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MattyV plays Doug Fir tonight

MattyV — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 16:04:08 GMT

seems like most people are off to Emergnsee for the weekend, but for those sticking around town, I;m playing the Doug Fir tonight with Scott Fisher & 1 AM Approach. we go on at 11:30. there is another act ahead of us, Debra Arlyn. a funky soul singer with a great band. $!2. hope to see some of you there!

premium membership?

MattyV — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 06:12:15 GMT

I am wondering if anyone else has the same problem checking up on specific events. on my screen it says there are 25 or so new listings on a certain group, but when I go there it says there are no new listings. is this because I don't have a premium membership? why would I when I can't even get the site to load a significant part of the time, and when I do it is incredibly slow, etc?

what a ride!

MattyV — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 18:54:20 GMT

I'm sitting in a cafe in Whitefish, Montana. Scott Fisher & 1 AM Approach on tour. we did friday and saturday night at the Great Northern, a large and rowdy venue here in this cute little town just 60 miles from the Canadian border. friday was crazy, 750 people through the door. hot, sweaty, drunk. yesterday the band was treated to a free rafting trip on the middle fork of the Flathead River. last night was just as crazy and today we have been invited to someone's lake house for a day of waterskiing and barbeque. if we decided to do a summer residency here we'd probably have this kind of hospitality available to us every day. and make more money than going anywhere else. just walking to get breakfast yesterday morning I was approached numerous times with "man, you guys were awesome last night!" talk about being a big fish in a small pond. we could run it. this town is becoming another Aspen, yet still several years off. there's alot of money in these parts, with Californians and celebrities building homes by the HUGE Flathead Lake, tucked away amongst the pines. lots of young people, cute girls everywhere. living the outdoors adventure life and partying HARD every night, it seems. to think of where I've been and what I've and seen in the last month, I'm amazed, actually. from the sun and sand of the Jersey shore, to Manhattan, to Dublin, the castle, the gigs, Galway, southern, western and northern Ireland, a shroomy fourth in Portland, Sun River, Boise, Whitefish, rafting, lakeside partying... and there is so much more in front of me. Cali awaits, studio time in LA, tracking a new record in El Paso in August. and there's word we might be asked to perform at the Democratic National Convention. so looking forward to getting home and kickin' it with DD Buttoncup before I hit the road again.

why we do this

MattyV — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 12:04:22 GMT

we've wrapped up the last leg of our tour. i'm sitting in a big house out in the country near Kilkell, N. Ireland. we are at Camphill Community, a collective, biodynamic farm near the sea that is one of many around the globe. followers of Rudolph Steiner. most of the residents here are mentally disabled, downs syndrome, etc. they farm and have a woodshop weher they make high qualtiy stuff. pretty neat. saturday we played Galway, at The Crane Bar. they typically don't have bands on saturday nights. they're always busy and don't need to have entertainment, but Mic loves us so he let us do our thing. first set was packed out, most left on the break and the place filled up again with new peeps for the second set. nice to turn the room over as we were playing for the door. what a great show! people jammed into the room, going nuts. at one point, an old man came up and asked if he could play a tune. sure, why not? he takes our singer's guitar and sits next to me, launches into "Dublin In The Rare Old Times". of course none of us had heard this song before, just watching him chord and following along, the entire bar singing this Irish classic. he finishes, the place goes absolutely nuts, we launch into Fisherman's Blues by the Waterboys and the roof comes off. later that night (much later), after everyone is gone and the doors are locked, there we were drinking with Mic and a few others till way past four. it doesn't get dark here till 10:30, and the sky begins to light around 4:30, so it was yet another Guinness Sunrise. pretty much the standard on this tour. sunday we played in Dublin at the Cobblestone. of course when we booked this tour we had no idea it would be during the Eorupean Soccer Championships. the final was sunday and we thought "what the hell were we thinking?", so we scrapped the cover and put out a tip jar, waited till after the match was over (Spain 1-0 over Germany) and ended up with a near full house. not oo shabby. then up to Mourne Grange for the show last night. about 100 people in an amazing concert/theater hall. everything made of wood. incredible acoustics, probably the best sounding room I've ever played in. no amplification. just our guitars and voices. the folks here are so mellow. to see the faces of our audience, I just choked up immediately and could hardly sing the first song. anyone who has worked with these people in a group home or whatever would know. by the third song they couldn't contain themselves and danced all over the room, shouting and singing, nearly drowning us out. after the show we went to Warrenpoint to find a trad session and ended up in a rowdy bar, everyone singing the old standards, and few new ones too. we've seen it all on this one! headed south today, then on a plane for home wednesday.

from castle to cot

MattyV — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 11:49:50 GMT

sitting in the hearth of a centuries-old stone cottage in the countryside outside Ennis, on the west coast. this place was ruined and recently restored. thatched roof, walled gardens, the whole thing. we met an expat couple last night at the gig. gardeners who finally left Ithaca, NY to escape Bushworld. apparently, the final straw was a huge inflatable santa dreesed in camos and toting a semi-automatic at a xmas parade. the locals are into their new houses with all the modern amenities that the new economy has brought, and think the expats are crazy to want to live in this house. so much of this lush green land is given over to cattle, they've found a niche growing organic greens and are doing quite well. the door is open, allowing me a million dollar view of the lush green fields as we eat pancakes and drink delicious tea. we have some time today to spend, as our next stop is close, so we're off to explore the Burren, where numerous varieties of orchids spring from the cracks of limestone in a moonlike landscape. it's in the low 60's, mostly cloudy with sun breaks and occasional rain spats. the gigs have been good. Clonakilty, in West Cork, was fun. DeBarras is an amazing venue that attracts the best bands from all over, though it's way out there. Noel Redding moved there to escape the 80's and started this whole scene. last night in Ennis was fun, too, though not as memorable as some of the more rowdy gigs we've had back east. really the best places to play are the little pubs in the small towns when you're the only gig in town. then everyone comes out. tonight we play at The Crane Bar in Galway. this will be one of two only true listening venues on the tour. then we're back to Dublin tomorrow for the other listening venue, a jaunt to N. Ireland on Monday then home Wed. I am having mixed feelings at this point. it seems like I've been gone for a long time. in a way I'm ready to get home, though I'm cognisant of the need to remain present and enjoy every minute while I can. frankly, I need some sunshine. there are opportunities opening for me (and us) to create a way to be here more often, as well as on the continent in a way that would actually work. the news here about the states is not encouraging, and it seems more and more appealing to try and break away. gotta book. off to the Burren. favorite towns: Cork, Clonakilty, Ennis and Galway

the sunny southeast

MattyV — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 11:55:57 GMT

that's what they call Wexford County, apparently. it's a beautiful afternoon here in Wexford Town. played at The Sky and The Ground last night. really sweet venue just dripping with old school charm. the thing here is to just order your drinks on the bar tab and wait till the end of the night to see if you have to pay. if the owner likes you, it's all good. we haven't paid for a drink yet. niether have we had to pay for a place to stay yet, either. our friend's apt in Dublin, the castle, rooms in Bray and Laragh comped by the club. last night we split up after the gig to stay with various peeps who'd take us in. Darin and I ended up with a guy who lived nearby. the three of us and two more chaps were all in his little house that was like a shotgun style house that is basically one long hallway from room to room, incredibly low cielings and a steadily sloping floor. in spite of the many pints consumed at the gig, our friend cracked a bottle of red, and I busted out some good smoke left for us in Dublin. the kid next to me was a cool guy, he had a pipe for us. I can't remember all we talked about, but it got pretty raunchy, as Gerry (?) struggled to zip up his jacket, we all laughed until we cried. a few things got smashed or dropped as he made his exit. the kid hung out for a bit until the smoke got the better of him and then he too disappeared with our host. it wasn't till this morning I was told he was Paul's 17 year old son. he asked, "who's pipe is that, yours?". "no, my man, that's your kid's." we all had a laugh. "well at least he was doing it here with me. he's mighty hungover this morning." off to explore Wexford Town, then up to Butler's. there's an awesome seafood place by the coast we'll hit for dinner, then haeding west towards Cork.

solstice postscript

MattyV — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 10:26:42 GMT

as i write this, you fine folk are either havin' a nice snuggle, asleep in your beds or nearly there. I should be, but it's hard to go back to sleep after breakfast, no matter how little sleep I've had. tried to make it to Isis and Merlin Silverthorn's solstice party last night, but they wouldn't let us leave. ended up leading a singalong with a wedding party till dawn as Frank poured pint after pint of the "good black milk". then we were all there just a few hours later for breakfast, looking as chipper as the new day sun. word is the party will probably go on for two more days, so we may try to get there later before our gig in Wexford tonight. the boys went back to bed. Wayne's havin' coffee with Lance, father of Isis and a native Washingtonian who expatriated himself here in '71 "because of Nixon, man!" a locally famous painter who lives in a cabin up in the hills. apparently, he never made it out of here last night either. here's to the mighty Craic!

act like you own the place

MattyV — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:21:24 GMT

a quick note here from a cafe in Fairview, Dublin. it's partly cloudy and low 60's. sun breaks and a nice breeze. feeling the pain of the weak dollar for sure. the only deal was at the duty free store at JFK. 2 bottles of Jameson (1L) for $33. we caught a nice buzz at the Crown Room at JFK, one of those frequent flyer, business class "clubs" i always wondered about at airports. for $30 you can go in and eat and drink for free, lounge around in comfort and watch tv on your layover. Micheal and the boys texted me to meet them, and I figured if I just walk in like I know what I'm doing... amazing what a smile can get you. several makers later I was on the plane and slept like a baby all the way to Dublin. we got in around noon, found our friend's apt to drop our stuff and headed to Temple Bar. many guinnesses, and hours later we found ourselves upstairs at the Ha'Penny pub, with a large contingent of friends from before and a couple buskers we met on the street, listening to the Sick and Indigent Song Club, musicians we met last time. country and folk. they were great, but man if we came here for an extended time we could own the place in two months. going to Bray for dinner tonight with our friends. then off to the castle tomorrow for dinner with Lady D. the tour starts thursday. gotta go catch a quick pint and then the Dart down to Bray.

end of an era

MattyV — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 14:03:53 GMT

three days here at the beach and i'm feelin' good! nice dry, hot and sunny weather has my skin in much better condition than it could ever be during the rainy season back home. I heard the sun finally came out in P-Town last night. nice. hope it lasts... things have really changed around here. growing up, I was fortunate enough to be able to come here for a month every August to a cute little cottage my great grandad bought back in 1936 for a song. I hadn't been in this house since 1988, and last visited this town in 2001. (911 to be exact). this used to be a sleepy little beach community with some funky spots. now that's all gone, and the little house is dwarfed by the gigantic McMansions that surround it. last night we went to dinner at an old-school place that's been in business for generations. a seafood joint we always used to go to. now they've been left behind by the changing times. we were pretty much the only customers in the place. the waitressess were all in their sixties, and hung around our table reminiscing about the good old days when the bar was full and rowdy, the music was performed live and everybody knew each other. before dinner we had a visit with my aunt who still lives in the area. my uncle is housebound with complications of diabetes. he was to be the funniest guy we knew. always in good spirits, and just great to be around. though he still has his wit, he's probably not long for this world, and knows it. he's just a shell of what he once was, but made it a point to be standing up when when we got there, which was huge for him, apparently. he could barely breathe when he sat back down. I really wanted to see him on this trip. I was able to have a little one on one time with him, talked about Ireland, which he has been to many times. his eyes lit up when I said I'd hoist a Guinness in his honor. "and then a few more!". as we all got up to leave I shook his hand and gave him a tip of my hat. he said, "have a happy life, Matt". will do, Pete.

how the other half lives

MattyV — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 21:41:30 GMT

I made it to NY yesterday. flew into JFK (very rough landing), took a bus to grand central station ($15) and met my cousin Matt at an Irish pub in midtown. it's hot as hell in the east. still, it was nice to walk the sidewalks of NY, if only for a little while. my cousin is an insurance guy. his dad was a a bigwig insurance guy. they all live in a posh bedroom community in north Jersey. lotsa dollas. Matt wouldn't let me pay for a thing. Murphy's Irish Stouts at the bar, steaks at Keen's, his favorite steakhouse in midtown, etc. I had lobster and filet, asparagus and mushrooms, apps, the whole thing. two bottles of fine Oregon pinot, coffee... he had his friend join us and our conversation quickly turned to politics. of course they're repblicans, but not neocons, which is something. still, I had to hear about how great Juliani was, etc. they were interested in my stories of Portland, rolled their eyes and laughed when I told them of the Obama rally. all in all, we had lot of laughs. so we go back to my uncle's house (palace), where my cousin and his family are staying and drank two more bottles of wine. his wife is from Ireland and super cool. I think she was stoked to have another progressive around in the heart of Bushworld. her family lives near a town in west cork where we'll be playing, so we'll have all of them at the show. they gave me a ride down the coast (two hour drive) to this little beach town where my family is. this morning I had a cup of coffee, and when I went to wash it out I looked more closely. it said "friends don't let friends vote democrat". so here I am at the beach. staying in a little cottage that's been in the family for 80 plus years. I haven't stayed here in 20 years. it's now surrounded by multi million dollar homes and looks quite out of place. it really puts things into perspective. I feel out of place here, like a freak in Fratville. my nephews are here and it's nice to see them run around in the sand as I once did, a kid with the whole world in front of me. blissfully ignorant. it's also nice to get some serious vitamin D. it's 100 degrees, humid. the ocean is very cold. not alot of people around. I think I'll stroll into town later and get a drink at one of the bars I always wanted to go to but was too young to the last time I was here. I've got four more days here and then head back to NY to catch my flight to Dublin sunday. that's it for now. time to grill some burgers with my dad. here's to the high life, wherever you are.

MattyV rocks the White Eagle 8:30 tonight!

MattyV — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 15:55:26 GMT

The Yellers are playing a benefit for the North Portland Tool Library. we do this every year. it's FREE. the bar is donating proceeds to the cause. we'll have our full complement, with drums, etc. a six-piece band. Country Rock, Zydeco-esque, Latin(y) bass lines over train beats, harmonies... good, danceable stuff! come see the boys before we head off to the Emerald Isle. come on down to the eagle!

HyDrive @ Zilla Sake tonight! - 18th & NE Alberta

MattyV — Thu, 29 May 2008 16:08:00 GMT

We stand upon the Threshold of Summer, my friends! I leave for Ireland pretty soon. This will my last gig with the boys until August, so... get your ass down to Zilla tonight! Last Thursday, Zilla madness with HD! 'bout 9 o'clock.

Obama footage?

MattyV — Tue, 20 May 2008 20:00:59 GMT

does anyone have video footage from the Obama rally on Sunday? I'm recording a campaign anthem and want o make a video for it!

Success!

MattyV — Sat, 10 May 2008 00:50:35 GMT

Thank you so very much to everyone for your amazing love and support! EVERYONE had a blast. Thanks also to the event "crew" for doing your thing(s) to create an awesome visual and sound experience. Heading into this gig, I thought this would be the one and only Salvaged Romance show. But the band had so much fun playing the songs, and I came away feeling like they should be performed again, not simply shelved in favor of new songs or a new project that hasn't even been developed. Fuck that ADHD bullshit. I'll add a few more, we'll do it again, and with any luck have as a good a showing as last night. Loves!!!! MattyV

chalk another one up for Corporate America

MattyV — Thu, 08 May 2008 15:47:36 GMT

wow. I really got put over a barrel this month! I booked a flight to Ireland last March. Headed there in June for a tour with a country rock band. When I booked the ticket online, I SWEAR I got the return date correct, July 2nd. Next day I went out on the road with a different band for a month, and when I returned found out, much to my chagrin, that a certain airline had me returning June 22nd! Many phone calls later, I am out another $325 ($200 change fee) to fix what I know was their mistake. I didn't call them right away, they're infallible, etc. You know the deal. They got you and there ain't nothin' you can do about it. I'm only lucky I booked the flight before oil futures went to $121 a barrel, but that's another rant. Oh, the many phone calls. So I go over my minutes with a week left on my month. And I have a certain gig to attend to. I resort to texting, but there's still some calls I HAVE to make and take. Today (ironically) my new month starts, but of course to make absolutely, double-secret sure, I check my phone to see. Of course it won't tell me, only gives my info up to last night. So I have to call (cause i don't know my internet password). Yes, they say, it IS a new month for me. A brand new opportunity to pay them again and again to use a tax payer funded satellite network that was GIVEN to them by our Congress and good ole Bill Clinton (don't be fooled, the Clintons are AmeriCorp's best friends) in the Telecommunications Act of 1996, which incidentally, also relaxed the rules on cross media ownership, thus allowing for GE and Disney to own newspapers, control information, etc. It also allows for Clear Channel and EnterCom to own all the radio stations, thus stifling attempts by artists like me to be heard beyond the stage at the Crown Room (like how I fit that in there?) Anyway, I'm 46 minutes over, at 40 cents a minute, and 220(!!!) texts over, at 15 cents per. Don't have to do the math to know that... Arghhh!!!! Now that I've got that out of my system, the good news is we had an awesome rehearsal last night. I feel great. Tonight is gonna rock! And THAT"S what I really care about. Thanks for listening, folks.

beats, anyone?

MattyV — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 19:50:12 GMT

can someone build me a kick-ass beat? I know what I want. it's not a complex beat. I just need that next-level tone. it won't take that much time. anyone who knows me knows it needs to be quality. I will compensate. I need this pretty soon. I've been asking around and no one seems interested and/or available. all this talent in town and I can't find anyone to do this? wtf?

"Father of LSD" dies at age 102

MattyV — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 16:37:07 GMT

nice work, my man. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080430/ap_on_re_eu/obit_hofmann

HyDrive @ Zilla Sake tonight!

MattyV — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 19:12:40 GMT

yep. we're back! your favorite guitar smashing, drum bashing, bass fondling, saxophone smooching hooligans return to the ole stompin' grounds where we cut our teeth last fall before the long winter hibernation spell. yeah, it's rainy and there's other options (always), but it is Last Thursday, so let's get it on!!! we'll dress up pretty for ya.

Toy or 'San?

MattyV — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 17:42:56 GMT

I'm looking into getting an older pickup 4x4. the Passat is nice, supa-dupa nice, but too many bells and whistles for this space cowboy. ABS sensors? what, $650!?! gimme something more simple and I'm ok. I just want to haul my amp to gigs and not worry about scratching the leather, or hit the trail, go camping, dis-a-fucking-pear. why did I buy this shiny shell? what's done is done. it is what is. but now it's time for a change. anyway, what's the consensus on Toyotas vs. Nissans? '91 and newer.

What's The Point?

MattyV — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 16:04:45 GMT

a place to make things happen. check it out! www.thepoint.com

Salvaged Romance/ May 8 @ The Crown Room

MattyV — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 23:27:31 GMT

SALVAGED ROMANCE MattyV brings sweeping melodies, head bopping beats and romantic vocals to bear in his latest affair, Salvaged Romance. Featuring the talents of The Decemberists' Nate Query on cello and King Black Acid's Rich Landar on piano, this funky chamber folk ensemble pieces together the timeless puzzle of love, loss and the heart's ultimate salvation.

Matty plays the Goodfoot. Thursday March 27

MattyV — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 19:00:33 GMT

Hey friends. Sorry to have missed the Equinox show, as I have been here in Manhattan Beach over the weekend playing bass with Scott Fisher & 1AM Approach. We played at a cool venue in Hermosa Beach called Cafe Boogaloo. The owner is from New Orleans and they have great gumbo and a real old-school bluesy vibe in the place. It's really the only down to earth joint in the area. The place was packed, with a line out the door waiting to get in all night. Obviously an entire world away from the Bossa Nova, Portland and all the friends, but it was alot of fun and I flowed well with it. So we're bringing the band to Portland this Thursday to play the Goodfoot. It's funny to me cause I'm just now realizing I've never played a gig there. Of all the rooms I've played in Portland... This is a band to see. Funky, poppy, reggae-ish. Great players, good songs. I used to play extensively with Scott. We flirted with our fair share of the industry, did our label showcases and radio campaigns. I took a break two years ago to focus on my own writing and to just head in new directions. Of course I then fell in with some freaks, and well, here I am posting on tribe. Now I've come full circle, back to the beach, back to my dear friends to play a few more shows. New opportunities have arisen through this that have less to do with live performance and more to do with studio work and potential licensing. These doors are just now opening and it will be interesting to see how the rest of this year unfolds in that regard. I hope you can make it to the show. This group really rocks and I'll be in classic form. We go on around 10pm. Cover 5-7 for music go to www.scottfishermusic.com

Salvaged Romance

MattyV — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 18:40:38 GMT

In case anybody needs to know, the date for my Salvaged Romance performance has been changed to Thursday, May 8th. Hope to see you all there!

Here With Me - lyrics

MattyV — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 16:34:58 GMT

lyrics to one of the songs from Salvaged Romance Here With Me you need to be here, you need to be here with me just come and you will see why I can't leave you need to be here to experience the grace the beauty and the haze that make my days with every hour I'm feeling my power life is exciting and new yet amidst all the chances and choices for romance I think only of you you need to be here, you need to be here with me just come and you will see why I can't leave you need to be here, though everything could change and all my love for you fade away with every hour I'm feeling my power life is exciting and new but there's so many chances and choices for romance baby get here soon I feel myself falling from you you need to be here, you need to be here with me just come and you will see why I can't leave

Salvaged Romance

MattyV — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 17:34:47 GMT

I have booked a date for my latest musical project, Salvaged Romance, at the Crown Room for Thursday, May 8th. A brief synopsis of Salvaged Romance: singer-songwriter with piano, cello and funky, driving drums performing beautiful and dramatic songs. sweeping melodies, lights, sound, backdrops. additional performers to be added to follow the main act. more on this event to come soon!