NEWS |
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| 13 December 2006 |
Tonight I will be playing down at the Archer Ale House to kick off an every other weekly gig I am doing down there with Quickdraw. I'll be playing with Goldtooth and Howie. The Archer is such an incredibly comfortable pub. Hope to see you there. We start at 7pm.
Also this Saturday I will be down at The Allied Arts Holiday Market at 5pm playing for holiday shoppers and local artisans. I believe I will be playing with Goldtooth as well, the following morning, at The Allied Arts Holiday Market, 10am. And you can catch me at the Mount Bakery at 11am as well playing as Quickdraw of old, meaning with Goldtooth, Dave, and Allegra, our bygone fiddler who has since relocated to Portland.
As always, check the shows page for more info on any of these. Happy Holidays! |
| 16 September 2006 |
I'll be playing a benefit today for Habitat For Humanity. Habitat is a nonprofit organization that secures land and builds affordable houses for families that need a home. It is a good cause that deserves community support. Come on out between 4pm and 7pm to Talley Fields at 495 E. Bakerview Road in Bellingham. There will be BBQ, Games and Live Music! Parking is free. See the Shows page for more info. |
| 8 June 2006 |
I will have the final Middle River mix-downs in hand this Saturday. Paul Turpin and I have been chipping away at these mixes and we've got them sounding real good. I'm excited to see these songs of mine come to life the way that these musicians and Bayside Recording have made possible. There is more of everything here, and more on my end I can only hope will mean more on your end. The art too is on its way, though admittedly more slowly than I had hoped. I have cover illustration in hand by local Bellingham artist Caitlin Ahern. Working now on getting cover art production in motion... Once again, thank you to all involved.
I've got me a show coming up this Tuesday 13 June at the Acoustic Tavern in Bellingham. Come on out. The AT is a fantastic little down-home tavern offering free peanuts that you can throw on the floor, at each other, or possibly even at the bartender, but I don't suggest it, James is pretty big and can get quite mean I'm sure, if need be. Oh, and bring the family dog, only condition being that it has to be friendly. They allow canines of the friendly sort. Show starts around 9pm, and I believe the entry is as free as your neighborhood park, one big difference being that the Acoustic Tavern serves beer and wine. |
| 25 April 2006 |
Matt here. I just finished a three day marathon session in Bayside Recording Studios up here in Bellingham and made a shitload of progress tracking my new record, Middle River. Special thanks goes out to all the musicians who travelled up this weekend to play with me: Kati Claborn, who traveled up by train from Portland to lend her wonderful voice; Mike Grigoni, who made the often-too-congested drive from Seattle to add some Pedal and Lap Steel, and dobro; Allegra Ziffle, who bussed it up from Olympia with accordion in hand; and my Bellingham mates Robert Goldtooth Ray made it in to hold us down on Bass Fiddle, Dave Maguire showing us all that he can keep perfect time on that f-style mandolin of his, and Chris Glass laying down the finest fiddling with incredible modesty. The record is well on its way to an August release date, hopefully sooner. |
| 7 March 2006 |
One month from today, 7 April, Matt will be going in to the studio to begin tracking his much anticipated second solo release! This will be Matt's third release in two years! One being the debut release of his string band, Quickdraw String Band, entitled, Blasting Caps, in 2005, and in late 2004, his debut solo release, Ten Valley. Stay tuned for further developments regarding Matt's second solo recording. |
| 11 February 2006 |
Come out tonight and see Matt and Goldtooth playing at the Coat Exchange in Bellingham. There is $3 cover and the show starts at 8pm. Also gracing the bill are singer/songwriters Bryn Lumsden and William Jennings. |
| 9 December 2005 |
This Sunday come down to the Allied Arts Holiday Market on Bay Street in Bellingham to hear Matt sing his songs. He goes on at 2pm and there is no charge. The Holiday Market displays crafts from local artisans, and provides a venue for local musicians to play. |
| 3 October 2005 |
The third volume of Shut Eye Records, The United State of Americana compilation CD series is coming soon. Matt's song, "Leave Me Love" is one of the featured tracks. This release impacts Americana radio on October 10, 2005 including tracks by other artists such as Jeff Black, The Greencards, Bucktown Kickback, Jill Jack, Tod Pronto and many other great Americana artists from around the US. For more info check out Shut Eye's website here.
In other news, Matt's string band, Quickdraw String Band, finished production on their CD, Blasting Caps, and released it to the world on 12 July 2005. Feedback on the record has been purely positive. QSD is having a CD Release party this Friday at Althea's in Mount Vernon, Washington. For more information check out Quickdraw's web site here. The CD will be available on Matt's web site, as well as the Wander Records site soon. |
| 24 August 2005 |
You can catch Matt tomorrow at the Bay Street Coffeehouse in Bellingham. Opening is Randy Kaplan from Brooklyn, NY. The show starts at 8pm.
Matt will be playing a solo show in Seattle on Friday, 2 September, at the El Diablo Coffee Company on Queene Anne Avenue in Seattle. El Diablo is a very cool coffee shop in Queen Anne providing all the vittles, refreshments, and wireless internet your little hearts could possible covet. |
| 13 July 2005 |
Matt has three solo coffeehouse shows coming up in the next two weeks.
Tomorrow, Thursday 14 July, you can catch him at the Bay Street Coffeehouse in Bellingham from 8-10 pm. Bay Street Coffeehouse is a
spacious comfortable venue that has been providing local musicians with a reliable place to play since they opened their doors in the
spring. They also serve some fine food and coffees. Next Saturday, 23 July, Matt will be making his way down to the Pegasus Coffeehouse
on Bainbridge Island, and the following Tuesday, 26 July, at El Diablo Coffee Company on Queene Anne Avenue in Seattle. Check the shows page
for further details on these. |
| 30 June 2005 |
Matt has been hard at work thoughout June producing an upcoming CD for his other project, Quickdraw String Band. It is due out the first week of August, and once out, a round of high fives is definitely in order. After two years, three months playing together an average of twice a week, Quickdraw has earned a sound that is bound to earn some praise.
Ten Valley has been listed as the best Northwest Folk album for the month of June by Bellevue radio station KBCS 91.3 FM. If you want to check it out, you can do so here.
Matt is coming down to Sedro Wooley next Friday, 8 July, to perform at the Masonic Center. Starts at 8:30.
Saturday the 9th, you can catch him down at the C&P Coffeehouse in West Seattle from 6-8pm. As always, be sure to check the shows page for more info. Also, stay tuned as Matt heads into the studio in August to start work on his next recording. |
| 17 May 2005 |
The month of May has been well garnished with local publicity
for Matt at home here in Bellingham. Local music events publication What's Up! Magazine
has run a three-page feature on Matt this month. The What's Up! is available in most public gathering places around downtown Bellingham. In addition,
there is plenty of other good stuff covered in the What's Up! like local and national spotlights, a local concert calendar, and CD reviews and such,
so pick one up for the sake of local music to-dos. And if you live far enough from Bellingham that this is not an option,
you can at least access a PDF of the Matt Novak feature right here.
Ten Valley was given a second positive review this week by the Bellingham Herald's entertainment weekly, Take 5. Craig
Parrish writes, "'Ten Valley' by Matt Novak was released in November, but it's worth seeking out due to uncommonly strong songwriting
and clever arrangements. It brings to mind Bill Frisell's brilliant "Nashville" from a few years ago, and that's a compliment. Novak's
compositions take on a bit darker element than most folk records with a bluegrass touch. Novak is surrounded by a strong band as well; [all]
shine throughout...Very well done." You can access the full review on line here.
Another exciting tidbit: Matt has been invited by Atlanta-based Shut Eye Records and Agency to appear on their United State of
Americana, volume 3, compilation CD, which is due to be released in April 2006. According to Shut Eye Records, the United State of Americana
is a series of the newest independent, international artists that are, or will be, burning up the Americana and Roots charts." It is the finest
"cross-section" of Americana music" that is being compiled today. We are honored.
Thursday, 26 May 2005, Matt will be down in Bellevue for the Crossroads Singer-Songwriter Showcase! And Friday, 27 May 2005, Matt will be performing at the Northwest Folklife Festival.
Check the shows page for the full scoop on these shows. |
| 17 April 2005 |
Happy April! Matt will be appearing at El Diablo Coffee Company in Seattle this Tuesday, 19 April. Come and listen to Matt's originals in Seattle's only Latin style coffee house. The venue is located on Queen Anne hill, and I hear that the sun shines there, even when it is raining everywhere else! The show starts at 8pm and Matt sings his last note around 10.
Tuesday, 26 April, Matt will appear accompanied by Kati Claborn and Goldtooth for a repeat performance at the 3B Tavern in Bellingham. Matt and Company will be sharing the night with the Grimmsies. Our show last month at the 3B went over real well; the house was packed and energy high and that was a Bellingham March! Come on out and show the month of March it is nothing compared to April. Check out the links to the 3B and El Diablo on the shows page. |
| 17 March 2005 |
Matt will be performing his own brand of heavy-hearted folk this Saturday, 19 March, at the C&P Coffee Company in West Seattle. He played a solo show last month at the C&P and the room was such a joy to play in, and the people for, that back we go this Saturday, this time accompanied by the grace of Mountain Dulcimer player/vocalist, Kati Claborn. If you don't know anything about the C&P Coffee Company, read the notes below, from 17 Feb, or check out their website. You can catch Matt and Kati during a two-hour slot, beginning at 6pm. Check out the Shows page for contact info and directions.
If you're too far north to justify a trip down to Seattle this Saturday, Matt will be at the Kite And Key Cafe in Bellingham this Sunday, 20 March, from 6-8pm. This will be the Kite And Key's second-to-last dinner before calling it quits for the spring and summer. The space is as small as the food is good, so I can't tell you where this one is, but chances are, you may already know...
Or if you're a person who believes that everything is more fun when there is beer involved, this Tuesday Matt and Kati will be playing a set at the 3B Tavern in Bellingham with Johnnie McIntyre. DJ Farrah will be spinning some records to warm the place up before the live music starts. The shows at the 3B start around ten, and go until about 1am or so. They have plenty of beer. If you don't know where the 3B Tavern is, just drive down State Street in Bellingham, and you'll see it eventually, "the 3B is the beacon on the left."
And finally, Congratulations to Matt as he is the winner of the Top Song in the Folk Category of Cooch Music's 8th Amateur Songwriting Contest for his song "Leave me Love"!
Oh, and Happy Saint Patrick's Day! Go check out Paedar at the Boundary Bay tonight in Bellingham. See you out there somewhere soon! |
| 17 February 2005 |
We are pleased to announce a show down in Seattle this Friday, 18 February, at the C&P Coffee Company. Matt will be filling a two-hour slot from 6-8 pm and best of all for you is that the show is Free. C&P Coffee Company is located at 5612 California Avenue SW, in sunny West Seattle. They proudly serve Lighthouse Roasters fine espresso and coffees in the charming ambiance of a 1904 craftsman style house. Besides the Coffee and Teas, baked goods are also there for the eating. So come sit and sway by the fire at C&P Seattle and lend a listen to Matt's live original repertoire.
If you can't make it out for the Friday show in Seattle, Matt and friends will be playing the Underground Coffeehouse in Bellingham on Wednesday, 23 February, from 8-10pm. This show is also Free, and hosted in a relaxed friendly atmosphere. It is the music venue in Bellingham with the best sweeping views of Bellingham Bay, and the stage and sound quality are excellent. |
| 8 February 2005 |
Check out Matt and a whole lot of other Northwest Washington local musicians tomorrow night at the Main Street Bar and Grill in Ferndale, where Matt will be performing as the featured act. Admission is free and if you got an act of your own, it's an open-mic, so all the more reason to come out and particapate. See the Shows page for more info on this and all upcoming show dates. |
| 15 January 2005 |
Matt has been invited down to Seattle this Wednesday to play at the living:room in the Fremont district. Fremont is a fantastically hip district just north of downtown Seattle with lots of good restaurants, cafes, and shops to catch your attention. So for those of you down in the Seattle area, mosey on over for a listen. And for those of you in Bellingham and the greater Whatcom County, Matt will be playing the following night, Thursday, at Stuart's Coffee House. See the shows page for more details to both of these shows. |
| 29 December 2004 |
Matt will be opening the show tomorrow night for Seattle's By The Way, a wonderfully talented acoustic group that shifts between classical, bluegrass, folk, jazz, and country music. |
| 13 December 2004 |
To anyone who may have tuned in the Saturday past to hear Matt on the radio, Glacier lost power, so the studio was down. Matt, Kati, Howie, and Dave all made the trip to R.Meme's house in Maple Falls and waited it out, but the power never made it back on in Glacier, so decided to do the show anyway, record it that is, in the comfort of R.Meme's own living room. So once again, If you happen to be East of Bellingham, anywhere near Maple Falls or Glacier, WA, this Saturday 18 December between the hours of 6 and 8pm, tune into 89.1 Mountain Community Radio to hear Matt Novak playing and chatting a bit, accompanied by Kati Claborn, Howie Meltzer, and Dave Maguire. Though it is pre-recorded, you'd never know it.
Also, this Wednesday, 15 December, Matt has been invited back up to Graham's Restaurant in Glacier, WA, to open, and play between sets, for Glacier's own Bent Grass. According to R.Meme, "Bent Grass, for those of you who don't know, is something that has to be experienced. They are Glaciers own pickers and songwriters. In the course of a night they will take you through their own ever growing catalog of original material as well as play the most diverse list of covers. Johnny Cash and Ozzy Osborne, Gram Parsons and Jethro Tull, Richard Thompson and Mojo Nixon, John Prine and the Grateful Dead, David Grisman and Peter Rowan. One nevers knows what to expect and that's part of the thrill. All of it done with a bluegrass bent." See the Shows page for more information.
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| 1 December 2004 |
CDs are now available on line at CD Baby.
If you are living East of Bellingham, anywhere along the Mt. Baker Highway, you can tune into 89.1 Mountain Community Radio on Saturday 11 December between the hours of 6 and 8pm to hear Matt playing songs from Ten Valley and chatting a bit about himself and the creation of the record. Also the following day, Sunday 12 December, he will appear down at Toad Mountain Coffeehouse in Bellingham for a live performance. See the shows page for more info. Happy Holidays!! |
| 21 November 2004 |
Thank you all for attending the CD Release Party, and to all those who could not make it, for sending such sincere blessings. The Release Party was a complete success! The tap room was full of people, and all seemed to have a genuine, honest-to-goodness, fun time. So much positive feedback was received from you all both about the show and the CD; it really is appreciated. This proves that both the show and the CD are a success. So again, thank you. Photos of the party will be uploaded soon, and information on how to purchase the CD is on the Albums page. |
| 16 November 2004 |
The CDs have arrived! Phew! See you all at the Boundary Bay tomorrow! For those of you who live too far away to just pedal over the local brewery, yet are interested in purchasing a CD, you have two options: 1) wait until they are available on Amazon.com or CDbaby.com, or even better 2) Send a check to Wander Records (made out to Matt Novak) and we will send you a CD. See the Contact page for further instructions. |
| 8 November 2004 |
The CD Release Show at the Boundary Bay on the 17th is coming together. Matt will be playing a couple sets supported by some of the finest musicians in the area: Kati Claborn of Gus & Kati and the Mighty Ghosts of Heaven, Mike Grigoni of the Barbed Wire Cutters, Dave Maguire of Quickdraw String Band, Howie Meltzer of Maggie's Fury, and Robert "Goldtooth" Ray of Goldtooth Deluxe. All that said, and Corinne West opening the show, it shaping up to be a night of music worth savoring. Check out the shows page for the details. Now Let's just pray the CDs arrive on time... |
| 25 October 2004 |
The Official CD Release Party will be Wednesday, 17 November, at the Boundary Bay Brewery in Bellingham. Corinne will be coming up from California to open the show. Come on out and let's show her a bit of NW Washington hospitality. More details to come. |
| 17 October 2004 |
Details have been ironed out for a November 5 opening slot at the Nightlight Lounge in Bellingham. Tying up the night is Southern California's Blue-Eyed Son and Bellingham's own Barbed Wire Cutters. This should be a show worth coming out for folks. The Barbed Wire Cutters brand of Bluegrass gets 'em up and dancing every time. Check out the shows page for more details. |
| 1 October 2004 |
The master for Matt's debut album, Ten Valley, is completed and sounding excellent. Paul Turpin at Bayside Recording Studio has put in overtime to get it completed by today. Thank you Paul! Scheduled release date is 22 October, 2004! |
| 21 September 2004 |
Graphics are finalized and the master for Matt's debut album will be completed by the end of next week. Stay tuned. Come back and visit for details. We will keep you updated as the project progresses. The buzz is high and we are very excited to see its release. |
| 17 September 2004 |
Final mixes are in the works for Matt's debut CD release, Ten Valley. Special thanks to all those who have been involved: Paul Turpin, Kati Claborn, Mike Grigoni, Robert "Goldtooth" Ray, Dave Maguire, Howie Meltzer, Laurie Smith, Jason Koski, and Bryan Gagner. |
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