Hello friends and family, and welcome newcomers to my newsletter! In it you will find everything you have been seeking: peace, inner happiness, and the secrets to the universe ultimately revealed, nothing less. You will never find spam, animal cruelty, or any carcinogens of any kind in my mailings, rest assured.

At this point I’d like to take a minute to thank our sponsors, ____________ (still waiting for sponsors) and give a big shout out to Drew Santo who has been hosting our website, Kent Hernandez who has been helping with all aspects of my ongoing project/career, my booking agent Tyler Rehm, Bob Merlis and Amy Treco for their excellent PR, Candy Rat Records, and my new homies and fellow label mates Craig D’ Andrea and Gareth Pearson who I recently had the pleasure of touring the West coast with. Oh, and hi mom. I’ll call you soon ok?

So we’ve been busy bees here at my Chicago home base, AKA “Santos’ Laboratory of Underrated Musings”, or “SLUM”, and we’ve managed to tour the states pretty extensively since releasing “Quickly Disappearing” this past January.

if you haven’t checked out the new record yet, shame on you Check the link below, or get it on itunes!

http://www.candyrat.com/artists/MatthewSantos/QuicklyDisappearing/

But the touring is not over yet!! No sir, we are heading East this week! That’s right, Charlotte, Hilton Head, Savannah, DC, Kennett Square, and NYC. Please take a moment to A) clear your schedule. B) click on the link below. C) hold the corresponding tour date closest to you in your calendar. D) tell your friends. E) treat yourself to something lavish.

http://www.matthewsantos.com/shows

Furthermore, I’ve attached some free music for you to enjoy. Just follow the link below and download instant happiness. Thank you for you support!

http://t.opsp.in/1D4OW

Side note, I have been getting ready to shoot my first music video! About f_cking time, I know. But it looks like it’s going to be an epic visual/audio experience second to none. More info to come. You can check out my guy and director Nick Cavelier below. Last link. I promise.

http://1manshow.tv/

And lastly, I am planning a campaign to raise some funds for home recording equipment so that I may start recording the next record ASAP. There are a lot of new songs brewing, some old tunes that did not make it on the record, and some experimentation I would love to share with you all. Having the ability to record on my own will allow for pure magic. Just saying. Stay tuned, you are all beautiful and you complete me.

Matthew Santos

“Quickly Disappearing”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P0NIdR5vO7k

a walk in the wild now / just me and the wind.

like it was as a child now / now the path has grown thin.

and the symphony plays on / with the leaves in the breeze.

with or without me / getting lost in the trees.

 ooo yes.

lost in the trees….

ooo yes.

 now i’m back on the streets / under the indigo haze / where the people you meet / just stuck in their ways / stuck in our ways.

 i solved all my problems / with a dip in the lake.

i found the solution / remedy for mistakes.

i heard the song singing / near the silence so clear. 

none my of heart strings / be strummed by my fears.

 ooo yes.

by my fears…

ooo yes.

 now i’m back on the streets / under the indigo haze / where the people you meet / just stuck in their ways 

now i’m back on the streets / where the dollar holds reign / and the green turns to grey / just stuck in our ways. 

 there’s a hole in my soul love / seems to be no fill.

there’s a hole where my heart was / it’s been gone with the thrill.

there’s a hole in the ground love / left there by a drill.

there’s a hole in my soul love / hole in my soul.

“Dead Star Watching”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxJCFn4cZHA&feature=BFa&list=SP16A7737A7C8C36DF&lf=list_related

as i look back / on the past / like a telescope into the night / to find old light waning.

there’s a sunny day / in May or June / a quaint cafe / in the afternoon  / please don’t forget me / with a coffee over ice.

 the sky’s in motion / dead star watching.

where goes the time in between? 

is it cut like outtakes from a scene? 

is it deep down in my memory?

or does it, burn up like smoke into the air?

should i even care?

 with incense and yesterday burning / ghostly hands they reach across the great divide / a quiet messenger who leaves her silken lines / across your face the thought of me left in your mind.

 a recollection of a / retrospection.

where goes the time in between? 

is it cut like outtakes from a scene? 

is it deep down in my memory?

or does it, burn up like smoke into the air?

now is everything.

“Just to See You”

I walked from Burbank / just to see you.

They are gone / it has passed,

roses dropped /on the past.

I walked from Burbank / just to see you.

One last time /as it ends,

as it fades / as the world / falls from grace.

Waters rise / it’s too late / hold me love / is this our fate?

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wcuApRwl6xI

So the new record has been released and quite a few people have asked for lyrics.  I’ll post them for the songs we have released videos to so far and hope to have a lyric section added to the site soon as well.

“Shallow Grave” Live Session @ Transient Sound Chicago http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=19zAzTW3xAo&feature=related

“Shallow Grave” 

 You know I wrote it in a letter / but I think that talkin’s better / I just wanna’ make it ok. 

When upon my weakest moments / when my demons laughing in the dark / wish it all would go away. 

If I knew then what I know now / I’d know it had to happen how it did, / so that I could learn my lesson.  

Mistakes are easy made and hard to take / don’t make the same mistake twice / and it’ll be just like a blessing.  

I know I’m in your debt / now darlin’ / you know it’s gonna’ be repaid.

Said I hope we can forgive and forget / now darlin’/ it’s buried in a shallow grave.

This pain, how it reminds me I’m alive / with each decision do or die / raindrops wripple through the waters. 

this bitter makes the sweet taste so much better / like the spring after the long and barren / cold, cold winter, yeah.

 Chorus 

 Perfect is the person who accepts / that no one’s perfect no exceptions / less the human refrains.  

 This love is so much bigger than the world / of cynics snickering in smoke / a lighthouse calling out my name.  

 Chorus x2

 And I hope that there is where it’s gonna’ stay.

And here is ”NVR LKD SO FIN” Live Session @ Transient Sound Chicago http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2a2w4sIAeIE&feature=relmfu

“NVR LKD SO FIN”

you walk in late / oh so fashionably / room full of people / you’re the only one i see.how long it’s been? / well i’m not quite sure / but you stole my breath / just like the night we met.

 now the blood rushing to my head / with the thought of you in my bed / oh was it something i said / to make you walk out the door? / gave me a little taste, now i need some more…

 you never looked so…

never looked so fine.

oh my lovely, 

you never looked so…

never looked fine.

oh the smell of your sweet perfume / as you lead me into your room / trail of clothes left on the floor / just like it was before.and it’s a second chance kind of night / we took a wrong left turn should’ve gone right / there’s a scar from the burn that night / but i haven’t learned despite, it’s the sight of you. 

you never looked so…

never looked so fine.

oh my lovely, 

you never looked so…

never looked fine.

oh my lovely.

i’m gonna make you…

gonna make you mine.

oh my lovely,

you never looked so…

never looked so fine.

Blog, Blog, Blog…

 Greetings family!  I hope this finds you well and that 2012 holds you all in high regard.  I’m writing this blog from the strangely familiar, crowded, and deeply beautiful Taiwan where I’ve been for the past six days.  It was a journey that was near 24 hours in duration from Chicago to Taipei, and about 7k miles in distance; aka the longest travel day EVER.

It has been really busy 2012 for me so far.  Gearing up for the release of our new record “Quickly Disappearing”, and the subsequent tour to follow; headed down to Austin, TX to teach a workshop on the use of effects pedals and simple looping techniques at the Austin Songwriters Group Symposium; and flying across the world to Taiwan for a vacation when I probably should be at home endlessly promoting the release of “QD” on the 31st of January.  But let’s be honest here, I am really no good at consistent promotion, one of the many modern demands of being an artist these days.  I think there’s a new years resolution somewhere in there.

"Quickly Disappearing" Available Jan 31st, 2012

So even though I should be writing about the new record (which is being released Jan 31st, 2012) and why it will blow your mind and such, (you can preview it and pre-order here: http://www.candyrat.com/artists/MatthewSantos/QuicklyDisappearing/ ) I’m going to write about this amazing trip I’m on right now instead.

It’s 9:15 am on Friday the 20th of January here in Taipei which means it’s 7:15 pm on Thursday the 19th in Chicago.  I’m just starting to feel well adjusted to the “new” hemisphere as my sleep pattern resembles that of nine-to-fiver more so than singer/songwriter.  Waking up early with the sun (when it’s not raining), coffee, breakfast, going to the city for a productive, fulfilling, yet exhausting day of tourism and active consumption, and then coming home and passing out around 10pm, only to wake up and do it all over again.  And it has been an amazing experience so far to say the least.

While it would look great on paper writing that I’m here on a tour of sold out venues and press dates, it would also be pretty far from the truth.  Maybe one day, but for now, I am here on vacation.  I am here with my lovely lady as she is a native to Taiwan.  I do not speak or read Mandarin, Taiwanese, or Cantonese, so I would be quite lost without her and her incredibly kind and generous family.  Knowing how to say “Thank you”, “Hello”, and “I love you” will only get you so far.

We have been eating a lot.  Something about being here makes me want to consume more than ever before.  It’s a curious spell that seems to have ahold of the people, much as it does to most of us in the West.  Yet here in Taiwan you walk down the street and are drawn in by the most lurid sights and smells.  Piles of food steaming on the grill, garlic and fish swimming through the air, lights, lights, and more lights.  Every flashing sign designed to grab your attention and pull you in.  Every smell confected to inebriate your senses and seduce your appetite.  I find myself full, yet still wanting more.  Maybe it’s the MSG?

I’ve been sure to document almost everything I’ve eaten.  From “stinky tofu” (which smells just like festering pig shit, yet surprisingly tastes pretty good) to lavish desserts that would cost about $12 in the states, yet go for about $4.30 here.  The exchange rate is about $29 NT for every $1 US dollar, and everyday things like food and water are pretty cheap.

Stinky Tofu

Something that I really enjoy here are the “night markets”.  Some are more food oriented, others more clothing and accessories-minded.  Basically they are narrow, alley-like streets filled with shops and parades of people looking to eat, buy cheap, otherwise expensive shit, or just take in the sights.  There is heavy traffic at these nightly markets, both pedestrians and obnoxious scooters zipping through the crowds unapologetically.

night markets

People drive like complete assholes here with little to no regard for traffic laws, pedestrians, or each other.  It’s dangerous, surprisingly efficient, and quite frustrating at times, and you have to be exceedingly careful when crossing the street or even walking down the sidewalk.

The weather is unseasonably warm right now, lingering in the low to mid 60′s at its coolest, and low 70′s during the day.  The sun was a bit shy at first, but has been gracing us with its company the past few days.  The air is damp, and it’s raining often.

When I get back to the states on the 27th, I have about a day to adjust to the new time zone and prepare for a performance at the Sundance Festival in Salt Lake City on the 29th.  Sadly I fear I won’t  be on my “A Game” for the lack of vocal conditioning due to this two week Taiwan vacation, but still hope to move a potentially high profile audience with some less than extraordinary execution.  I think my “B+ Game” is definitely still worth seeing if I may be so daring to say so myself.

 So out of everyone who started reading this blog, if you have made it this far I must thank you and congratulate you.  It means, first off, that you can read.  Secondly, that you have the patience and focus to make it this far, and thirdly, that you are interested enough in my ramblings to do so.  Thank you.

Please check out the new record “Quickly Disappearing” and pre-order it here: http://www.candyrat.com/artists/MatthewSantos/QuicklyDisappearing/ 

 you can view a live, in studio performance of our first single “Shallow Grave” here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=19zAzTW3xAo&feature=share

 We put a lot of time and effort into this one and really hope that you will enjoy it.  It may be the last record of its kind coming from me, at least for a while.  Much love to you and yours upon the new year, and may our passions inspire deeply. 

 Matthew Santos

some of you have asked to see some of my visual art.  here are some low quality pics of some paintings and drawings i’ve done in the past.  sorry about the photo quality… :/  enjoy.

m

trees have eyes (18" x 24" mixed media)

death comes marching (18" x 24" mixed media)

Gomer (18" x 24" pencil, ink)

self port "curiosity" (33" x 43" mixed media on wood)

Tree Walker (18" x 24" pencil and ink)

Blog Entry #4:

It’s been quite a while since I’ve blogged, and I will be the first to admit to my own neglect.  So much has happened in the past few months that now I don’t know where to start.

Let me start off by saying (or writing rather) that I want to discuss a few subjects with you, the reader.  Hopefully by the time this blog reaches my website, there will be an option to leave comments and thoughts, like a forum if you will.  Please be good to my wall.

Subjects of this blog are as follows: Reality TV Singing Contests, Bit Torrenting, and Industry Insight / Advice.  This may be a three part installment blog discussing one subject at a time.

Part #1:

I will start with the latter.  Many young, budding, musical talents have approached me in the past few years asking me to listen to their tunes and give them a critique.  Countless young rappers have propositioned me to sing on their hooks, and singer/songwriters have posted their songs on my profile pages, or have asked for my advice in matters of the industry.  This is all very much ok, and I’m flattered that fellow artists would hold my opinion and advice in seemingly such high esteem, but I’m going to be real with you here.  I’m still an artist trying to figure my own shit out along side the rest of them.  Still hustling, still making ends meet.

So clearly I’m no industry guru.  If I could offer any insight into my line of work, and at the risk of stating the obvious, the music industry is a whorehouse of thievery and deceit.  As Hunter S. Thompson has been misquoted countless times, “The music business is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free, and good men die like dogs.  There’s also a negative side.”  This is actually paraphrasing, and he was talking about the T.V. business, not the music industry, but most people have accepted this quote as authentically authored by Thompson.  Actual quote here:   http://urbanlegends.about.com/od/dubiousquotes/a/hunter_thompson.htm

The essence of what I am referring to is still quite relevant, as the ugliness of human greed, resilient as a virus, seems to infect anything that is “good” and “pure” and turn it into a product or money-making endeavor.  But the game has changed drastically since Hunter S. Thompson’s book “Generation of Swine: Tales of Shame and Degradation in the ’80s” was written in ’88.  Since the advent of the “inter-web” the music business has seen a steady, rapid decline and the end of it’s hay day.  The industry titans have been overcome by a new generation of progressive thinking.  User friendly “share” sites such as Youtube, Napster, Pandora, and Bit Torrenting in general, have reshaped how we find our music, and how artists put it out there.  But that’s a whole other topic to be discussed in the next blog.

Random Jelly fish

Some of my observations of the music industry make me lean towards the cynical side of things.  For example, the industry doesn’t really value raw talent, heart, soul, or fine intentions to cure the world through good vibrations, at least not how you and me value such things.  Unless of course such things can be translated into “draw”, “traffic”, sales, and most importantly, marketability–all terms that the industry does care about.  Let’s face it, as pure and as beautiful as music can be, the capitalist society we live in has turned artists into products; into brands.  And we can play that game if we wanted.  That is, if we are “lucky” to posses marketability…but at what cost?

It’s up to us as artists to retain a sense of creative purity and to maintain whatever spark of uniqueness we have to offer the world.  Guard that spark as dearly as you would your love itself.  The industry will try and change you, mold you into a brand they can package and market to a specific demographic of consumers.  That is if you have the raw talent, heart and soul that draws people in in the first place.

There is a reason why famous people in the entertainment industry are called “stars”.  They have to posses a bright light and warmth shining forth, while exhibiting a strong gravitational pull.  If you have it already, and you are exercising those powers and hustling your ass off to get your light out there to the endless expanse of the universe, than it’s safe to say that you only need to play along with the “rules” of commerce within the industry.  At least at first, depending on your ambitions.

So let it be clear that talent is not as important to the industry as marketability. Everyone possess’ some artistic talent, as it is intrinsic to being human. Human = Artist by nature. At some point, in one form or another, we are called into a state of creativity by life. We only need to say “yes” to exercise that state; to exercise our very nature as expressive, conscious beings.  We all may not have the specific talents relevant to the entertainment industry, but nonetheless, there is no shortage in the supply of talent.

And this is not to say that talent, as it pertains to this conversation is not a necessary element to “success”. It is only to stress that it is not an ultimate shoe-in.  Often it is your drive alone, and the clarity and potency of your vision that will carry you to where you want to be.  What are the boundaries of our dreams?  Why do we make music/art?  What are our goals; and what can we do today to move toward our goals?  There is a quote:

“Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.” – Calvin Coolidge

I hope that this blog finds you well.  I’ve been working on some new tunes lately, hitting up the studio once again in hopes of finding or uncovering some sort of musical magic.  Next blog entry will explore the world of Bit Torrenting and a new approach to the lines of “intellectual property”.  Feel free to share your thoughts.  Much love.

Zombie and Golfer

Calvin Coolidge once said, “We cannot do everything at once, but we can do something at once.”  I know that he said this because my Palm Pre has an application that periodically cycles through an array of interesting things that interesting people once said.  The idealist in me finds it motivational, inspiring, and quite convenient at times. This particular quote seemed to sum up my current life situation and rests at the roots of our little operation, or “grassroots movement” as it’s sometimes called.

Allow me to further elaborate on my life situation so that we, blogger and reader, may start fresh with each other without any preconceived notions.  Since my contract expired with 1st and 15th (Lupe Fiasco’s “label”) I’ve become completely independent of any affiliation to a label, production company, booking agency, or management company.  While the project still has a small team of dedicated individuals working to see it through, we are all quickly learning the ropes of a swiftly shifting entertainment industry by hands on experience.  In other words, despite any past accomplishments and/or  credentials, and in the words of Katt Williams, “…everyday I’m hustling…everyday I’m hustling”.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLDitGAUrno

no joke.

umm...yeeeeeaaaaahh...

So last night Kent and I stayed in a hotel room near Fort Stockton, TX almost half way to the venue in Tucson, AZ.  Due to continual, violent, drug-cartel related conflicts near the Mexican/US border, we were advised to stay away from El Paso while en route to Arizona.

We are currently driving very fast down HW I-10 westward.  As I’m blogging Kent has noticed a mysterious white dot against the blue sky off in the distant horizon, over what we think is Mexico.  We’ve caught a few pictures of it, but still cannot discern what it may be.

I proposed that it may be a blimp or weather balloon.  Tour Manager isn’t convinced.  We’ve concluded that it’s probably just a space craft of an ancient, alien species touring the stars from light years away, that somehow utilizes the oxygen in our atmosphere as a propellant fuel, and it needed to fill up it’s tank before hitting the next galactic venue.  Certainly that would explain it.  I know I am a complete nerd, but it has its uses.

"look up in the sky..."

We stopped at this gas station which apparently is the last stop for 40 miles.  I got out of the car to see if I could get a better picture of the UFO while Kent filled up the tank.  While walking a little bit away from the gas station, I noticed these little carcasses littering the road.  Upon closer observation, I realized that there were small, alien creatures disguised as giant grasshoppers feasting on the dead bodies, clearly trying to get rid of the evidence.  You see, if I wasn’t such a nerd I wouldn’t have been able to recognize the aliens when I saw them.

So while I was observing the extraterrestrial eating habits in the name of science, Kent struck up a conversation with a border patrol officer who was filling up next to us.  The officer had a fully loaded, M4 automatic weapon in his passenger seat and warned us to be careful in these parts due to the drug cartels.  He then mentioned something about “illegal aliens” which I couldn’t quite hear, but I got the gist of it.  Definitely something strange going on here.

don't be fooled...it's an alien.

Kent thanked the BPO for his services with a handshake, and I raised a final eyebrow at the UFO hovering over the desert and then walked back to humanity, watching my step.  We asked for a photo with the officer holding his highly efficient, automatic weapon, but he declined saying that it wasn’t allowed.

We were pulled over for the first time earlier today by the Texas HW Patrol.  We were speeding, clocked at 92 mph.  He was a nice guy about it, which was immediately comforting considering the horror stories friends have told me about being pulled over in TX.  He asked Kent to come back into the Trooper Mobile with him so that he could write us a warning.  He asked Kent about logistical details of our travels thus far while Nirvana Unplugged played quietly through the speakers, and said he used to live in Austin while going to the Academy.  He then confessed to not liking living in the city because he couldn’t see the stars as clearly as back on the farm where he grew up.

We parted ways with a smile and sense of relief that he didn’t search the car and find the pounds of cocaine in the trunk next to the dead shop-keeper, suitcase full of money, and shots of Botox.

We just came from Austin where we did an intimate showcase for some music lovers and local songwriters.  My friend Lee Duffy helped me set it up last minute (and I extend my gratitude to you Lee).  Friends with Willie Nelson and many other well-known-old-schoolers, she has been involved in the Austin singer/songwriter scene for many years now and started an organization called “Austin Songwriter’s Group”.  We played and stayed at the ASG “head-courters” for a couple nights, which was inspiring to say the least.

Austin, I salute you.

So for those of you who are active FB friends of mine, you may remember a video I shared a while back of a young lady named Annalisa Nutt covering a song of mine called “My Remedy”.  Her rendition of the tune was so incredibly soulful and touching that I felt inclined to repost it.  I may even like it more than my own version.  If you haven’t seen it, follow this link:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=agfv1yGnQXU&feature=related

A few days after I found out about Annalisa via the aforementioned video, she sent me another link to her Sound Cloud page where she had posted a version of “December’s Ghost” with her harmonizing vocals recorded on top.  Once again, I was thoroughly impressed.  Clearly this girl from a small town down in Arkansas had something very special going on.  It’s as if the music flowed from her as natural as her breath flowed from her lungs.  Had she not reached out to me the way she did, I probably would never had invited her to come play a few shows with me on the tour.  She accepted the invitation and met us down in Austin for the showcase with her friend Jessica.  I already knew she was a gifted singer from what I had seen of her on youtube, but when I sang with her for the first time it was like we’d been singing together for years.

Annalisa Nutt

As reinforced by all who witnessed the performance first hand, our voices simply fit together, like how peanut butter and jelly does, or cookies and milk.  There were times during the show were I couldn’t help but sport a shit-grin by how effortlessly beautiful her voice was.  The feedback from the audience was synonymous to my own sense that this was just the start of something possessing great potential.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQCbI8mkBIU

After reflecting on the show in Austin, the next day we invited her out on the road with us to finish off the tour.  Reluctantly, she agreed and is now meeting up with us in Phoenix, a couple strangers she just met not but a day ago, and will be touring and singing with us until we reach Denver.  Mad props for courage and a sense of adventure girl.  You won’t regret it.

check out the rest of the tour dates here: http://matthewsantos.com/shows

9/29/2010

We are on the road again headed to Atlanta after a brief yet indulgent stay in Hilton Head. When I say “we”, I am referring to myself and an old friend of mine who is known by some as the whistle-blowing “Referee”. His birth name is Kent and he has been aiding the project with his services for quite some time now. He is my tour manager while on the road, and helps with everything from booking shows, to reintroducing old, forgotten songs of mine back into play via the powers of suggestion, as there are a lot of them that never really see an audience.

Kent once said to Trevor Hall’s drummer Chris Steele upon meeting him, “If you need to remember my name, just think of Superman…like Clark Kent.” In response, Chris said, “If you need to remember my name, just think of pissing on a baby. Piss rhymes with Chris.”

Chris Steele

Kent recently married a sassy little brown-eyed, Italian firecracker formally named Alison Nasti. Her last name is now Hernandez. We refer to them in couple form as “Her-nasty”, which in case you can’t see what we’re doing there, it’s a simple last name combination device that just happened to work out really well.

At any rate, Alison came down to Hilton Head in super-surprise fashion to get in some quality time with Hubby after almost two weeks of us being on the road. He was indeed, super surprised. It took all of my self control not to spoil it, and after doing my part in the unfolding of the grand-master-scheme, I ended up missing the dumfounded look on his face when he realized he wasn’t dreaming.

"Her-nasty"

We were staying with a couple old friends of “Her-nasty” from Batavia, IL, Todd and Stacey Romoser. The Romosers have a strangely well-behaved and intelligent dog named “Rango Nation”, who, since I was clearly the third wheel hanging with two freshly married couples, was my unofficial companion for the 4 night stay in Hilton Head.

Todd and Stacy

"Rango Nation"

The last night of our stay in Hilton Head we visited the parents of Stacey who just so happened to live in a newly rehabbed mansion on one the best golf courses in the country. For the record, I’ve never been golfing in my life, but walking on that green gave me the sudden impulse to swing a nine-iron. Or something. Needless to say, their hospitality was unparalleled. 27 y.o. scotch whiskey, $300 bottles of red wine, great conversation all night, and a boat ride into the sunset. All topped off with some delicious pizza. It was pretty rough.

wow.

And now we are in Atlanta at this venue called Masquerade. Our “green room” acts as a walk-through area for the venue’s staff to get to the offices apparently, but besides that this is a wicked joint. And I don’t use “wicked joint” lightly. The building is older than hell and has mill factory relics as art pieces out front.

Trevor Hall and co just got here and are setting up for soundcheck. I’m a little worried about the health of my vocal chords tonight as I acquired a bit of a cough the past few days. Extensive coughing is probably the worst thing for your vocal health if “singing pretty” is something you’re into. I blame it on recent, heavy usage of pot, which is also not so good for your vocal health.

Yes I choose to smoke pot every now and again. Sorry kiddies, that’s just who I am. I don’t recommend it to those who don’t enjoy it, or to those who enjoy it too much and too often. I personally find it useful and conducive to creative thinking when consumed in moderation, as everything should be. Do I think it should be legalized? Absolutely. It’s being widely smoked whether there is a tax on it or not, plus it’s much safer than other legalized substances on the market. That’s my soap box moment for this blog.

Trevor is a soft spoken, kind, and jovial cat with an affinity towards Hindi spiritual beliefs and reggae music. His songs and his human are both agreeable and uplifting, and I generally enjoy his banter during down time. His band is made up of some incredible musical talents. Aaron Dugan on lead guitar will be the featured band member of this blog entry. Follow this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_profilepage&v=IoFXliTlYS0

Trevor Hall

Trevor’s following tends to lean towards the younger crowd, but a music-lover is a music-lover no matter how young or old, and generally most of them seem to be touched by what I’m trying to do. There are actually quite a few people who come out to see me open because of an old Candy Rat youtube video of me singing “Shadows in a Shoebox” or something of the sort. Some even know the lyrical in’s and out’s of quite a few of my songs. It’s encouraging to see nonetheless.

Yet I’m in a strange and curious place right now. When it comes down to numbers, my name and voice is more widely known than the band I’m opening up for, yet Trevor can draw close to 200 people or more a night to see him play. I couldn’t bring out more than a handful in some of these cities, mainly because I’ve never been through them before. It’s a testament of how continually touring your ass off is how you create and nurture a committed fan-base. Of course your music has to be good and ideally you need to be playing in front of an audience or demographic that is likely to receive your music with open arms. I’m starting to realize how much more it really takes to truly emerge from obscurity…I really feel as if I am starting over from scratch again. Still paying my dues apparently, a sobering reality, humbling to say the least.

So far we’ve been through North Hampton, NYC, Norwalk, Boston, Burlington, Baltimore, Charlotte, and now Hilton Head. We’ve camped 3 times, and eaten fast food only twice, which is pretty amazing. I’ve been taking detailed VLOGS (video blogs) with a new HD camera that I specifically got for this tour. Unfortunately I lost the camera in Charlotte like a moron and lost all the footage along with it. We are just about half way through this run which in full will last a month, Birmingham coming up next, then westward to Austin, Tuscan and Phoenix, eventually ending up in LA with a few stops in between. ( http://matthewsantos.com/shows )

it feels so good to be King...

I feel strangely at home on the road. Still paying rent in Chicago, my loved ones surely missed, but this gypsy lifestyle sustained by constant movement where artistic expression is an everyday happening–this is where my heart is at the moment. Everyday some place new. Every set a stumbling exploration of musical possibilities and refinement. Every night new eyes and ears hold witness with fresh, personal connections to be made. This perpetual newness is just part of the value of being on tour for an extended run as a musician. I feel like Johnny Appleseed walking bare foot through pastures he’s never before traversed, walking this long and winding road simply planting seeds only to return again to nurture their growth.

Well this is my very first blog entry. I kind of feel like i’m a little late on this whole blogging tip, but there is no better time than now to start I guess. Two years ago when touring with Lupe, Rihanna, NERD, Kanye West and crew my blogs may have been a little more interesting, but I will make a point to bring some of the old touring stories out of the vault for nostalgia’s sake. Hopefully there will be plenty of juicy, new stories and revelations to speak of as well.

smooth chillin in Charlotte

To start off, things are much different now than when “Superstar” was in high rotation a couple years back. I see old pictures from the Glow in the Dark tour and don’t even recognize myself. I’m actually somewhat embarrassed. That whole era seems like a dream to me, but not like a “I’ve been waiting my whole life for this moment..” kind of dream, but more like a “did that really happen?” type of thing. Like did I really rock a Fo-Hawk and occasionally run around in a fire-engine red outfit in front of crowds of 30,000 people? Did Jay-Z really shake my hand and congratulate me on my success? Did I really have a moment with a very pregnant Jessica Alba backstage on TRL?

by Jan Galvez

For you new readers (which I guess is all of you since this is my first blog) if you’ve ever heard the song “Superstar” by Lupe Fiasco, (which unless you live in a box down by the river, you probably have, but just in case: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ty0u1PzXfTo&ob=av3e) than you are at least somewhat familiar with how I broke into the wider music scene, and can imagine how I was experiencing such close contact with some of the most famous people in the world. Last time I looked, the official “Superstar” video on youtube had over 15 million views. That’s an impressive number to behold, and it trips me out to think that so many people have seen my face and heard my voice. And that’s just on youtube.

Now you would think that the success of that song would be enough persuade interest from an array of music industry suitors. And it did. At first. And then one would assume that I would be signed to major label and releasing my own hit singles and making my own music videos with $300,000 budgets and so on. At least that’s what I thought was going to happen, mainly because it was pretty much promised to me by the powers that be at the time. Yet once the time came, while the music industry was in a steep financial and structural decline, my own music, which was nothing like the pop song whose chorus projected Lupe Fiasco into international fame and glory, was not the type of music that the majors were considering stepping behind. I was too much of a risk apparently.

If I would have continued on down that narrow path and just sung pop songs like “Superstar” there is a good chance that I’d be very wealthy, famous, and “successful” today. Not to mention completely unhappy, unfulfilled, and lost in all that bullshit. The problem was, my heart just wasn’t in the whole thing. In my idealistic mind, music was more than a way to make money or gain fame. It was a spiritual experience and I wasn’t willing to make certain compromises to my own vision of success. I wasn’t willing to play the game how the game needed to be played. Everything happened so damn fast, decisions that were the life changing type needed to be made, and in truth, I simply wasn’t ready.

It was like hooking up with a fine woman with a hidden agenda and sweet things to be whispered in your ear, and while in the midst of having unabashed, unprotected sex with this seductive beauty, thinking to oneself, “maybe I shouldn’t be doing this…”. And so I pulled out before it was too late. We haven’t really talked since.

If you’re a follower of what I’ve done outside of my collaboration with Lupe, then you know how very different my music is. If you are unfamiliar, goto http://matthewsantos.com and click on the youtube button at top of page to see videos from this tour, and previous videos as well.

Today, I am starting over. A new chapter has demanded itself into fruition. The turn of the revolving doors has sent me in a new artistic direction. I have stepped out of the thick brush and back onto my path. The “refresh” button has been pushed, my passion has been restored. If “Amazing Grace” has ever spoken to me before, today I am ready to listen.

photo by Matthew Santos

If you did not know, I am touring the country at the moment, opening up for a young musician named Trevor Hall ( http://www.trevorhallmusic.com/ ). I play a 45 min solo set each night, old songs and new songs, experiments with loop pedals and vocal effects, just doing my damnedest to wow the audience and hold their attention long enough for them to realize that I’m not just another schmuck with a guitar.

Trevor Hall

photo by Jaime Jihae Lee

For many people in the crowd, this is the first time they will hear my music. Some nights I will sing a chorus of “Superstar” to strike a familiar chord and people are very surprised to learn that I’m the same guy who sang “that one song” with Lupe Fiasco. It was actually like 6 songs and some change but who’s counting. But even when the connection is made, it’s a hard thing to win over a restless crowd when you’re just one guy with a guitar and some tricks up his sleeve.

Not shaving at Hilton Head

But nonetheless, we’ve been getting a great, positive response from most people. Those who come to hear and appreciate good music and not just to drink and belligerently scream at their friends standing right next to them; it’s those still and receptive faces in the crowd that are my reasons for breathing. They “get it”. To be inspired to inspire another…it is a collaboration of souls. To lay bare the skin of one’s heart and be received, it is a gift to both giver and taker. I am grateful to be here today moving there into tomorrow from yesterday’s passing whereabouts. I am content following my love into the dark stretches of unfamiliar roads, sleeping on floors or on couches or in my tent. I am happy to be sharing something so dear to me with all these lovely, young strangers just looking for a spark.