Ever have one of those days at work where you would give anything just to escape? If you could be transported away magically to that tropical paradise with hammocks, a light breeze & monkey butlers granting all your refreshment needs? Me too… Almost daily.
With some luck, when I’m having a shitty day, I’m often able to plug in the earbuds and put on some music. It’s basically the next best thing for me to actually being on that desert island. The ability of a great record to make me forget that I’m not enjoying myself is amazing. In the spirit of the magic of a “great album” I have to ask y’all about your desert island record. You know that age old question “if you were a castaway on a tropical island and could have only one album to listen to…..”
Recently, on one of those days at work I had the pleasure of putting on one of my recent favorite albums. Big Whiskey & the Groo Grux King – the 2011 release by the Dave Matthews Band. Though they are not everyone’s fave, those of us who do like them tend to like them alot (12 shows for me so far) and this newest record produced by Rob Cavallo is something very special. That day at work I listened to the album 4 times in a row and it had me laughing with joy at great lyrics, air drumming to sweet drum fills and just grinning from ear to ear. I was driving home in an outstanding mood thinking “this has got to be my new desert island album”. I truly thought it had ousted my long standing choice that had been in place for a number of years.
Well, Saturday night (likely Sunday morning) I was at a friend’s place after our show and he happened to put Dark Side of the moon on from front to back and instantly I was brought back to reality. I had flirted with a new girl but In the end, I stuck with the one that has stuck by me and done me right for so long.

So that’s my choice. The Pink Floyd concept album that brings me so much joy. In my opinion best spaced out white guy funk record ever made. Revolutionized music and is absolutely one of the best ‘albums’ from start to end.

Let us know your favorites, the record you just couldn’t live without.
It’s not a decision to be made lightly… You may not be rescued for a while so make it a great one…

G

Vancouver Salutes Randy Ponzio

We were very fortunate to have known Randy and to have shared the stage with him on many occasions, through our involvement with Shore 104.3 Fm and the Sounds Of Summer program. Over the course of two years, we watched Randy win over everyone he came into contact with through his sincerity, his hunger to create and collaborate, and his genuine kindness. Randy was willing to give you the shirt off his back, and would always be the first to lend a helping hand. We also watched as Randy went from a relative unknown and busking the streets of Vancouver, to playing alongside Shad at Live At Squamish, and even a sold-out Commodore Ballroom with Ky-Mani Marley. Randy always kept it real, and it was a pleasure to share a few laughs with him during the two years we knew him.

It goes without saying that it was a shock to the whole music community when we heard of his untimely passing. Tonight, that community is pulling together to pay tribute and to help raise funds for the children that Randy leaves behind. Kyprios, Hey Ocean, and a whole cast made up of Vancouver’s finest musical talent will play the Commodore and celebrate Randy’s life, his music, and his passion for the extended musical family he was such a part of. If you are free this evening, or looking for something to do, then we encourage you to hit up the Commodore and support a great cause, while having a great time.

You can get your tickets right here: http://www.ticketmaster.com/event/1100482E9A214925?crosssite=LN_US:961183:139274

And then sleep in, and save up your energy for our show tomorrow eve at Venue: http://www.ticketweb.ca/t3/sale/SaleEventDetail?dispatch=loadSelectionData&eventId=4123815

Enjoy your weekend friends!

M1

M2′s Top 5 – Feb. 14

I can’t tell you how excited I am for this Saturday.  Its feels like it’s been years since The Matinée last played a show in our home town of Vancouver (it was technically last year….does that count?!).  With that said, I can’t wait to take the stage at VENUE this Saturday Feb. 18 as we play our first show of 2012, and our first show since being signed to Light Organ Records.  At the risk of tooting our own horn just a little too loudly….here are my top 5 reasons why you aren’t going to want to miss this show:

1) New Songs – we have been working so hard over the past few months writing and re-writing new tunes that we can’t wait to play a few of them live.  While the set will definitely include some of our standards (with some new twists!), the opportunity to try out some of these new songs live before we head into the studio will be a ton of fun for us.  Plus, we may just throw in a little surprise to cap off the night….

2) The Washboard Union – formerly Run GMC, these guys are an amazing live act who throw a new spin on Vancouver’s emerging ‘alt-country’ scene.  They’ve just finished a new disc with our good friend GGGarth Richardson, and the legendary Bob Ezrin (Pink Floyd) that promises to catapult them into the next stage of their career.  Just be careful of the guy playing the washboard!

3) Good for Grapes – speaking of emerging bands, these guys are one of the biggest buzz bands in Vancouver right now (and across the country!).  They were just hand picked by the folks in Mother Mother to open up for them at The Commodore Ballroom, and their live show is drawing rave reviews.  They are on first, so be early because you aren’t going to want to miss these guys in action!

4) VENUE – the VENUE is quickly becoming one of the best spots for up and coming bands to play in town, and this will be our first time playing there with The Matinée.  I’ve seen some of my favourite artists there (Grace Potter in Jan. 2011 definitely stands out) and I’ve had the chance to play there a few times with some other bands.  The stage is big, the backdrop is bigger, and the sound is the biggest!  Plus the drinks are always cold

5) Our fans – I know that every band says this, but we literally have some of the most amazing and passionate fans out there.  It’s not just that you are supportive of what we do, but you are all so supportive of live music in general that all of us bands owe you heaps and heaps of gratitude.  We can’t wait to talk with you….we can’t wait to laugh with you….we can’t wait to dance with you (!)…..and we really can’t wait to spend an amazing night with you!  It’s going to be a blast!!!!

Just a reminder, tickets can be purchased HERE.  They may sell out – so do yourself a favour and get them ahead of time.  See ya there!

Matt R. (M2)

The Shore 104 in Vancouver – We must say goodbye to our friends.

If you live in beautiful Vancouver, then you have no doubt heard of little radio station that could – SHORE 104.3 FM. For over 3 years this little independent radio station has been filling Vancouver’s airwaves with the sweet sounds of ‘Roots, Rock & Rhythm’ as they so described it themselves. That meant that when The Matinee were looking to get some airplay for our first record, The Shore were the folks we approached. They were supportive from the get go, putting a couple of our songs into rotation and giving us, and other local independent acts an opportunity to gain exposure and credibility.

Our relationship with the Shore blossomed as they became even more intertwined within the local scene through their Sounds of Summer initiative. We were fortunate enough to participate in the program/contest for two years consecutively, which was integral to our growth and development. We were also able to perform at some amazing events thanks to The Shore, namely at Shorefest on the beaches of English Bay (with Dan Mangan, Yukon Blonde etc), Shorefest in Whistler (with Jim Cuddy/Blue Rodeo), however there were probably at least a dozen more shows that came our way via the station.

The Shore, in partnership with Secret Study, also created the weekly West Coast Music Sessions at the amazing Fairmont Pacific Rim Hotel where we have played again and again, further boosting our fan base. In addition to this, The Shore paired up with VAMS (Vancouver Adaptive Music Society) to help raise funds and their profile, which lead to our involvement in the video they created this year which also featured Chin and Kyprios. They even created a program called ‘Adopt An Instrument’ with a call to all who had old musical gear lying around to donate it to school kids in need.

Over the course of these past few years we have become good friends with the folks down at the station. We were welcome to drop by the station at any time, whether with our guitars and beer, or just beer, and we would often call in from the road to chat with the on-air personalities. The Shore truly was unique in that they wanted to support local roots musicians and create a bond with the community.

So, it was with great sadness that we learned the station, which had recently been sold to radio conglomerate Astral, had locked up shop with all the personnel told they were no longer needed. Astral will no doubt be hiring and rebuilding the station as they see fit, but the days of a community based station, supportive of music like ours are probably over. We all know change is inevitable, but this one happened real quick.

To all our friends at the station, on-air and behind the scenes, and to your significant others, both human and canine, we sincerely thank you for making us a part of the family and for giving us a chance. You’ve been integral to our success, and we wish you all the best in this next stage of your lives. The tides may have rolled out and left you high and dry, but they’ll come rolling back.

Much love,

The Matinee.

M2′s Top 5 – Feb. 8

As well as playing in The Matinee, I’ve had the pleasure of playing with a number of different artists since I first learned to play an instrument, sometimes filling in with other bands and sometimes supporting solo acts.  No matter what the style of music, I always enjoy the opportunity to play with new musicians and interact with other artists on stage and in the studio.  What I find incredible is how difficult it can be for solo artists and singer/songwriters to co-ordinate working with a band of musicians.  It’s easy to take it for granted when you play in a group and you have members who just show up for every gig and rehearsal, but when you’re a songwriter you have the added pressure of potentially dealing with a different guitar player or drummer at every gig and hoping that this new person knows what they’re doing.

I’ve played gigs with certain artists where there isn’t even time for a rehearsal – or I’ve had to show up for a studio session without having played the song before.  It’s a daunting  task as a musician (yet incredibly exciting!), but it must be even more daunting for the solo artist to put that kind of trust in a musician.  All of this makes me respect the multi-instrumentalist/song-writers out there that much more!  These are the artists who not only write and perform their own music, but take it one step forward and record all of the instruments on their albums.  Here’s a look at 5 artists who do just that – write and then sing and record every instrument on their albums:

1) Prince – although there was a time during the Purple Rain era when Prince employed a backing band (The Revolution – who were amazing players!) the majority of Prince’s body of work was recorded by the man himself.  He’s an iconic singer and one of the most under-rated guitar players of the modern era.  Check out his playing on the N.E.W.S album to really get a taste of this guys’ musicianship. 

2) Foo Fighters (Dave Grohl) – while the FF’s are now thought of as one of the best modern rock bands, the Foo Fighter’s debut album was recorded entirely by Dave Grohl himself.  Even certain parts of ’The Colour and the Shape’ – which included input from the band’s original lineup, were re-recorded by Grohl to fit with his vision of the release. 

3) Stevie Wonder – where do you start with Stevie Wonder??  He’s one of the best multi-instrumentalists that the world has even seen….and played all of the instruments on many of his recordings.  With the exception of the horns, Wonder can be heard playing all of the instruments on Superstition – arguably his biggest hit.

4) Lenny Kravitz - while I’m not a fan of much of Kravitz’s new stuff, I love his early albums.  Let Love Rule and Are You Gonna Go My Way are both fantastic records, and both of them feature Kravitz playing many (if not all) of the instruments.  Yes, guitarist Craig Ross is featured on Are You Gonna Go My Way, but outside of his additional guitar work, Kravitz is responsible for capturing all of the amazing sounds on those early albums.

5) Nine Inch Nails (Trent Reznor) - Reznor remains the only official member of NIN, and is responsible for creating a sound that revolutionized much of today’s modern music.  Not only could Reznor play the standard rock instruments (guitar/bass/drums/keys), but his ability to use electronic instruments and processing/sampling helped create a truly unique NIN sound that has inspired countless other bands.

M2

As much fun as it is for us to write and perform our original songs, it’s always fun to play a great cover on stage, it can be pretty fun to play one of the songs you used to rock the air guitar to. It can be cool to take a classic or a relatively obscure song and make it come alive.
In this spirit, here are my top live cover song performances:

Prince – The best of you (Foo Fighters)
On a soaking wet stage in the rain on superbowl Sunday, joined by a team of totally committed band mates and dancers – The legend from Minnesota Prince Rogers Nelson came out and absolutely killed a 5 song set that included a smoking rendition of the Foo Fighter hit.

The Weber Brothers – Dear Prudence (duh)
We were quite fortunate to have the opportunity to share the stage at the Bourbon (Miss that place) with this group of PRO Musicians. Look, chops, substance and a fantastic cover choice with the Beatles tune.
They really made it their own and absolutely milkediut for everything it was worth. Unreal harmonies.

JP Maurice – Dreams (Fleetwood Mac)
Maybe it was that we were in the middle Of a week at an insanely nice resort on a lake at super musician rock & roll summer camp and maybe it was the contents of my water bottle – but this flawless cover of a classic was something special. The entire room stood captivated as a stage full of heavy hitters tackled every part of this tune with perfect feel & vibe.

Dave Matthews Band – Good times bad times (led zeppelin) / All along the watchtower (Bob Dylan) / thank You Falettinme be mice elf (Sly & The Family Stone)
On a Sunday night at the end of summer at the most beautiful venue in the world, the third of three shows in three nights This band decided to show us something special. The Zep cover was awesome. They killed it (Tim Reynolds melted faces with a 64 bar solo where no note went unplayed). They then played a regular cover in their setlist by sending the huge crowd into a frenzy as they closed the set with their version of this Dylan classic full of their own little additions that brought the house down.
As the fourth and final song in their encore they pulled out the classic Sly stone tune that had the crowd singing the chorus (in 3 part harmony) all the way back to the campground. What a show (what was in those chocolates??)

Well, those are some of my favorites – let us know what covers performed live have stuck in your minds over the years!

G

The Hit List!

It’s called Rock ‘n Roll…..deal with it

Hide It Away – Retribution Gospel Choir

White Table – Delta Spirit

How You Like Me Now? – The Heavy

Saint Nothing – Daniel Rossen

Big Wreck – Albatross

Born Alone – Wilco

Workn’ Hard – Retribution Gospel Choir

Empire – Rococode

-Peter

The Weight

The Weight. Such a classic song by the iconic group known simply as The Band. Rick Danko, Garth Hudson, Richard Manuel, Robbie Robertson and Levon Helm were lifers. They lived and breathed music, and stuck it out on the road for a few decades together. If you have ever seen Martin Scorsese’s film ‘The Lat Waltz’, arguably the finest example of rock documentary this side of Spinal Tap, then you will understand what it means to dedicate your life to your passion.

The Wait. Fresh out of high school, Mike and Dave Young and I started playing shows around town with a few other musician friends, and fairly soon we attracted some industry attention. I vividly remember one show at the Media Club where after our set we were approached by two label reps with business cards. One was Mark Kates (former head of Grand Royal Records) and the other was Lyle Chausse from Sony Music. Lyle asked to take us out for lunch that weekend which had each of us giddy with the notion that we were going to get signed to a big record deal that very day. However, after talking about the business and our band with him for over an hour, we quickly realized that this was not to be. Nothing, we learned, was going to be that easy.

So, we kept going. We wrote songs. We fund-raised. We put out albums, and we toured. We had highs like when we were opening for Default at the height of their career, and lows like when we played to a crowd of one 80-yr old drunken local who had urinated on himself in Hamilton after an epic 18 hour drive straight from Thunder Bay.

At the same time, our high school friends Matt Rose, Geoff Petrie and Pete Lemon were busy playing in bands and recording together and following much the same path as we were. They had several bands on the go between them as well as backing other artists in town, and no doubt fought through the same tribulations as Mike, Dave and I.

And whether it was fate, or simply due to the fact that we all believed in what we had to offer musically, we combined forces over the course of a few months and many cold beers and broken guitar strings back in 2007. We had all chosen this life path and knew we had no choice but to stick it out together.

The Matinee has become a brotherhood, a gang, a dysfunctional family that is there for each other and has gone it alone for 5 years now. We have toured relentlessly, put out our own recordings, and slowly built a decent and dedicated following. We all take real pride in the fact that much of what we’ve achieved has been without outside help… still, we would not be anywhere right now if it wasn’t for those who believed in us as well, have offered help and support, and have gambled on giving us opportunities we wouldn’t have otherwise. For that, we are truly grateful.

Now, 5 vans and two buses later, after 10 000 hours and then some, we feel we’ve reached a new height. We have been given the opportunity to stay in the game and have been offered some huge help from some folks who truly believe in us by way of a record deal. We are extremely fortunate and excited to announce that we’ve signed with Vancouver’s own Light Organ Records, who are home to some of Canada’s top rising talents.

I can’t help but think back to that meeting with Lyle years and years ago at Subeez Cafe where we naively thought we were getting a deal. He left us with this advice that day.

“The bands who make it, depend on everyone else to give up because it’s so damn hard. Don’t give up, and remember, the view from top of the mountain is surely great. But you might not ever make it to the very top. But, the view from half-way up is still freaking good… so enjoy the ride.”

The Band has become symbolic of who we identify with as musicians. We can only dream of reaching their level of success, but at least now we have been given a real chance at it.
And Lyle, well he is still a good friend and a mentor to this day. And he was right. The wait has been worth it.

Matt Layzell.

M2′s Top 5 – Feb. 1

I’ve always thought of myself as a relatively ‘green’ human being.  I take transit as much as possible….I’m adament about recycling…and I switched to re-usable bags years ago.  But I still feel like there is so much more that I could be doing to help ‘save’ this planet of ours, and I’m continually amazed at the number of people who are totally oblivious to the damage that they are doing to our environment.  Let’s face it – the Earth doesn’t need us, but we sure as hell do need the Earth!  With that, I wanted to share some information that I recently came across.  I didn’t compile this list, but I was so impressed with the simplicity of the message that I couldn’t help but pass it on.  Here it is, 5 Ways to Save the Planet in 30 Minutes or Less:

1) Drive Less, Drive Smart – Every time you leave your car at home you reduce air pollution, lower greenhouse gas emissions, improve your health and save money.  Walk or ride a bicycle for short trips, or take public transportation for longer ones. In 30 minutes, most people can easily walk a mile or more, and you can cover even more ground on a bicycle, bus, subway or commuter train. Research has shown that people who use public transportation are healthier than those who don’t. Families that use public transportation can save enough money annually to cover their food costs for the year.  When you do drive, take the few minutes needed to make sure your engine is well maintained and your tires properly inflated.

2) Eat Your Vegetables – Eating less meat and more fruits, grains and vegetables can help the environment more than you may realize. Eating meat, eggs and dairy products contributes heavily to global warming, because raising animals for food produces many more greenhouse gas emissions than growing plants. A 2006 report by the University of Chicago found that adopting a vegan diet does more to reduce global warming than switching to a hybrid car.

Raising animals for food also uses enormous amounts of land, water, grain and fuel. Every year in the United States alone, 80 percent of all agricultural land, half of all water resources, 70 percent of all grain, and one-third of all fossil fuels are used to raise animals for food.  Making a salad doesn’t take any more time than cooking a hamburger and it’s better for you—and for the environment.

3) Switch to Reusable Shopping Bags – Producing plastic bags uses a lot of natural resources, and most end up as litter that fouls landscapes, clogs waterways, and kills thousands of marine mammals that mistake the ubiquitous bags for food. Worldwide, up to a trillion plastic bags are used and discarded every year—more than a million per minute. The count for paper bags is lower, but the cost in natural resources is still unacceptably high—especially when there is a better alternative.

Reusable shopping bags, made of materials that don’t harm the environment during production and don’t need to be discarded after each use, reduce pollution and save resources that could be put to better uses than making plastic and paper bags. Reusable bags are convenient and come in a variety of sizes and styles. Some reusable bags can even be rolled or folded small enough to fit into a purse or pocket.

4) Change Your Light Bulbs – Compact fluorescent light bulbs and light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are more energy efficient and less expensive to use than the traditional incandescent bulbs invented by Thomas Edison. For example, compact fluorescent light bulbs use at least two-thirds less energy than standard incandescent bulbs to provide the same amount of light, and they last up to 10 times longer. Compact fluorescent light bulbs also generate 70 percent less heat, so they are safer to operate and can reduce energy costs associated with cooling homes and offices.

According to the Union of Concerned Scientists, if every U.S. household replaced just one regular incandescent light bulb with a compact fluorescent light bulb, it would prevent 90 billion pounds of greenhouse gas emissions from power plants, the equivalent of taking 7.5 million cars off the road. On top of that, for every incandescent bulb you replace with an approved compact fluorescent light bulb, you will save consumers $30 in energy costs over the life of the bulb.

5) Pay Your Bills Online – Many banks, utilities and other businesses now offer their customers the option of paying bills online, eliminating the need to write and mail paper checks or to keep paper records. By paying your bills online you can save time and money, lower the administrative costs of companies with which you do business, and reduce global warming by helping to prevent deforestation. Signing up for online bill paying is easy and doesn’t take much time. You can either choose to have certain bills paid automatically each month or elect to review and pay each bill yourself. Either way, you will receive outstanding returns on your small investment of time.

A big thanks to Larry West and the fine folks at About.com for supplying me (and now you!) with this invaluable information!
M2

Stadium Rock

Some of the boys in the band have recently acquired tickets to see the legendary Roger Waters. He will performing The Wall in it’s entirety on May 26th. I’m quite excited for this show. I am a HUGE fan of Mr. Waters. He’s spares no expense when it comes to performing live, it will be a visual feast for sure. At the same time I’m a bit saddened. I have a sneaky suspicion this could the last rock show I see at BC Place….in fact I’m almost certain. It’s not the 80′s anymore. All the heavyweights from way back when (U2, AC/DC, Queen, Stones) have folded. They have gracefully handed off the torch to contemporary artist like Deadmau5 and Tiesto. Hey, kids wanna party. You can’t bust a move to a power ballad….believe me I’ve tried.

So, to commemorate the gone but not forgotten spectacle that is STADIUM ROCK!! I give you the most crucial stadium rock acts in history.

-  The Rolling Stones play two sold out shows at Wembley Stadium in 2003 at a capacity of 90,000…. dang.

- Led Zepplin play Madison Square Garden in 1973 at a capacity of 18,200…. not bad.

- The Beatles play Shea Stadium in 1965 to a capacity of 57,333… bigger than the Commodore.

- Simon and Garfunkel play Central Park in 1981 at a capacity of over 500,000 …..roughly the same turnout at our last show

- Queen play Hyde Park in 1976 to a capacity of 150,000 …..all singing along to Bohemian Rhapsody

-Roger Waters to play BC Place Stadium to a sell out crowd of 54,320???? I really hope so.

-Peter