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10-22-09: Just getting over a pretty good cold. It's times like these that I wish I was a good enough guitarist to just play without singing! LOL! Since having my tonsils removed back in April, I had hoped to never catch a cold again. I know....that was pretty unrealistic thinking. The good news is; I'm just about over it. The last thing to come back strong is my voice. Just like anyone else, I need to rest my body to get healthy. That's not so easy, when you sing for a living. I'm constantly exposing my throat and lungs, which slows the healing process quite a bit. At any rate, October has been a very good month! It began with a triple booking on the 3rd. That day was nuts! I started out in Lisbon, as a performer for the town's annual festival of the arts. The skies looked like they were fit to open up at any moment and soak us all. Luckily, I made it through the show with no rain. Then it happened. Just after I had finished loading my gear, the rain came down....in torrents! So heavy, that the tent I was standing under to perform collapsed! Thank god no one was under it at the time. If I had stayed to play just one more song, things could've been pretty ugly. After the festival, I traveled over to Lyman to perform for a wedding ceremony at the town church. The wedding was great, but ran a little later then I expected. That left me a little pressed for time, heading to my 3rd show of the day, which was a private party in Hooksett, NH (about an hour and a half's drive south). The day was rainy from the festival on, so the ride down was rough. I needed to make time, but everyone was driving extra slow, due to the conditions. I made it there about a half hour before I was scheduled to start. The party was a blast! Thank you to the Frawley's for having me again this year (this was their second annual party). When I got home that night, after what turned out to be a 14 hour day for me, I'd never been so happy to see my pillow. The rest of the month, so far, has seen things slow down slightly. It's a welcomed change of pace though. I've started to receive a few bookings from the Mount Washington Hotel, for the Fall and Winter months. Winter dates are also set for ski resorts at Bretton Woods and Ragged Mountain. December will find me at "Tony's Italian Grille" in Thornton, NH for the first time. I also had the pleasure of performing at Walter's Basin in Holderness recently, in relief of another solo act. Hopefully I can get back there soon. I' always looking to diversify. House spots are great, but there is a definite risk involved, when you put all your eggs in one basket. "Bin 42" was a great example of how things can go south, really quick! I was left with a bunch of open dates that I was hard pressed to fill. So.....if you know of any restaurants/pubs etc, that might be a good fit for me; please pass along my website. Last night's show at Rosa Flamingos in Bethlehem was great. Tonight, I'll be at the Cannon Mountain View in Franconia, NH, and tomorrow evening I'll be performing at the Crossroads Church, located at 1091 Meadow Street in Littleton. The church is hosting a "Pot Luck" dinner for the community at 6pm. I'm not sure when I'll actually be playing, but it will be a lot of fun. Please come out and see the great things that are taking place at this church. Get reconnected with your faith in Jesus Christ, or if you've never accepted Christ as your personal Lord and Savior, I would be happy to meet with you privately to share my testimony. I'm in a better place, as a result of my faith, and this is available to every one of us. Jesus shows us, through his teachings; just how trivial our worldly pursuits are. The greatest gift is; waiting for those who hold strong to their faith. For the skeptics of Christianity, you must understand that Faith, as defined in the bible (Hebrews 11:1) is "The assured expectation of things hoped for, the evident demonstration of realities though not beheld". If you can't accept this, just think about how we put faith in our governments and employers everyday. We don't know what tomorrow will bring, yet we have faith that things will work themselves out. Faith in Christ is exactly the same, only with Jesus we really have something great to look forward to. It's not a fairy tale. Society has taught us to embrace the theory of evolution as fact. It is called a "theory" for a reason. Visit youtube and search "creation vs evolution". You might be amazed by how much faith a person needs, to accept evolution as fact. I will be the first to admit, that the "Genesis" account in the bible requires great faith, but there is a wealth of current information to stongly support it as absolute truth. Don't allow society to think for you. Get resourceful and get answers for yourself. I'll wrap this blog up with one of my favorite verses in the bible. James 4:8 - "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you." Get out, and do some good, and come out to the church Friday night for the dinner. 

9-17-09: It has been awhile since I last wrote here. A lot has changed. I am still performing an average of 4 shows each week. You can still catch me every Wednesday night at Rosa Flamingos in Bethlehem (from 8:30 to 11:00) and every Thrursday at the Cannon Mountain View in Franconia (from 7:30 to 10:30). Guitar lessons have been very well received. I have 7 students currently signed up. That's just about my limit, given the available time that I have. That said, if you'd still like to learn to play, drop me an email. I will do my best to make the time available. When I say that a lot has changed, I'm referring to my relationship with God. Whoa.....That's deep! These past few months have been some of the most rewarding months of my life. I was raised "Baptist", and my mother would regularily attend church services every Sunday while I was growing up. Only recently though, have I realized how important it is to get to know God personally. Read the bible. Don't just assume that it isn't relevant....Read It. Finding a church to attend is great, and I strongly recommend it. But I've come to learn recently, that many "denominations" do not simply teach the bible...so be aware. One church that I've come to learn of recently, even indoctrinates their members with their own "interpreted" brand of moral standards that the members are expected to live by. I'm not referring to the moral standards that are supported by the bible. I believe that everyone should strive to meet these standards, understanding that God is compassionate and cares for each one of us. I'm referring to "denominations" that would have their congregation believe that God takes offense to such trivial things as the celebration of birthdays or holidays or voting in public elections, etc. These members are real people that have invited persecution for no good reason, because they've conformed to the moral standards set by their "Denomination". They are being taught that the authority of their church is God's "Only True Channel", (meaning that the "authority" is the only one who can actually communicate with God). What a claim! As such, members are taught that this "authority" can better interpret God's will for them, with regards to how each one should conduct themselves on a daily basis. As if God can't communicate with EACH one of us himself. This is really upsetting to me, and I feel for all of the families that have lost someone they love to such  "denominational practices". If you're reading this blog, and wonder where all this is coming from, its coming from a place of compassion. I've spoken with members of this chuch recently that are being told how to live, based on the church's own "interpretation" and "application" of moral standards. In speaking with some of these church members, its obvious that they don't seem to mind being told what to do. This forced me to ask myself: "Why should I even care?" Maybe I should just let them believe whatever they want, and just worry about myself, right? The problem I have is that they've put their faith in the "authority" of their church's claim to be "God's only TRUE channel". As such, if they question any of the moral practices, they're taught that this is equivalent to defying God himself. They are also taught that outside of this congregation, NO ONE can be saved. I'm not kidding! And furthermore, they are taught that anyone who teaches different, is doing so by influence of the devil himself. As such, whenever they encounter someone outside of their church (like myself), they will be happy to talk about God, as long as you don't challenge the authority of their church. That sounds a little like a cult to me. If you've been paying attention so far, you can see that these people are being controlled by fear tactics. They don't mind, because they agree with all of the teachings, that are based on the bible. In fact, they'll probably never have an issue, provided that they don't ever question the church's authority. Now, for those of you that could care less about anything I've written so far,.......you should. If you've ever watched the news, and seen people that are being oppressed by a government, or being oppressed in any respect, you should be able to see how similar this situation is. These people are caught in a situation where they have 2 choices. They can either leave the church (which would disqualify them from receiving salvation, based on what they've been taught) or they can submit to the church's will and go along for the ride. After all, they're taught that they are part of "God's chosen denomination". Again, I'm not kidding here! And, as members of "God's chosen denomination" there is no good reason to challenge the "authority" of their church. Does this sound a little crazy to anyone else!? I'm not going to get all Self-righteous and start preaching the Gospels to you, but I will share 2 verses in the bible that warn us about such "denominations" (1st John 2:26,27) --- "These things I write you about those who are trying to mislead you. And as for you, the anointing that you recieved from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to be teaching you, but, as the anointing from him is teaching you about all things, and is true and is no lie, and just as it has taught you, remain in union with him." --- These verses clearly discredit ANY chuch's claim to being "God's only true channel". God tells us that we don't need a "middle man" to interpret the bible for us. God provided us ALL with the Spirit of Truth (mentioned at John 14:16,17) to help us interpret the bible. And the bible teaches that every one of us is eligible for salvation, by exercising faith in Jesus Christ. By this, I mean believing that he is the son of God, and he gave his life so that we may receive forgiveness for our sins, provided that we forgive everyone who has sinned against us. It doesn't need to be complicated to anything more than that. I recently spoke with one of the members of this church, who presented an argument as to why his "denomination" is superior to all others. I explained that "denominations" are unnecessary, and that they only create splits in the true church, because they each believe that they are "Morally Superior" to all others. It's important to note here, that the true "Chuch of Christ" is not a separate "denomination" of Christianity, as it is ONLY concerned with the teachings of Christ (the bulk of which can be found in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John). Those belonging to the "Church Of Christ" know that we are to live by the example set by Jesus. As such, there is no need to push any additional "moral standards", that are based on the traditions of society. Striving to follow Christ's example should automatically cause a person to have high moral standards. While the rest of the bible is incredibly beneficial, and should also be studied, these 4 books, commonly referred to as "The Gospels" show us how to receive salvation. This should be the #1 priority for everyone claiming to be "Christian". Everything else should be viewed as secondary. There should be no alterior motives attached to a church, allowing them to tell you what you can and cannot do. If there are, then you risk allowing yourself to be controlled. If you've accepted Jesus Christ as your savior, then you also accepted that he took all of your sins to the cross with him. As such, we should all strive to live by his example. His standards are the only ones we should be compelled to meet. We should never allow a "denomination" to impose their will regarding matters that have no bearing at all on how we receive salvation. So, the next time someone from such a "denomination" comes knocking on your door (there's a hint to the "denomination" I'm referring to), don't turn them away. Share these verses from "1st John" with them. I did, but unfortunately that wrapped up our conversation real quick. I wasn't trying to make them feel threatened. I actually wanted them to justify their church's claim to be God's "Only true channel". Remember, they are taught that anyone that doesn't agree with their church's teachings is under the "Devil's" influence. I'm not making this stuff up! This is what they are taught. As such, they interpreted my challenge as a challenge coming from the devil. How crazy is that!? We all should realize that the teachings of the bible are much more important than belonging to any denomination. I believe that attending chuch is GREAT, provided that they stick to teaching the bible, and don't impose their own "interpretation" of moral values at the same time. Sometimes, when we take a stand for what we believe, persecution is justified. But if someone is being persecuted for NO GOOD REASON, then they really need to stop and ask themselves why they would submit themselves to such a thing.

8-20-09: Great show at Rosa Flamingos in Bethlehem last night! I'm very excited about my new weekly spot over there. Make a note on your calendar and help spread the word ---- WEDNESDAY NIGHTS AT ROSA'S from 8:30 to 11:00! Great music and half priced wings all night. Can't go wrong! Tonight brings me back to the CMV in Franconia (I'm there EVERY THURSDAY NIGHT from 7:30 to 10:30), and tomorrow I can be found at the Italian Oasis in Littleton from 5:00 to 8:00. I've still got plenty of open dates for the fall, and I'm always looking for new venues. I've still got a few openings for guitar lessons as well, so if you ever wanted to learn, click here and get the details. In other news, I've just recently joined the Franconia Notch Chamber of Commerce. If you've got a business, and you're looking to expand, this is something you should consider. Enjoy the sun and get out to a show soon! 

8-13-09: I'll be performing at the Cannon Mountain View in Franconia, NH Tonight! Showtime for my usual Thursday spot has moved from (9:00 to Midnight) to (7:30 to 10:30). Hopefully this change in time will be well received, appealing to an earlier audience. If you haven't come out to see a show there in a while, things have changed! I'm now set up on the "Bar Side", rather than the larger room with the pool tables. I think that the change in location was a good idea. A common complaint regarding the old spot was that the sound would bounce around too much. I find that the overall sound is much improved. In other news, I've updated my availability through the month of December. If you're a restaurant/pub manager that has been thinking about entertainment, now's the time to book for the fall! Don't wait until its too late. Drop me an email at  matt@onemanacoustic.com or send one through the "Contact Me" link here on the site. 

8-3-09: August already! I hope you've had a good summer to this point. If not, you've still got a full month! With plenty of shows lined up, you've got no reason to not get out and catch one soon. I'll be at Rosa's this Wednesday evening, and I will be performing there every Wednesday night, starting August 19th. So if midweek is your thing, you've got another great option for Wednesdays! Please help spread the word. See you out soon!  

7-17-09: July has been a busy month for me. Weddings, private parties and even Sunday brunches. This Sunday, I'll be at Rosa Flamingo's from 11am to 2. Get an early lunch and shake off that Saturday night hangover. I still have a few available dates this summer if you're thinking about a private party. Drop me a line! Tonight I'll be at Alburritos in Littleton. Great room. The weather's beautiful (at the moment), so maybe it'll be an outdoor show. I guess you'll have to come out and see. I'm still accepting students of all ages for guitar lessons. Check the link above for more info. I want to thank the "Bridge Weekly Sho-Case" for some great press. Thank you to Andrea Fitzgerald, who wrote a feature article about the live shows. I'm not sure how long they'll keep the article on their website, but it's there right now (Click Here). Enjoy the day!  

6-19-09: Crazy north country summer.....yet again! With 10 days left in June, I don't think we've had 2 consecutive days above 70 degrees. Summer schedule is in full swing. Plenty of live shows to attend. Family life is good....Josselyn just celebrated her 3rd birthday. Looking back, I can't beleive how much life has changed since she's arrived. I started doing this solo gig the same month that she was born (June of '06), and played my first solo show when she was 1 month old. Around that same time, I ended a 5 year run as the lead singer of "Dirty Joke", and took a huge leap of faith by quitting my day job to pursue music full time, in early '07. To date, I've performed more than 200 solo shows! If you've been a visitor of this site, from it's conception, you've witnessed many changes that have taken place, over this period of time. If you're a new visitor, you can get up to speed by clicking "The Past", at the top of the page. It's been a crazy run. I feel like I've changed more in the past 3 years, than I did in the previous 28. Yeah, that makes me 31.... (Although, some days I feel more like 51). Tonight, I'll be at Woodward's Resort in Lincoln, NH. If you're looking for something to do.....make the trip over. It's a great room, and should be a great time!

6-6-09: Just got in from my 4th consecutive night of performing. Great times! Thank you to everyone that made it out. Also, a big thanks to Paul for getting me a last minute gig at Cactus Jack's this past Wednesday in Laconia, and to John Alberrini for my Friday night show at Alburrito's in Littleton. Both shows were a blast. Tonight's show at the CMV in Franconia was nuts! There was some sort of rugby convention going on!? Tons of people. High energy, good vibes, and plenty of liquid courage to go around! What else do you need???  

5-25-09: This past weekend was a great opportunity for me to get back into performance mode. Saturday began with an afternoon wedding at the Sunset Hill House in Franconia, NH, and ended with an evening performance in Lisbon, for the town's Lilac Festival. Both of these shows were a lot of fun! Thankfully, mother nature didn't ruin either of the outdoor events. The skies were dark all day. If they had opened up....we would have all been in pretty bad shape! Sunday afternoon brought me back to the Crazy Horse Campground in Littleton. This was the first of 6 scheduled shows with them this summer. Great people, good times! I'm looking forward to another great season over there. Thank you to Barb and Joe for welcoming me back. Looking ahead, I still have some available performing dates for the summer months. Check my upcoming shows for a complete list. I'm always looking for new venues and new audiences, so if you know of any....please help spread the word! If you've made it out to a show recently, thank for your continued support. I really appreciate it! Enjoy the nice weather. 

5-15-09: It feels good to be back! Last night's show at the CMV in Franconia was my first in over 5 weeks. I'm happy to say that the voice held up nicely. Not perfect, but that's to be expected. It will take a little time for me to really get comfortable with my newly "tuned up" pipes. I had my follow up appointment with the doctor that performed my tonsilectomy yesterday, and was glad to hear that everything is fully healed. We recalled how I used to complain of irritation on the right side of my throat. Sure enough, once the tonsils were removed he was able to confirm that I did in fact, have tonsillitus on my right tonsil. Apparently it was just far enough back that he was unable to see it, prior to the surgery. I KNEW that something was wrong, and it's nice to feel like I've been vindicated. In the months prior to the surgery, I SERIOUSLY CONSIDERED QUITTING the live shows, as it just wasn't worth it to be miserable all the time. To get ready vocally, for each show was such a challenge. And even then.....I STILL wasn't singing at the level I knew I was capable of. And the nights that I really struggled....were just plain embarrassing! Through it all, I'M SO GRATEFUL that my wife has a lot of patience! I don't know how she put up with my rollercoaster emotions, during that stretch. This past winter was a very discouraging time for me, and I know I wasn't the easiest person to be around. Now, I feel like I've been given a clean slate, and I'm hoping that I can get back to really enjoying what I do for a living! Make plans to catch my next show, at the CMV on Saturday from 5 to 8. Hopefully the weather will allow for an outdoor show!

5-5-09: Fully recovered and ready to perform! While I have enjoyed some time off, I am eager to get back. The original plan was for me to start up again on May 7th at the Cannon Mountain View in Franconia. Unfortunately, due to miscommunication between the owner and myself this is not going to be the case. I will be resuming my every Thursday night spot at the CMV on Thursday, May 14th. Keep your eyes on my upcoming shows, and plan to get out to one soon!

4-16-09: Wow! It's been awhile since I've written anything here. Sorry for the long abscence. I'm currently taking some time off to recover from a surgery to have my tonsils removed. I had the procedure done on April 6th, so as I'm writing this, I'm 10 days into the healing process. I've got to say, that first week was rough! I expected some pain, but I got a little more than I bargained for. Fortunately the doctor hooked me up with some pretty good pain meds! I was also given 10 days worth of antibiotics that were not so cool. Between the pain pills and the antibiotics, I have been nautious as hell! So, to sum it up so far......Not much fun. The good news is that I'm feeling much better, these past few days. The pain is tolerable. I'm back to eating pretty much whatever I feel like. I actually sang a few notes yesterday, and was surprised to find that it didn't hurt so bad. That said, it was still a little uncomfortable. Right now, I'm slated to start up again on May 7th at the Cannon Mountain View in Franconia. I'm thinking there's a chance that I might be able to go even sooner.....so, keep your eyes on the site, should any last minute shows pop up!

2-12-09: Looking forward to tonight's show at the Cannon Mountain View in Franconia! Show starts at 9:00. Come early and get some good food in you. They've added a second pool table! Okay..........so I know it isn't much, but this is the North Country. We'll take what we can get! I just picked up a last minute show at the Tamarack Grill in East Burke, tomorrow night (Friday the 13th!!!). That show starts at 8:00. I was really glad to see so many from the Littleton area make the trip over there last week. I had a great time! In other news.....completely changing the subject (sorry, I'm kind of a scatter brain)...... I'll be getting my tonsils taken out, mid April! Crazy, right!? I've struggled with sore throats most of my life and when you sing for a living, that can make for some difficult nights. So, I'm hopeful that after the surgery, things will be better. Due to the recovery time though, I won't be performing for about 4 weeks. I've decided to hold off until the end of ski season to have the surgery, as this is a pretty busy time for me. I look forward to seeing you all come out to the shows between now and then!      

1-24-09: 3 Shows down, in a 4 day stretch. Last night's show at the Tamarack in East Burke, Vt was a blast! Thank you to everyone that made it out. Great energy!!! You guys kept me going all night long. I also want to thank everyone that made it out Friday night to the Cabot Lounge in Lancaster, NH. The Cabot is fast becoming one of my favorite venues! If you haven't caught a show there yet, make plans to come out to the next one. In other news, I've added a new link to the site..."Your 2 Cents"! If you've been out to a show, please take a second to answer some questions. I want to know what you think! 

1-16-09: Just got in from my show at the CMV in Franconia. It's 1:00am. I envy you, if you're sleeping right now. The temperature outside is a blistering cold 16 below zero!  Man, I was born in the wrong part of the country.

1-12-09: With the new year, I've decided to stop the monthly news pages. Instead, I'll be posting things throughout each month right here. So far, this year is not off to a very good start. For myself or my family. We've had a bug that has kicked our asses! SICK....like I haven't been in years. I actually had to cancel my 1/8 show at the CMV in Franconia. That is only the second time I've had to cancel, since I began performing solo. I did manage to make it out to the Cabot in Lancaster for my show on the 9th. I was weak! Physically. But, I managed to get through it. As a result, I feel like I took 2 steps backwards in my recovery process. Entertaining for a living is tough, when you're sick. My job doesn't come with "paid" vacation days. I've got a few days off right now though, and I'm using them wisely. Much needed REST! I'll need it, as I'll be starting a triple header later this week. The CMV on the 15th, the Eastgate on the 16th and a wedding on the 17th.