I remember when I first got into music. I was in 7th
grade and watching TRL when suddenly The Offspring’s video “Pretty Fly for a
White Guy,” connected with me on such a level that I immediately begged my mom
to drive me to Walmart to pick up the cd. I listened to that album back and
forth up and down. I would put my headphones on and listen to “She’s Got
Issues,” and then “Walla Walla,” and then I’d be at school. It made my six
minute commute that much more enjoyable.
After I couldn't take one more listen of “The Kids Aren’t Right,”
I decided I needed to expand my musical knowledge beyond Americana. I tuned into TRL for some guidance. Aaliyah, Everclear,
and Matchbox 20 were not doing it for me. Semi-defeated, I turned to VH1’s (or
as I used to call it, the Old People Music Channel) weekend countdown, but that just
made me uncomfortable with how much Aerosmith they played. Before I retired to
my room to man-up and listen to Americana
one more god damn time, I happened upon a channel I never heard of, Much
Music.
Now, at the time I didn't realize it was a Canadian station
and Canadian regulations that required stations to allot a certain amount of
airtime to Canadian artists. I just thought that Much Music was awesome. They didn't need to listen to Hot 107.9 or The Nerve to get their music. They were
providing me with songs that I hadn't heard a million times at school dances. My life
became engulfed with Much Music. I fell
in love with Rachel Perry. Sum 41, Prozzak, The Tragically Hip, and Matthew
Good Band was the soundtrack to my pre-teens.
After three paragraphs of me rambling about my life from 1998-1999, it’s about time I get to the point of this article. Matthew Good
will be playing tonight at the Outer Harbor. Who is Matthew Good besides
Canadian rock star that played a heavy part in providing the framework for a
seventh grader’s passion? His music is introspective, usually with a political
message who has the rare ability to connect with fans in a deep beyond-superficial
way. At times his solo music can be reminiscent of Sonic Youth or Elliott
Smith, but I will always remember his angsty alt-rock anthems.
Show starts at 6pm at the Outer Harbor and tickets are $20.
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