By Stephanie Ng Wan - We.Are.Canadian - 10/09/2007

Having been a fan of Matthew Good (and The Matthew Good Band) for a decade now, it’s probably safe to say that he is one of the artists I have seen the most times ever since I started going to concerts back in high school.

While I prefer the music Good made with his alternative rock band from the ‘90s, I still enjoy his solo work and continue to be his fan.  This past Tuesday, October 9^th, Good was in town promoting his latest solo effort, Hospital Music, after having been through a series of events (divorce, rehab) that changed his life.  The show, part of his Nothing to Hide tour, featured Good completely on his own, playing his songs on an acoustic guitar.

Opening act, Dala, were an all-female two-piece who played acoustic folk with a bit of a country twist. They had strong voices and an endearing onstage presence, but their music wasn’t much to write home about, besides the fact that there was something distinctly Canadian about them (though I can’t quite put my finger on what precisely).

Because the show started late, Dala only played a thirty-minute set, after which there was a half hour wait period for the headlining act.  Considering the tour’s intention was to showcase material from Good’s newest disc, it was interesting that he chose to play a mix of both old and new tunes, including some goodies from The Matthew Good Band days. 

Good’s voice was in full form, and it had to be.  Even with just his guitar backing him up, his voice projected as clearly and strongly as always.  The setting was made up five single light stands placed in a half-circle on stage, a set-up that provided just the right amount of light, darkness and colour at all the right moments during the songs. 

What was most interesting to me was that Good seemed to be a lot happier during this week’s show compared to the countless ones I had seen in the past few years.  The previous media portrayal of Good as a “jerk” was close to being shattered as he told stories between songs, made jokes and poked fun at his crew and even himself.  His wine consumption and his continual requests for alcohol from the bar were amusing and it was quite obvious that he was in good spirits throughout, even in spite of several technical problems. 

Although the crowd was enthusiastic, it seemed like they still needed a bit more time to get used to the songs from Hospital Music.  As was to be expected perhaps, tracks from an earlier time received the biggest roars and cheers from the not-completely-sold-out Club Soda.  Highlights included a slowed and stripped down version of The Matthew Good Band’s “Load Me Up” and “Fated,” a B-side from the late ‘90s that was never released on any studio record.  Good of course played first single off Hospital Music, “Born Losers” as well as “Black Helicopter” and “I’m a Window.” 

After finishing the main set (which ended up being fourteen songs long) with “Apparitions,” Good came back for an encore at a quarter to midnight.  He proved he really did have nothing to hide and hopefully, things will only get better for him in time -- musically or otherwise. 

Tune in to We.Are.Canadian. with Stephanie every Thursday from 6pm-8pm