 401 Dixie website are mostly crap. ALSO, they're in breach of one of the rules that states that Entries should be no longer than 10 seconds. Bullshit. I emailed the contest rep, and he said something like "I guess we could argue over this forever, but we'll just have to agree to do it different next time." NO WAY MAN. I'm not going to put up with that. I encourage all of you to go to www.401dixienissan.com and email Greg and tell him how bad the jingles are. Let him know that this great Toronto singer/songwriter made two awesome jingles that kick the shit out of what's up there. Yeah, then maybe I can get a better car than the piece of shit I drive now.

Saturday, Nov 18th 2006 11:11 am	Casino Royale
I didn't see the movie, but I went to the official after-party. Last night Heidi and I attended a big bash at Maro a new supperclub in the Liberty Village area. The night was sponsored by Heineken and Smirnoff, and officially endorsed by the Bond film. Other than the fact that we waited for 30 minutes to get in the door (which was ONLY because the stupid coat check was slow), the party was hopping. I played a little 'fake' blackjack with Andrew and grabbed a free martini from the Smirnoff peeps. It was more hype than substance unfortunately... there just wasn't enough going on to make me feel involved in the whole atmosphere of the film. The coolest part of the night was when PR guru Danielle Iversen blew up at the front door staff for holding the line so long. Well-deserved as far as I'm concerned. We officially met Danielle later on that evening and hooked ourselves onto her promotions list. I look forward to future events.

Monday, Nov 13th 2006 2:18 pm	Borat... better than sliced bread?
If you're like me, and you didn't see Borat on opening weekend, you probably dragged your hungover ass to the movies on Saturday to check it out. I've enjoyed Sasha Baron Cohen ever since he had his show in the UK, and think his Borat character has always been the funniest. I couldn't stop laughing through this film... although at some parts I felt bad for the people that were being targeted (like the antique shop). It goes to show all the big movie moguls that you can make a dumb film without a major start and still be number 1 for two weeks. I'm sure there are other examples of this, but since I'm into the whole recency thing, I don't care about those films. This one is hilarious. My face hurt afterward. Caught it down at Festival Hall with some friends (Dave and Becky) who were instrumental in allowing me to see it (I would have NEVER convinced Heidi to go alone with me). Yay. Keep in mind that I'm not recommending that you go and see it... especially if you find racist and sexist jokes offensive... but it's one of those movies that people will be talking about in the lunchroom anyway, so you probably should go and see it just so you're up on the lingo.

Thursday, Nov 09th 2006 9:15 am	Queen West is Dirty
I've been living in Toronto for almost 10 years now, so homeless people don't really surprise me anymore... but CRACKHEADS do. Just in case you don't know what I'm talking about, crackheads are the weird people on the street who look kinda normal from far, but when you get closer they look like they're extras in Dawn of the Dead. Sunken eyes, veins on their foreheads, etc... crackheads. So, I'm leaving my gig last night (thanks for coming everybody!) and a crackhead walks over to Dave, my drummer, and asks him for a quarter. Now, if you've ever been asked for change by a bum, you'll know that they're pretty harmless, but THIS person was in a different state of mind. It's the persistence that's different with crackheads. "Sorry, don't have a quarter." says Dave. "C'mon, it's just a quarter!", as she runs after him down the street... that's the crackhead reaction in full effect. Needless to say that we didn't leave our gear-filled cars out there for long. What's the moral of the story? Don't drive downtown with a good car...? or Stay away from crackheads?, but that's an obvious one. I think the real moral of this story should be Don't do drugs! I learned that from Hulk Hogan (and Mr. T).

Monday, Oct 30th 2006 3:28 pm	Hallow-freakin-een
To celebrate Hallow's Eve as well as my sweet g'friend's champagne birthday, a party was in order. We filled the house with our bestest friends on Saturday night and kept the party going until the wee hours. It was a 'costume-required' party, with the best costume prize going to Jesus himself (H.Ross). Heidi did a fantastic job with decorations, and made some great food. We had two Supermen, WonderWoman, Tony the Tiger, Cowboy Tyler, Mastercard Guy, Dr. Vampire, Mary and Rhoda, a Native Indian, two Fairies, Austin Powers and his lovely squeeze, Ali B, and last but not least, Brittany and K-Fed were in the house. Sorry if I forgot anybody! I'm attaching a photo of Heidi as a lovely can-can girl from Moulin Rouge, and me as Nacho Libre. The last people left at 5 a.m., and I wasn't able to put down food until 7 p.m. Well worth it. Happy Birthday Heidi! NNNNAAAACCCHHHOOOOOOOO!!!!

Thursday, Oct 19th 2006 12:12 pm	Simon Says: Kick Ass
Paul Simon, the musical legend, is still up there in my songwriting heroes list. He can pack a house and crank out the tunes like no other. His band is fantastic, and the arrangements are simply impressive. With an eight-piece band of musical geniuses, you can't go wrong I guess... My parents made the trek down from Timmins to see the show and my mom just couldn't stop talking about how good it was. Beau and I sat up top while they took the floor for the sold out show. I'm sure we'll be talking about that show for awhile. My mom's comments, "So much better than last year's Elton John show!". Agreed.

Wednesday, Oct 11th 2006 10:22 pm	New Music
I'm officially broke. Between my car troubles, my new laptop, and Tuesday's EXCELLENT recording session, I don't have any money to do anything fun. Somehow I still manage to pay my rent. All this to say: The album is coming soon! Yes, I'll have an EP completely mixed and mastered by early 2007, complete with online sales, retails sales, and a big CD release party. I may even post a few 'sneak peaks' into the album with some rough mixes. More to come. The session on the Tuesday was very productive. We laid beds for 4 tracks (This One, Bailee, Everything changed on the way, and Sallinger Sent), with 'we' being myself, Mark Rogers (drums), Jamie Oakes (guitars), and Rich Moore (bass). At the desk was Joe Shugan with the help of Amy King. Where did it all go down? In Hammertown @ Grant Avenue Studios. Nice room and good people... although the water pressure on the second floor is a little shitty...

Sunday, Oct 01st 2006 12:12 pm	New York, New York
Anybody know what a mechanic charges in Manhattan? I do! It's $113/hour... just a LITTLE bit more than in Toronto (geez). I know that because my car broke down on the offramp of the New Jersey Turnpike. We got it towed to a garage on the island because that's where we were staying (with Carly - thanks!). Ended up being the water pump, and they couldn't get it replaced on Saturday so we have to wait til tomorrow morning. I guess that's not TOO bad, but we wanted to get out of town early to make it back for dinner. We went to Central Park in the rain this morning and headed to Strawberry Fields, the area that Yoko Ono takes care of financially. There was a cool mosaic piece in the path that read 'Imagine', and a plaque that dedicated the area in John Lennon's memory. We're heading down to Canal St. now and will be grabbing some food in Soho. Hitting up the East Village tonight for some live music with my cousins Liz and Jay. Looking forward to it!

Saturday, Sep 30th 2006 10:10 am	Dewey Beach A1
Played at the Dewey Beach Music Conference last night and it was a blast. Met a good guy from Toronto, singer/songwriter Peter Bloom, and caught some panels and a few performances. My set was solid and I caught it all on tape (thanks to Peter and Heidi). I'll have some cool shots posted soon enough. The coolest thing was that we met Toronto-band act Pilate, now known as Pilot Speed. In the US, noboby knows who they are, so we had them all to ourselves. Had a few beers and chatted about the next steps for their career, and just hung out. Nice guys all around. We'll have pictures of that too. Then, on the stage across the bar, another Toronto act played a set. The Dunes were down for the show and their set rocked. I spoke with Kevin, the lead singer, and we exchanged contact info. Dropped Pete off at his hotel and we were set. Awesome time... although it was a far trek!

Friday, Sep 29th 2006 1:15 am	Ken the HOBO
My time in Hoboken can be summed up in one word: excitement! Okay, maybe not the excitement of a roller-coaster, or the excitement you get when you steal something... but Hoboken, the home Frank Sinatra, has action. It all started with our drive there... "Right on!", Matt says "We'll be there in about 20 minutes. Ahead of schedule!" Well, unfortunately, that's before the highway diverted us into NEWARK of all places. So, Heidi and I are thinking, it can't be that far, we were only a few miles off course. But let me tell you, Newark is a WORLD away from Hoboken and we b-lined outta there as soon as we got word from Ryan Long. An hour behind schedule and 15 minutes of telephone conversation and we were at Ryan's place in Hoboken (Jersey City). As a drink was deserving, we went out. We hit up a cool little spot downtown for dinner/drinks, followed by a bar on Washington called The Black Bear. The Black Bear had $2 pints of Yuengling, and $3 vodka drinks. It was also hosting a Rock, Paper, Scissors competition which we witnessed in the final stages. The people in Hoboken are generally nice, and the atmosphere is safe (especially compared to Newark where we were surrounded by burned out houses, mispelled signs, and discount appliance stores). Will I go there again? Well, as long as Mr. Long lives in Hoboken, it'll be a regular stop for me while venturing into the great unknown.

Saturday, Sep 23rd 2006 3:08 pm	Little Gig Tomorrow
I'm doing an opening acoustic set for Chris Kasper, in from Philly. Should be a nice set. I'll be trying out the set that I'll be playing in Delaware next Friday night at Dewey Beach. Speaking of Dewey Beach, at the same venue that I'm playing, the band formerly known as Pilate has a show on the same night. They're now called Pilot Speed and just released a new record on iTunes. Heidi and I are gonna stay around and check them out. The last time I saw Pilate, I had to pay $25. Pretty cool. There's also a band called The Dunes playing at that venue. They're from Toronto too. Looking forward to it. I'm going to NYC afterwards and will be playing a set at a party that my cousin is playing at. He's in a band called Endi, online at www.myspace.com/endimusic. I hope everything works out!

Thursday, Sep 14th 2006 11:39 am	Thanks for the support!
Thanks to everyone who came out and supported me in my first head-lining show at C'est What last night. It was a great time and the turnout was fantastic. It makes it all worthwhile to play a show like that and hear the appreciation for music that came from within you. Thanks to all the people who came from out of town (UD and Sandra), and of course to my opening act, Andrew Austin, who played a killer set. The band did a great job – and with only one rehearsal! Keep your ear to the ground for an impending CD release in late-November/December.

Wednesday, Aug 30th 2006 4:30 pm	Set List: Healey's August 28th
This is what I played for the Toronto Independent Music Awards showcase at Healey's last Monday evening: Everything Changed On The Way Carson's Grove Mrs. Carter Whistlin' A Tune This One Bailee All songs by Matt Humphreys.

Sunday, Aug 27th 2006 11:28 pm	I met MOBILE
I met MOBILE last night at the Bier Markt. They were just hanging out having a beer, and I strolled up and asked one of the guys if they were in town for a show? Apparently they're playing in Kitchener tonight... right now actually... and they were in Toronto for some promo. For those of you out there who don't know who I'm talking about, MOBILE are a band from Montreal whose first single is all over the charts – 'Out of My Head' is the name of the track. Cool guys really. I ended up chatting a little bit with Frank and Chris, and then with Mat, the lead singer. The most surprising thing for me was that there weren't a whole bunch of people coming up and talking to them... maybe everybody was too drunk... At any rate, we ended the night off with a round of Jagermeister, although I drank one down for Mat who had to sing the next day – if only I could party like a bass player EVERYDAY.

Wednesday, Aug 23rd 2006 2:45 pm	The Nott, and why Cabs suck
Was at a wedding on Saturday in Alliston. Nice time, especially the reception which was a big hoot of a time. My g'friend looked awesome as usual, and the food was superb. It was hosted by the Nottawasaga Inn (sp?), nestled into the farmland near Cookstown/Alliston. Due to circumstances of the evening, we were left to fend for ourselves when it came to the transportation situation. We were staying in Alliston, which was only 10 minutes away by car. Unfortunately for us, we were also in the WORST city for cab service. Of ALL the cab companies we called, only one was going to send a car, and that ONE was going to take 45 minutes to get there. Coming from a city where you can't wave at a friend across the street without hailing a cab, it was a disgusting sight to see. We waited and waited as I tried to convince staff of the Nott and other passerbys that it'd be a quick $20 to drive us into the city. It didn't happen. Just when I was setting us up with a ride, Heidi scored a lift with an old friend and she took off to get her wheels so she could come back and get the group of us. I don't know if the cab ever came... And this is just one of many incidents I've had with cab service ALL across Ontario. When I was in Muskoka in July, a friend of mine told me a horrible story about calling a cab to the nearest Marina for pickup. As they were pulling up in their boat, they saw the car pull up to the parking lot... and turn around and leave! Within minutes of docking, they were on the phone to cab company. They wouldn't come back. It was ridiculous. Another incident that comes to mind is the whole airport situation. I got back from Vancouver last week and needed to take a cab to my mechanic's place near the 427 and Dundas. So, it's about a 10 minute ride, so I tell the guy to run the meter. He says 'no'. I said 'why?'. Well, apparently ALL the friggin cabs at the airport run on a flat rate. You can't get a regular cab, unless you find a guy dropping somebody off (which is against GTAA rules to do I've heard). It's such a freakin' monopoly. It's either public transit which takes forever, or $35 cab ride. Do they think we're rich? ::END RANT::

Thursday, Aug 17th 2006 2:14 pm	Set List: Crowbar August 11th
This is what I played last Friday at CROWBAR: Whistlin A Tune The Last Thing Chariot † Salinger Sent Carson's Grove Green and Blue Everything Changed on the Way Mrs. Carter I Don't Wanna Be † This One ENCORE: Beautiful Day * Bailee † by Gavin DeGraw * by U2

Saturday, Aug 12th 2006 12:21 pm	The Party to End Breast Cancer
Thanks to everyone who came to the show last night at Crowbar. It was a blast. We collectively raised over $1500 for the Weekend to End Breast Cancer. Special thanks for the 'Team' consisting of Gini, Allison, Cheryl, and Lorraine. Great idea for a great event! Thanks also to my band (Beau, Ryan and Paul) for doing such a good job, Full Fathom for coming all the way from Aliston to play the show, and Orangutan for playing his heart out as the opener. Also, shout outs go to D and T as videographers, the Heid for pulling off some shots and being a lovely recruiter, the soundman for fixing the probs, and the venue for changing their format. When's the next show? I'm playing Monday, August 28th at Healey's as part of the Toronto Independent Music Awards. Come on out!

Wednesday, Aug 09th 2006 4:15 pm	Grouse Mountain
After you've taken a cable car up a mountain, things don't seem so far away anymore... The g'friend and I went up the beautiful Grouse Mountain on Monday. It overlooks the entire city of Vancouver as well as providing views of Vancouver Island in the distance. We made dinner reservations at The Observatory dining room so as to avoid paying for the transport up the mountain (it's included in dinner). The food was fantastic and the views were even better. We got there around 4:30 p.m. so we missed most of the other things that happen during the day – like the lumberjack demo and the birds of prey demo. We DID get to see the grizzly bears though which was cool. On Tuesday we made the trek to Capilano Suspension Bridge which spans Capilano Canyon and the river below. Awesome heights. We also wandered through the BC rainforest through a maze of elevated bridges connected by tree houses, called the Treetop Adventure. I've got photos coming soon.

Monday, Aug 07th 2006 10:15 am	Van City here I come
I can see why people like the Okanagan Valley area. It's fucking beautiful. Yes Mom, I needed to curse to let people know how nice it is. My cousin Rob got married in Lake Country, just outside of Kelowna, B.C., and I attended along with the g'friend. Awesome time guys! I met a whole bunch of cool peeps and had a great time partying it up at the reception which was held at a winery on the shores of Lake Okanagan. I have never been out to this side of the country, but I can see why people are down with living here. I'm sure it gets really cold and snowy in the winter, but in the summer it great. I danced, ate, swam, drank, and enjoyed the sun. And congratulations to the happy couple. I'm actually at Rob's apartment in Vancouver as I write this – they let us stay over last night – great neighbourhood. We're heading out to check out Stanley Park in a bit. I'll be sure to post some pictures!

Friday, Aug 04th 2006 12:20 pm	Go Supersonics!
I'm leaving Seattle in a few hours, but have enjoyed the sights and sounds. The biggest thing of note: the Space Needle is in NO WAY comparable to the CN Tower. It's got a nice view, and I guess seeing mountain ranges and stuff is cool, but it's only 520 feet high. Me and the g'friend stumbled around downtown, went to Pike Place Market, Pioneer Square, and even ventured up to Capitol Hill for some live music. Weird shit went down though... the bands were good, but this crazy chick came into the bar when I was in the bathroom and sat next to Heidi and ordered a beer. She then grabbed Heidi's arm and tried to make her hold hands with some OTHER guy at the bar (at least I THINK that's what she was trying to do). When Heidi resisted, she stormed out of the bar and left us COMPLETELY ASTONISHED to say the least. Pretty weird. Good food there though... we had dinner at Salty's on Alki Point. Great view of the city from there. I like having a car when I'm vacationing... it just makes everything so much more accessible. Off to Kelowna!

Thursday, Jul 27th 2006 11:21 am	Lord of The Rings
The stage version of LOTR is ending in September. Me and the g'friend went last night. I enjoyed it. I wasn't wowed out of my seat, but I thought it was grand. I wonder if musicals like that can work after they're spoiled by the wonders of film and special effects. It's fine if you go from book to stage... but what if you go from book, to FILM, to stage??? Does it have the same effect? I like fantasy and science fiction. I've always been a fan of ALL media related to the paranormal or other crazy things. I enjoyed the show and am sad to see that it's leaving the city where it was conceaved... but hopefully it will do much better in London's West End. The last time I saw a show in London was in 2003 when I visited friends. I caught a show called 'Our House' which had one the equivalent of a Tony for 'Best new Musical'. Good times. At the same time, London was showing 'The Rat Pack' which only lasted a few months in Toronto. I dont' know what it is about this market... do we not like intelligent theatre? Do we not have a sustainable market for new, innovative productions? The Producers lasted for how long... three months? And what about Hairspray?? I sincerely hope that Toronto finds another Phantom or Lion King or were surely doomed to get only the tours. Good luck Ed.

Tuesday, Jul 25th 2006 9:09 am	Birthdays
My good bud D-man had a birthday yesterday. It was almost like pulling teeth that get the guy to want to celebrate. We had to FORCE a few beers on him... but I think deep down inside he appreciated the attention. How many times per year does someone have COMPLETE attention on only them? I thought that maybe D was affected as a child by some crazy clown at his 4th bday party or something like that, but he wouldn't reveal it. Maybe he just hates the limelight (I almost can't understand that). At any rate, happy big B to my good boy D-man. I wish you many more to come.

Tuesday, Jul 11th 2006 9:12 am	CSNY: Facts
CSNY play good music: True CSNY have a fantastic stage show: False CSNY are old and haggered: True CSNY are affordable for most: False CSNY played in Toronto on Monday night: True Enough of that. I was at CSNY last night and it was... uh, okay. I've seen them before in 2000 so I had a pretty impressive basis for comparison. They didn't live up to it though. Too much political shit. I can't say I would have paid for it. Luckily my brother got us comps which made it a MUCH more enjoyable experience. Floor seats for $265 each!!!

Saturday, Jul 08th 2006 11:45 pm	Marathon-a-thon
I've been in Marathon, Ontario since Thursday. It's pretty far from pretty much everything – a good 12 hours from Toronto, nestled on the North Shore of Lake Superior. The G'friend and I were visiting some friends up there hanging out with Marathoners (?). We hit up National Park Pukaskwa which is actually pronounced 'Pukasa' due to the implication of the word 'skwa' to the native people. Did a little hiking through the bush and had some lunch in a little cove. Didn't see any moose though... Heidi was disappointed. Friday we had a party on the beach with a bunch of people. Somebody even brought down their barbeque - a real-sized barbeque. Great touch. I played some tunez for the fans, and we had more than enough food. The weather today was a little shabby so we just stayed in during the afternoon but tried to catch some of what Neys Provincial Park had to offer. Apparently it was an old POW camp during the Second World War. Pretty cool. I wouldn't want to be a prisoner out there... escapees usually drowned in Superior or wound up dead in the bush from mosquito bites and bears. Good strategy for the military I guess.

Thursday, Jul 06th 2006 8:30 am	My dentist is better than your dentist
Had my filling (yes, I have ONE filling) redone yesterday in Timmins. My mouth was pretty frozen, which is something I haven't felt for a LONG time. Anesthetic is such a cool thing. It's like having part of your body asleep while the rest of it is awake. Well, the original filling was done when I was 7 so it was bound to go. Quick work by Dr. Humphreys (yes, my DAD is my dentist) and I was patched back up. GOOD WORK!!! I got a sticker and everything... Timmins was a little bit different than the last time I visited. There were some new buildings, and some new ones with new names on them, but things haven't changed drastically over the years. I bumped into a few familiar faces... a shout out to the boys at the Q and of course, the lovely ladies at Channel 3. The best thing was just being back a my parents house. We sang karaoke and had some great food on the barbeque. The weather was shit, so unfortunately no outdoorsy stuff. The garden looked great guys!!!

Tuesday, Jul 04th 2006 8:42 pm	Merry Independence Day
Gotta love weddings, especially weddings where the beer is $2 a bottle. Congratulations Blair and Alyssa, the happy couple who got hitched on such a beautiful Saturday up in Mono Cliffs, just North-east of Orangeville. Lots of good people and good food, the weather held out until we were safely inside. The g'friend and I headed off to Bracebridge the next day to visit some pals on Lake Muskoka. Beer tastes so much better when you don't have anything to do... we caught the Sam Roberts show in Bala - great concert. Loved the new songs. I think I'm going to cover the newest single called Bridge to Nowhere. I can pull it off. We headed to Sudbury for the holiday Monday and arrived just in time for my Uncle Dave's deck party. I actually needed to be there because I was playing a set... fun Canada Day music. I hadn't played on a deck next to a lake before - a first for everything I guess. Heading to Timmins today to visit the 'rents. Onward ho...?

Wednesday, Jun 28th 2006 12:13 am	Suck it FACTOR
I applied for a loan from FACTOR (the Foundation to Assist Canadian Talent On Records) for money to help me record an album. It seems like the next logical step, don't you think? I've got a great bunch of songs, I did some work on my EP, my website looks nice, and I'm playing shows of my own music. So, of course, FACTOR denies me again. AGAIN!!! First off, I wasn't good enough to get a lousy $1,000 to produce a freakin' demo on TWO previous occasions. NOW they tell me that after spending my own money on a GREAT demo, they won't even LEND me the money for a full-length release. What's up with that? Apparently, they don't like me. They probably don't like how marketable and mainstream my music is. Or maybe, I haven't lived out of my car, so I'm not deserving. Bullshit. So I say, "Suck it FACTOR", I'm doing it without you. Blow me. Yeah, blow me.

Wednesday, Jun 21st 2006 3:48 pm	Road to Rockstar
I got a call yesterday from this dude from Global telling me about a new show called 'Road to Rockstar' that will be airing on Sunday and again on Wednesday. Apparently, I'm going to featured in it because I auditioned for the series back in March. TV appearances are always good for creating a buzz, so I'm all for it. I hope they don't make me look dumb though... And by the way, I didn't make it to the real show (and I'm allowed to tell you that). When I auditioned, they told me that the concept this year was to find a NEW, up-and-coming SOLO artist and build a band around them. Then, two days after I auditioned, they have a press conference announcing that Tommy Lee and a bunch of old rockers are heading up the 'band' this year and are calling it Supernova. Yeah, perfect band for me, right??? If only they would have let me know BEFORE the audition... maybe I would have changed the songs I performed... or maybe I wouldn't have shown up... At any rate, I got on TV multiple times and that's what counts I guess – even if I didn't make it all the way.

Friday, Jun 16th 2006 3:17 pm	Set List: Underground Garage
This is what I played on Wednesday night: SET 1 - solo set Everything Changed on the Way * Green & Blue Just Friends † Sallinger Sent * This One * SET 2 - with the band Carson's Grove Whistlin' A Tune Chariot † Mrs. Carter The Last Thing I Don't Wanna Be † Bailee featured Matt on keyboards featured Beau on keyboards **featured Matt with the Bitch Pedal †song by Gavin DeGraw Thanks to the band - they did a great job. Beau, Ryan, Paul... you guys are the shit. I hope you got shitfaced on me. On to the next gig! Pictures and video coming soon...

Thursday, Jun 15th 2006 1:28 pm	NXNE Report
Now that my show with the new band has come and gone, and I've got a few seconds to breath between projects, I thought it would be a great time to give you the rundown on my North by Northeast experiences last weekend... but first, THANKS TO EVERYBODY WHO CAME OUT TO THE GIG LAST NIGHT!!! Here 'tis: THURSDAY, JUNE 8 9 p.m. Chris Koster - hosted by the Agency Group, this artist was a shock-rocker type, very goth, and at the end of the show he raped his guitar... no joke 10 p.m. Hello Operator - headed over to the Rivoli for this group who just finished their tour opening up for Hillary Duff. Apparently it was pretty random too because they don't have an album yet. Good sound and great keyboard player. 11 p.m. Julian Taylor from Staggered Crossing - making an appearance sans band Julian's acoustic set was stellar to say the least. Great songwriter. 1 a.m. Tacoma Hellfarm Tragedy - band from Guelph, didn't really dig it. Ended up going over to the Beaver Cafe with Brennan and had a few beers. Where was I at midnight? Still drinking at the Crystal Room. FRIDAY, JUNE 9 10 p.m. D. Rangers - from straight outta Winnipeg, this 5-piece bluegrass outfit had their shit together and played some fun, down-home tunes. Made me want to marry my sister. 11 p.m. Spiral Beach - why do people perform in their bare feet? I know Robert Plant did it, but what's up with 4 teenagers from North York doing it? This group was the updated B52s with more of a Metric feel to them. Cool, but weird in a queer sort of way. Cute lead singer though... 12 p.m. Shad K - deciding to stick around at the Drake for another Paquin act, me and the g'friend took in this London, ON, hip-hop artist do a tight set with a full band backing him up. Cool shit G. SATURDAY, JUNE 10 9 p.m. Hunter Valentine - this Toronto group got the early slot, but managed to pack the house. Quiet crowd, but I think that made it even more unique. I love lesbians. 10 p.m. Rocketface - Paul made this choice (of course), but I was intrigued by the name... who in hell would name their band Rocketface? Well, I found out. It was a group of guys who play some pretty hard rock. 11 p.m. The Mission District - bumped into A. Austin at this show, out supporting a friend of his from the big Idol scam. I was at a party once and a guy came up to me and said "You're from the Mission District, right?" Sure, I kinda look like the lead singer, but I'm better looking. 12 p.m. La Rocca / Light City Fiction - it's great having clubs so close to each other. Paul wasn't into the Irish so much (although I thought they were down... it's just that Healey's has the WORST ventilation in the city), so we went over to see another act at Holy Joe's. Good band outta Calgary. 1 a.m. Galore - we decided to stay local and catch a local act with some friends (shout out to Amanda and Brittany). They were solid but freakin' loud. Home time. ADDED BONUS SOCAN's Songwriter's in the Round Presentation This presentation featured John Angus and Colin MacDonald from the Trews who kicked off the set with an acoustic version of 'So She's Leaving'. Awesome. Other artists were Jose Contreras (from By Divine Right), James Bryan (from The Philsopher Kings), and DB Clifford.

Tuesday, Jun 13th 2006 11:30 am	Eight seconds left in overtime...
The Fray concert was good but had a few negatives: 1) Feedback. What's up sound guy??? Are you deaf. 2) Deaf Sound Guy. What's up sound guy??? Don't run the mix for your deaf ass – there are children in the audience!!! I put napkins in my ears for the whole show and heard it fine. Good set. The opening act was not lesbian enough for me. I like hardcore lesbians or no lesbians at all.

Thursday, Jun 08th 2006 10:42 am	NXNE Stand-by
Apparently if some American act gets busted at the border, I'll be getting a call. Not enough time to really get people out to my show, but at least it'll be a show. Hell, I probably won't get called anyway, but there's still a chance... Looking forward to catching some great acts this year. I haven't even gone over the schedule, but I'm sure I'll find something good. I've got to register tonight so that I don't have to do that tomorrow before all the seminars. For the first time, I'll be attending as a delegate so that I can take in the workshops and seminars. I'm looking forward to meeting some interesting folk, and maybe even passing out my package to the right person. As far as I'm concerned, every bit of networking that I can do will be beneficial for my career at this point. I've put in a new Flash Music Player on my music page. This way, you guys can't download my MP3s and listen to them. You have to come here! I am SUCH a good businessman. Maybe I should start selling CDs? Nah.

Sunday, Jun 04th 2006 6:12 pm	Ken to the O-R-A
Never in my entire life did I think I'd ever visit Kenora. Growing up in Timmins, you realize that small Northern Ontario towns aren't the focal point of recording artists when they tour. We headed up there on Saturday afternoon for the big show at Club Neptune. The venue was quite large - a lot of pool tables. The people there were cool, and apparently the girls (Bianca and Rosette) had almost 400 people show up for the autograph session. Wild. The day's drive, and the 'do nothing' afternoon allowed me to catch up with the crew and get to know everybody else. That was the funnest part because everybody's from somewhere different. A shout out to Clinton, Darien (get better), Adam H., Jean Luc, JoJo, Shay (sp?), Marquis (you dogg), and of course the lovely Bianca and Rosette. Again, I had a blast making friends with everybody. Hope to keep it going and see all of you in the near future... anybody have a video camera???

Saturday, Jun 03rd 2006 3:22 pm	In the Peg
Last night's show with Bianca was off the hook. We learned earlier that day that the event sold out. Was it ever packed. 6 acts from 10 p.m. until last call - what a great time. I felt good about the set too, and the crowd was loving it. It was pretty neat not having to get up there and sing for three hours, and with Bianca singing away, it made the whole thing go by faster (shout out). Silverado's was the place, and wild women was the occasion. Is it just Winnipeg, or does everybody find it cool to randomly grab guys asses??? I couldn't walk around the bar without getting molested. If the roles were reversed, I'd be in jail. Don't get me wrong, I was flattered... most of the times. I'm not a piece of meat! I'd never been out the the Peg before. I liked it. There are a lot of trees in Winnipeg, and not too many really tall buildings (other than right downtown). Our hotel was in the southern part of the city, so the radio station provided a pimpin limo for us to make our ride smoother. Listen to Hot 103! Thanks Chris Love for making everything go down so smoothly, and thanks Frankie for the ON AIR support. We also paid a visit to Rico and Bubba B over at FLAVA 107.9 for a little acoustic rendition of SOS (Bianca's next single). That was the most stresstful part of the day - playing live on the radio. I guess I feel more comfortable on stage when I can SEE the audience, so being on RADIO makes me a little more nervous. All in all, the first big gig with B was stellar. We'll hopefully be seeing more of each other in the near future.

Tuesday, May 30th 2006 2:15 pm	Sheryl Crow said it right
'Everyday is a winding road' seems to be most accurate for me lately. I've been to more parts of the city that I've never ventured into before... visited Scarlem, hit up Oshawa, did a little exploring in the Junction... interesting to discover parts of the city that were always there but you never really had ANY reason to visit them. Like Regent Park. Brutal. I was going over to Leslieville last week and decided to take Dundas all the way (haha Tom). I never realized just how cracked out Regent Park has been looking lately... geez. City officials really need to get in there and do something. Friday was my first rehearsal with a new drummer named Paul. The guy is quick and does accurate work. We'll be meeting again for a run-through and then I think we'll be good to gig whenever. Got a show coming up on June 14th and then hopefully one on July 28th at a little place on College for some charity action. Used the BBQ a bunch of times over the weekend as well. I just love cooking outside. I need a few new parts for my grill though... is it supposed to burn from the outside??? Sunday was an interesting trek out to GM territory, although I had a bit of a headache... damn those Belgians and their liquid fun!

Wednesday, May 24th 2006 1:42 pm	It's all screams for Teddy
I was at the Opera House last night checking out a new artist named Teddy Geiger. Most of you probably haven't heard of him, but the 400 teenage girls who were at the show know EVERYTHING about this kid. His show was good. His songs are admittedly well-crafted pop numbers. His back-up band was great and the opener was really rockin'. It's a tough industry out there when you've got talented groups like this selling tickets for $12 to go to there shows (mind you, with the ticketmaster fees, it came to about $20 each). Teddy played most of his show sitting down at the piano, and other than a few screw-ups, he did really well for a 17 kid. It shows that he's been playing a non-stop tour for almost a year now. Sometimes I just want to go and 'discover' some kid, and start a band and market the shit out of his youth. The teenage girl market is huge, but people need to remember that it dissipates pretty fast... once they hit 18, they're not interested in teeny-bopper icons anymore... it's all booze and Simple Plan, and Sum 41. If you know of any virtuoso kids out there who just need a helping hand, either with their writing, or their style, get in contact with me... so I can make a million bucks as their producer/manager.

Monday, May 22nd 2006 4:32 pm	Damn Weather
I'm glad I didn't rent a cottage this weekend. What a waste of money that would have been. Had a party at my place yesterday... to celebrate the weekend AND the purchase of my slightly used natural gas BBQ. It worked really well, and there were about 20 people here for the event. Good times. Friday I appeared on an Internet Radio program called Staircase Wit, hosted by a guy named Shawn Roy. The program aired on natradio.com. I'm not sure if there's a listenership there at all, but it was quite cool to do radio again. It has brought forth an idea that I've had for awhile. I want to do a radio show! More details to come I think... Saturday was a great lounging day. Not much happened other than my BBQ repair and catching up on missed SOPRANOS episodes. Are they at episode 11 yet? God I'm going to miss it when it's gone.

Tuesday, May 16th 2006 12:02 pm	Allison is so Metro
Just a little thing that appeared in the May 10th Metro Newspaper Name: Allison Lawrence Age: 22 Occupation: Student Intern Subway stop: Yonge and King streets Allison Lawrence is working on completing her internship in communications. A postgraduate student at Centennial College, Lawrence received her degree from the University of Toronto in history and Canadian studies. Unsure of attending Teachers College, a friend connected her to the communications industry. This resettled Vancouverian also volunteers her time on the University of Toronto’s alumni as a board member and enjoys hitting the city’s summer patios. Content by Enza Supermodel. Find the official article here.

Monday, May 15th 2006 11:49 pm	Okay, saw it.
They posted the ad on the Steelback website today (www.steebackbrewery.com). Here's the link: Matt's Steelback Commercial

Monday, May 15th 2006 11:54 am	Kick Back with a Steelback
So, I was at the track on Saturday night with some of my buddies, enjoying the horses and the fantastic buffet in the Woodbine Club (thanks T), when I got a phone call from the g'friend. Apparently, after much waiting, they have decided to start airing the Steelback beer commercial that I shot in February at the 'Forget About It Supperclub' which has since closed. Didn't really expect it, but it finally showed up on TV. I still haven't seen it, so let me know if you thought I looked good. The races didn't net me any coin, but it did turn into a fun time with the crew afterwards as we headed back to our hood to enjoy the Toronto nightlife. Nobody can find cheap parking downtown like I can - $2.45 all night. You can't do better than that in the entertainment district. Sunday offered some time for me to catch up on the Sopranos episodes that I've missed. I wish I had TMN, but also wish that it was free... I've just been downloading the episodes and watching them at home on my computer. When are they just going to put TVs and computers together? They might as well do it now since they've already combined MP3 players with cellphones and digital cameras.

Friday, May 12th 2006 12:17 pm	Biancaworld.com
So, I'm playing a show in Winniipeg with the beautiful and talented Bianca. You've probably heard her on the radio lately... she's got a couple of singles getting some decent rotation on FLOW and Z103 (that I know of). Cool chick, check her out: www.biancaworld.com What am I doing at Bianca's show you might ask?? I'm the guitar player. 12 years of piano lessons and a Music Degree in Voice and I'm now the guitar player. Love it. I'm working on the songs right now actually, and I think I need to go and buy a Line 6 POD so I can make my acoustic guitar sound like an electric (sounds weird but it works). Stay tuned for more dates in the Tour section.

Thursday, May 11th 2006 1:12 am	Bukkake Katholic
Yes, they're a band and I saw them play last night. The best part about this band is that it's fronted by two chicks, one of whom is actually hot. I've always dug chicks who play guitar, which is why I'd like the G'friend to try something out. Hot. For those of you who actually know what Bukkake is, you'll understand my hesitation in going to see the band. I think they said something like "Stand back ladies! We're cumming on!", right before they started their set. It was classic. If you don't believe me, visit their website at www.bukkakekatholic.com I'm sure it'll be a blast.

Wednesday, May 10th 2006 11:12 pm	New Gigs
Well, I'm still hoping to get a slot during NXNE, but let's not get our hopes too high. If it happens, it happens. I am however playing a show at an industry showcase called Priveleged Play put on by some great guys that just want to make music happen. It's all going down Wednesday, June 14th. I'm also in talks to get a big Charity gig happening in the month of July. It'll be with some friends who are walking in The Weekend to End Breast Cancer. Yeah, I'm a big breast supporter alright. The other gig I'm trying to hook up is one at C'est What? which is at Front and Church Streets downtown. That'll be kinda cool. I'll need to recruit an opening act for that show, so let me know if you've got something interesting to do and I'll consider putting you on stage (to D-man... no, I won't let you recite pornographic poetry).

Friday, May 05th 2006 11:15 pm	Happy Cinquo de Mayo
I think that's how you spell it. I'm not Mexican, but I DO know that it's a Mexican Holiday, so the G'friend and I decided to enjoy some latin food and pretend. We went to this new place called Johny Banana at Queen and Bathurst. I had just read a review of it so it seemed fitting. The atmosphere was bright and lively and the menu looked great. A lot of different juices and smoothies, as well as some great appetizers. We continued to look through the menu, but to our dismay we couldn't find the Marguerita list! What's up with a Mexican place without Marguerita's? I was flabbergasted. The waiter explained that they didn't have their liquor license yet, and that he would completely understand if we left. Well, we didn't leave, and am I ever happy at that. Fantastic food albeit that they've got a few things to sort out with the timing. It was about 80% full in there, so I can just imagine how crazy it's going to be when they start making sangria. Hmmm...sangria....

Tuesday, May 02nd 2006 9:21 am	It's BBQ time
I bought a Natural Gas BBQ on Sunday night from this guy in North Toronto. Where's North Toronto? Well, I think the official definition is north of Eglinton Ave. but south of the 401... as soon as the you cross the 401 I think it becomes North York. Some people say it's still Forest Hill, but that's just people who want to say they live in Forest Hill but REALLY live in North Toronto. Anyway, the BBQ was only $20 because of the hassle of dismantling it. The guy really didn't even need the $20 which was pretty evident from the BMW in his driveway. It worked for the 10 seconds that he had it on, and I hope to have it cleaned up and ready for the weekend. Yippee. On another purchase note, I am also the proud owner of a dishwasher. Doing dishes will never be the same!!! It's one of those portable ones that you roll up to your sink. It's in great shape, and as far as I can see, it works fine. Unfortunately for me, when I went to hook up the new aerator on my kitchen faucet, it broke off and now I need a new kitchen faucet. I tried taking it off... and after 2 HOURS I gave up. I'm going to Home Depot today on my lunch break to figure out what the hell I'm doing wrong. Plumbers rule the world.

Monday, May 01st 2006 3:30 pm	May already?
May. It's May and I need something to happen and it's gotta be big. This week I'm going to firm up some gig plans for the summertime. I've been put on the 'Stand-by' list for North by Northeast which is cool, but other than that, I don't have much in the way of live appearances scheduled. Stay tuned though because I'm getting impatient. Good things come to those who wait, but better things come to those who work their asses off (famous quote I think). The Beau moved yesterday. Great place too. I lived there for 4 years and always had positive experiences. He has now purged himself of all the crap that he had accumulated over the years. Good move I think. Starting from scratch allows you to really evaluate things that you'll need and use. I recommend purging yourself of all the useless shit that you have. The Beau leads by example and also likes to rant about stuff. Check out The Beau online at www.beauhumphreys.com

Wednesday, Apr 26th 2006 9:23 am	Jackie's in Greece
I just got a fat email from my friend Jackie who's been in Greece for a month. Apparently people think it's okay to send 198 pictures attached to an email... have you heard of an online photo album? Anyways, good pics of Jackie, and some good pics of Greek people and landscapes. Here is my montage from the slew of visuals that crossed my desk.

Monday, Apr 24th 2006 4:55 pm	The Stampede Ranch
Went to the Stampede Ranch in Guelph on Saturday. It's a huge saloon (country themed) a little north of the city and it was packed. On top of that, the cover was practically nothing and the drinks were cheap. I went with the g'friend and a bunch of her friends from back home (boonies). The occasion? Lisa's birthday. Why did Lisa choose the Stampede Ranch? Probably because of the casual attitude of the place, the lack of pretentious people, and the sensible prices on food and booze. Now, don't get me wrong. I enjoy pretentious places most of the time, but sometimes you just wanna let loose and put on your cowboy hat. I disagreed with the wearing of sandals or flip-flops, but aside from that, the women were well-dressed and plentiful. I encourage any group of guys who have an ounce of fashion sense to check it out. Also, the Stampede Ranch is home to the biggest plates of nachos I've ever scene for $9. They weren't very good, but for the size and the fact that most people are half hammered when they eat them, they were acceptable. Nothing compared to Texas or Arizona though...

Sunday, Apr 23rd 2006 9:45 pm	Weekend Report
Well, after Wednesday night's ridiculously loud Billy Talent concert, it was hard to concentrate on typing an entry in this thing. I did have a good time, but the Horseshoe may not be the best venue to take in hardcore punk. The ceilings are low, the music is screaming, and my ears were ringing the next day. Heidi and I went out for Chinese after and I got some stellar almond-crusted chicken at Rol San. Superb. Funny thing about that night... the fortunes I got at Rol San were pretty funny, and pretty eerie at the same time. Check them out underneath the Billy Talent flyer:Thursday continued with a few drinks at Bryden's with Nigel and Al, then on to Friday and dinner with The Mathias and his fiance SJ. Good restaurant that Tabule (Yonge and Davisville). Check it out if you're into middle-eastern food. Then we headed off to the Elmo but never made it in. Apparently it was an all-ages event and wasn't that good. Had a few pints at the Red Room. Good atmosphere there, and cheap. Sat & Sun were equally busy... but that'll have to be another entry in this thing. Stampede Ranch in Guelph, dinner in Orillia, planted some grass (the real kind). Geez.

Tuesday, Apr 18th 2006 8:17 am	I love Billy Talent
Yeah! Billy Talent! Well, I actually do like Billy Talent, but I'm not a ridiculous fan. They've won three Juno Awards, and for guys from Streetsville, that's pretty damn good. I think their songs are great - punk/rock but still hooky, and Ben's voice is really wild. So, why am I talking about Billy Talent? Well, I get to interview them tomorrow (only three questions really) before their exclusive show at the Horseshoe Tavern where they'll be playing material from their new album. I won a contest. Pure and simple. Sometimes it's just luck.

Thursday, Apr 13th 2006 10:30 am	Happy Birthday to me!
Yes, it's my birthday today and I'm not telling you how old I am. Last night I watched Jarhead and it was exactly like Pawel told me this summer - not too much actual war going on. Just a whole bunch of running around the desert. As far as the realism, I'm sure it was pretty par for the course. Wasn't Desert Storm over in a few weeks? Heading down to the Drake tonight to celebrate, so drop by and have a drink with me. I'll be in the lounge at around 9 p.m. My gig on Tuesday was fun. It felt good playing solo again... and it was all my own music (with the exception of one Gavin tune). C'est What was very open to having me in again, so stay tuned for an upcoming date. The headliner, Jon Brooks, was really good, playing a bluesy/folk style of Bruce Springsteen meets Leonard Cohen songs. Enjoyed his set. Going to enjoy the Raptors game on Friday too. Mike P has come up with some tickets and granted me the permission to accompany him. It'll be a busy Good Friday 'cause Paul's coming over to do my colour - dirty blonde is the word people. Dirty Blonde.

Sunday, Apr 09th 2006 11:22 pm	Tyler's Famous
I was reading the Now Magazine today and saw my friend Tyler, the posterboy for one of the coolest little joints in the city, the Underground Garage. Click here to see the scan from the paper. I dig the Underground–it has a bohemian vibe about it that really appeals to me. It also has beer on tap which appeals to me even more... and D-man seems to dig it for the scenery, which appeals to him. I was at a cool club last night called the Laurentian Room. My friend John works there and recommended it for something unique. They have a short exotic burlesque show at 11:30 every Saturday night... really good. There was a gymnast that twirled around on one of those large rings. She was impressive, and how many bars do you see that have hanging gymnast rings from their ceilings?? Made the $10 mojito not as shocking. Getting ready for my gig on Tuesday. Be there.

Saturday, Apr 01st 2006 12:07 pm	Enjoying South Beach
After a successful convention in Austin, TX, representing the Frederick Harris Music Company, it was off to Miami for me to take a little vacation with the g'friend. Got to town on Wednesday night and proceeded to our little boutique hotel called the Penguin, situated right on Ocean Drive in the heart of SoBe. Having a fantastic time to far-enjoying some great weather (it's 28 degrees right now) and soaking in the culture. Hit up a bar last night called the Clevelander after some good dinner at Cafe Med. Wandered along the strip and ended up in Mango's Tropical Cafe, a venue of live music and cabaret dancers that doubled as waitresses. Drinks were a little pricey, but we managed. The one thing I don't like about Miami is that gratuities are included in the bill at most restaurants. This sets up a bad situation for servers since they really don't have to give you good service to get their 15% (at some places it's 17%). Going to hit the beach in a few and will probably hook up with some friends tonight, maybe a club down in the Key Biscayne. Heidi's out shopping right now... I hope we still have money left for the rest of the vacation. Cheers.

Wednesday, Mar 29th 2006 12:28 pm	Austin without a cowboy hat
I'm leaving Austin in a few minutes, and I didn't even manage to pick up a cowboy hat. Most of my days were really busy, and the Hilton wasn't too close to the shopping district. In any case, I did manage to hit up 6th street EVERY NIGHT that we were there. Austin is pretty unique that way. There's one street that has ALL of the nightlife... well, I can't say that is has ALL the nightlife, but pretty close. We ended up at a club called Nuno's on Saturday with some entourage, and caught part of the Joe's act. Joe was playing some mean blues guitar, and we really enjoyed it. Turns out he is from Montreal! Came back every night after that... on Sunday I went there twice with two different groups... I can't even guess what the bartenders were thinking. Thanks to all the folks who I hooked up with while in Texas. These conventions are so much fun when you can enjoy the company of old friends while making new ones. A shout out to Buff, Isaac, Olivia, Charmaine, Wendy, Erin, Pete, two-drink TA, Kelli, Vicky, C-Mac, Mandy, and everybody I missed.

Thursday, Mar 23rd 2006 9:44 am	Going to Miami...Trainspotting
Well, not immediately... I'm going to Austin, TX first and then off to Miami next Wednesday. This may impede my blobbing to all 4 of you who read this, so bare with me. I'm kinda pissed that I missed SXSW by a week, but them's the breaks. I'll have to deal with it and just see a little bit of the aftermath. Caught a great play at UofT last night starring a friend of mine, Brenhan McKibbon. It was a theatrical version of Trainspotting, about heroin junkies living in Scotland. It was really fucked up. Intensely depressing, and full of crass language, nudity, drinking, and smoking. Just the kind of stuff that the world needs more of. Fantastic. Some people went to the Coldplay concert, but that was shite compared to Trainspotting. It runs until Saturday so check it out. Click here.

Sunday, Mar 19th 2006 11:41 pm	St. Patrick's Day
St. Paddy's came and went for me this year. This is the first St. Patrick's Day in 6 years that I didn't play a gig or two. Usually, I'm up there singing away, but I decided that not only was I not going too the Irish thing anymore, but I'm trying to stay away from doing pub shows. I don't miss not playing on St. Paddy's – it's quite relieving not to have to deal with the rampant drunkards that usually cross my path... but the money will be missed. I usually pulled in about $1,000 for the day, which probably doesn't come as a surprise to anybody who's EVER been to an Irish pub on March 17th. Even on a Tuesday it's jammed to the tits with people...AT 10 O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING. This week was a good one for seeing family. My uncle Dave was down on business so he stayed at my place on Wednesday night. While he was over, I got a call from my cousin Keenan who was coming to the big smoke on Thursday and needed a place to crash. Since the H&M hostel is always open for business, I accepted the booking. Always great when you can start paying your family back for the OODLES of times that you borrowed there couches and ate their food. Adulthood is good that way I guess. Keenan was in town for a few TV auditions, one for a supporting role on a new project, and the other was for CTV's Instant Star (by the same company that briings you Degrassi). I heard from the Beau however that when Keenan showed up for the audition, they told her that they changed their minds on the type of person that they were going to cast in the role... and she didn't fit in the age range. What a fucking waste of time and money...you think they would have called her BEFORE she went all the way up to North York. Geez. If you're a Saddleclub fan, you'll know who Keenan is. Check it out.

Wednesday, Mar 15th 2006 3:30 pm	ET Canada
I was on ET Canada yesterday for 10 seconds. Rick Campanelli (sp?) interviewed me – good guy. There's an example of someone who really worked hard to get where he is now. But back to me... I can't say I liked the framing (I think I looked fat), but the fact of the matter is, I do have a little winter love around the edges if you know what I mean. Working on that though, and hopefully I'll be in better shape by the time I hit the beaches of Miami at the end of the month. Me and the GF are heading to South Beach for a well-deserved week of fun in the sun. Why was I on TV you might ask? Well, they're holding auditions for Rockstar: The Series, and I showed up. It was a bunch of fun. The Horseshoe is such a good venue too – a lot of musical history in that place. All of the crew are so cool, and Tara Sloane is HOT. Really hot actually. Will I be on TV again today? I hope so... I wore something a little more flattering...

Thursday, Mar 09th 2006 12:25 pm	Usually I'm not so Conservative
Attended a fundraiser for the Provincial Conservatives last night. Interesting group of people. My friend Tyler knows a few of them already, and that's how we got the opportunity to head out to the East Beaches to the home of Gord and Kathie Baker. Wonderful hosts, the evening went a little longer for Tyler and I as we enjoyed not only the company of these fine people, but attempted to make an even larger dent in the plenty of wine and food that graced us. But I move on... Met one of the Toronto Blue Jays' former pitchers, Paul Spoljaric, a good guy now works in Mississauga heading up a company call Champion Flooring (www.championflooring.ca). We talked a little about television, the challenges of making a career in Sports vs. the Arts, and a little bit about the Jays' rebranding activities after their acquisition by Rogers. The most powerful conversation however came from the Conservative Party members and their dislike for our Premier Dalton McGuinty. I don't like McGuinty either, but the Conservatives are passionate about not liking McGuinty. Go John Tory!

Tuesday, Mar 07th 2006 9:22 am	Canadian Music Week
Well, I had a pretty good Canadian Music Week. Although I didn't get a showcase spot, I was able to schmooze a little at the Indies, and catch great show with KT Tunstall. That kicked off an interesting week that saw me pick up a show on Friday night with an up-and-coming pop artist named Biance. I answered a posting on Craigslist, and the next thing I know I'm auditioning at the Royal York on Thursday in Bianca's Hotel Room. Pretty cool track too – the title track from her album that drops today called 'All I Ever Wanted'. I played guitar and Bianca sang. There was a backing track so it wasn't just the two of us. Anyway, I had a great time and the audience loved it. Thanks Bianca! That performance was followed by another up-and-comer named Rosette. We stuck around the whole night, chatting with the dancers and crew, and caught some great performances by Jeff Martin (of the Tea Party) and the classic sounds of Mike Reno and Loverboy. Great sfuff. The rest of the weekend was somewhat uneventful until Monday when I attended a 'Date with a Demo' at Long and McQuade on Bloor West. It wasn't too long of a trek for me, so I thought I'd check it out. This type of thing is great for aspiring songwriters, and I wanted to go because the panel consisted of producer/writer Blair Packham, and singer/songwriter Andy Kim (of 'Rock Me Gently' fame). I got there pretty early but still didn't make the cutoff for demo submissions. The workshop was still really insightful, and eye-opening to say the least. Some of the submissions were okay, and most were totally shit. I can't say I wasn't surprised though... if they would have all been great, I'm sure I'd have no chance of making it in the industry because EVERYBODY would be a songwriter.

Thursday, Mar 02nd 2006 12:03 pm	KT Kicks Ass
After making an appearance at the Canadian Independent Music Awards at the Docks with the Beau and the g'friend, we met up with Ashley and headed over to what MY main attraction of the night was – my new replacement for Hillary Duff, the fabulous KT Tunstall. This was her first ever North American appearance, and it was a great one in a great venue (Mod Club Theatre). The Indies were quite entertaining as well. The Beau scored VIP passes which entitled us to hang out in the smoke-filled VIP level overlooking the peasants below (sorry peasants). Jian Ghomeshi presided, and we got to see a few REAL semi-celebrities like Chris and Jay from Sloan, Tara Sloane from the now defunk Joydrop (and Rockstar INXS), and a big award presented to the Parachute Club (and a performance from them) 23 years after they got together as a band. I also bumped into my buddy Josh who's now working for the new MTV Canada, officially launching on March 21st. Back to KT, she's awesome, and so hot. Her music is real and honest–and this is just the tip of the iceberg. I'm sure this'll be one of those concerts where you say "Yeah, I saw her back in 2006 at the Mod Club..." Speaking of the Mod Club, that Mark Holmes is a smart cookie. I guess musicians really do make the best club bookers. He brings in some really good artists to that place – a lot of them brits who really aren't big here yet. I saw the Kaiser Chiefs there, Pilate, Boy, Peter Elkas, Low Millions (opening for Vanessa Carlton) and a few others. Check out www.kttunstall.com for more info.

Wednesday, Mar 01st 2006 2:43 am	New Demo Room Track
Well, it's about time that I record Chariot by Gaving DeGraw. I've been wanting to do it for awhile... but something has always come in the way. I think it sounds good. First take, recorded with a stereo pair straght-up in the home studio. It's got a little bit of reverb, but other than that it's absolutely live and real. Check it out.

Monday, Feb 27th 2006 10:37 pm	The Fray cancelled
I had been getting myself primed for the past few weeks to see this band called The Fray, but then when I visited their myspace, I found out they were cancelling their show. I couldn't find that info anywhere on Ticketmaster nor could I find it on their own site, so I thought there might be hope yet. But it didn't happen. The Fray have rescheduled for June, but it's too late. They'll be huge by then and it'll be just like going to any overcrowded show. I quite enjoy going to see live acts that no-one knows about. I've done that numerous times and it's really paid off. I did that with Train, John Mayer, Joss Stone, Kaiser Chiefs, and a few others that I can't recall at this moment. It's a much more effective experience when you can actually get to within 20 feet of the stage. You really feel like you're a part of the music, and as a musician, it's really important for me. Check out thefray.net for more information.

Sunday, Feb 26th 2006 4:05 pm	Lux (without an 'e')
First there was Loft. I thought it was cool... but apparently, George Khabouth didn't and redesigned it to look like a 1970s porno movie with Tony Montana in it. I was at LUX on Friday night with some good friends... T-Mac, AJ, the Beau, the G-friend and some of her buds (Sam, Simon)... enjoying the scenery on some loungy couches and Barcelona stools. It's a King West joint, a little past the rest of the action that surrounds Brant St., on the west side of Bathurst. It's a little bit of an upscale joint, with the crowd's median age around 38 or so. Needless to say, we were a little bit younger than everybody else. There did happen to be a few younger models that I'd previously seen at shows that my friend Lisa's been in... but I didn't know them enough to talk to them. The service at Lux was at times slow, but I didn't mind that as much as the beers for $6.75 – there should be a law against that... really. I was drinking Kronenberg 1664, an imported beer from France. Now, to give a little perspective to the situation, drinking Kronenberg in France is like drinking Labatt Blue here. It's really cheap. How they trick us into believing that it's a premium beer here is beyond my knowledge. Saturday was a no-show as we decided to ditch our previous plans of attending the design show party at the Gladstone in place of laying around and watching a movie on the Pay-per-view. I was down with that. Going in to the office in a few to finish the jingle I've been working on for the Porcupine Health Unit. Hope to get it done this week!

Friday, Feb 24th 2006 9:42 am	RE-Loaded
Went to the new Second City show last night called 'RE-Loaded'. HIlarious stuff. It was their typical sketch-com, with some improv thrown in, and of course, there was some great political sattire on our new Prime Minister, Stephen Harper. What I like most about live comedy, either something like this or stand-up, is that it's not what people get accustomed to while watching primetime TV and movies. There aren't any 'ratings systems' being used at comedy clubs that prevent the comics from saying or doing certain things. Sure, there are boundaries, but they're pushed to the limit EVERY time I see a new raunchy comic. You can't say fuck on network television. You can say fuck in live comedy as many times as you want. You can talk about WHATEVER topic you want, and the people just eat it up. Why? Because it's different. I'm not entertained anymore by sitcoms. Maybe some people are, but not me. The only shows I watch on TV that would be considered 'comedy' are The Simpsons and Family Guy – and THEY don't have the physical limitations that regular sit-coms have considering they have real people in them. Check out the show, it was well worth the complimentary tickets that I received for being such a good boy. They serve beer there are the new Second City theatre you know.

Tuesday, Feb 21st 2006 11:35 am	Chicago Tribune
I never expected it, but I got quoted in yesterday's Chicago Tribune. It inspired me to do a bunch of updates on the site too! I've uploaded a bunch of new pictures, and made a page with the Tribune article that you can visit from the MEDIA page. It's actually a pretty good article, listing a bunch of really famous singers who got cut at early stages of competitions like Canadian Idol. My interview with Phil wasn't too long ago either... good work Phil! Keep your eyes open for another TV appearance, coming soon.

Saturday, Feb 18th 2006 7:13 am	I drive an SUV! (for now...)
Well, my parents are going on a 3-week cruise of the Pacific, heading over to Hawaii for most of the trip. It's been a few years since they've taken a vacation... so they deserve it. I drove them to Pearson last night in their Honda CRV – and now I get to drive it while they're away! As some of you know, I don't own a car, but that's slowly driving me crazy. I think this may be the catalyst for me though. I'll have a car for almost three weeks and I just KNOW that I'll get so used to having one and I'll want to get one by the time they get back. Maybe I'll just forget to pick them up at the airport... nah... I don't think I'll do that... they'd get pissed. I got my parents tickets to the Lord of the Rings musical last night. They just loved it. It's four freakin hours long though... so you have the REALLY love musical theatre (or just be a big Lord of the Rings nerd). Apparently the most popular character is Smeigel (sp?). He's the little screwed-up dude who creepily says "Oh, precious..." Yeah, you know who I'm talking about. I think I'll go in a few months. It's still in previews right now, but supposedly it's really great nonetheless. Heading to the T-Mac's partay tonight. Gonna be a great time but it'll be an early night for me cause I've got a big day tomorrow. I'll keep ya posted.

Wednesday, Feb 15th 2006 11:12 am	V-DAY
Valentine's Day was yesterday, and my brother pointed out that he couldn't remember the last time he saw so many losers on the subway carrying bouquets. Why do flowers have to be reserved only for V-Day? Why can't they be everyday things? I like to grab flowers every once in awhile for my g-friend. She likes it, and it makes more of a difference when the person's not expecting it. I know I may be raising the bar for some guys, but I turn V-day into V-week. I start 6 days before V-day and give a little gift to the g-friend every day leading up to the big one. I'm sure I didn't invent this, but it makes it a little less conventional like all the once-a-year losers on the subway. Once on V-day, I borrowed a buddy's car and drove the girl I was seeing to Niagara-on-the-Lake for a fancy dinner. It was a really nice place, and considering we were 20 at the time, I think the girl was impressed... but we broke up a few weeks after that, so maybe it wasn't that impressive! The 'go big or go home' rule doesn't really apply to things like Valentine's Day. I think really putting thought into what you do or what you say for the person you're with is the most important thing. So, I leave with a toast to the V!

Monday, Feb 13th 2006 11:09 am	What a wild weekend
Well, it started out with a kick-ass show at the Opera House. A few opening bands later, and we got a full-on amazing Trews show that just killed. Heidi and I were about 10 feet from the stage (as I always like to be at the Opera House – Train, John Mayer, Joss Stone in days past). That Colin MacDonald really does have vocal chords of steel. I can't believe that guy's voice – simply amazing. That next day continued with a little shopping with the Beau... seems Beau gets a great deal on Rockport shoes and also HAD to get himself a bad mofo leather jacket. Why doesn't Beau have one already? Only he can tell you. Then the ultimate shopping experience happened: Beau and I went to the Maple Leaf Square Condo store and got a bunch of info on one of the most hyped locations in the city. Still a little early for the Beau to get himself a condo, so we passed on the idea and went our merry ways. Went out to the Queen's Head with my buddy Mike and spent a few hours taking in the atmosphere and sipping on some pops. Joined T-boy, D-man, and we jetted over to Sweaty Betty's for a few more before I headed back home. Apparently I made it there because I woke up in my bed... and had to head up North for a little birthday lunch. Felt like ass, but I made it through. Napped a little and woke up for Grey's Anatomy. Back to the grind we go...

Friday, Feb 10th 2006 7:01 am	What a great show! Thanks everybody...
The crowd was fantastic last night and the show went off without a hitch. We were kinda pressed for time in the beginning so we had to cut one song out of our set, but it worked out. We started at 8 p.m. and were off at 8:45. The main act was fantastic and we stayed around until the end of the night. Got a lot of kudos from the crowd and made a whole bunch of money for the charity as a 'Silent Auction Item'. Really cool. I haven't received the 'official numbers', but I think this event raised over $80,000 for Princess Margaret Hospital. Wow. Thanks to the new band! Ryan on bass, Eli on drums, and Beau on keys. Looking forward to the next show... great job guys!

Saturday, Jan 28th 2006 11:28 am	My friend Ian on TV!
So, if you watched HGTV on Friday night you probably saw my friend Ian on 'Design Match'. It's a show where designers create a room and then two teams of contestants have to recreate the same room in their own spaces with only 10% of the budget. It's a pretty neat concept and the show looked great. Ian was cool and collected throughout and I'm sure he'll get some good work out of it. Apparently they said that the whole room cost him $50,000 to do which blew me away. The couch alone was $12,000! The rug was $4,000? Ian – remind me NOT to let you go shopping for me. If anybody knew (I really didn't but I found out), it was Australia day on Thursday. That's kinda like our Canada day here, but the Aussies celebrate in January because that's their summer over there. A few of my friends and I celebrated Australia day by drinking a few pops and being a little bit silly (you know who you are). One more thing – Canadian Tire rocks!

Sunday, Jan 22nd 2006 2:10 am	A little stuffy today
Feeling like I've got a cold coming into my life soon... I'm going to start warding it off now with a little bit of TLC. I rarely get sick anymore which is good. I usually keep a healthy regimen of great food and regular exercise (is once a week regular?), so my immune system is in good shape. I think it also has a lot to do with the fact that I lived in a 'slightly dirty' frat house for 4 years – that really helps with building a strong body that is resistant to disease. I think that time has also contributed to my life by taking away the need for regular sleep...but we'll get into that another time. Speaking of frat guys, I met up with a whole bunch of friends last night down at a bar called WIDE OPEN. They were celebrating their 3rd anniversary and it was wild. The big hoopla was mostly over the fact that they had an OPEN BAR between 9 – 12 p.m. Can't keep me away from that action. I took my fellow idol reject Jenn there once for some pints during our Top 32 week with Ian and Bobby (frat guys). We had a good time – great weather that night. We'd been over on the patio at Bymark first with my friend Dave who just moved to London (England) after spending 4 months in New York. They'd just played the episode where Jenn runs around in her pyjamas looking for her group, so she was the butt of a few jokes that night. It was pretty funny. Had a productive practice with the guys yesterday (Elijah - drums, Ryan - bass, Beau - keys). We got through almost our entire setlist. Only two more weeks before the big show at the Capitol!

Wednesday, Jan 18th 2006 8:18 am	Band Practice
Got together with my new drummer last night to work on some tunes. He's a good kid and works hard (when he's able to). Our target 'first gig' together along with my new bass player and keyboard player is February 9th at the Capitol Theatre on Yonge St. It should be a blast. I got an email yesterday saying that we'll probably have to start earlier than originally planned which is cool. A lot less pressure on the guys when the crowd's a little light. I think we're kicking off our set at 8:10 p.m. and we'll be done before 9 for sure. Liberty Silver goes on right after us and is well-worth staying around for. I have also volunteered to be part of the silent auction! No, there won't be 'A Date with Matt' on the auction list, but 'An intimate performance at your next event'. All proceeds go to the Princess Margaret Hospital. The songs we're doing are sounding good... among many covers are 'Bad Day' by Daniel Powter, and 'This is the Last Time' by Keane. We're also playing all of my songs from the demo, and a new one called 'Green and Blue'. Fancy stuff.

Monday, Jan 16th 2006 2:55 am	Welcome to my site... finally
I haven't owned this domain for too long, but it feels like it's been forever since I had anything more than a splash page up. Now you can do a bunch of stuff here and it feels a little more complete. I'll be using the blob on a regular basis but for now I'll make this brief. Welcome to matthumphreys.ca...enjoy!