Matt Shwachman Band Earns New Success

Blackstone Valley Tribune

1/1/10

Mark Renburke

Matt Shwachman and his band a.k.a. (MSB) produce an acoustic guitar driven-blend of original pop and rock. With Hugh Allen on bass, Mike Fiore on lead guitar and Dana Bonardi on percussion, MSB prides itself on being a very hard working band, playing hundreds of shows at arenas, festivals, universities and top club venues in the Northeast.

Matt’s songs have been featured on various TV shows. “Side of the Road” earned aspot on the hit TV series, “One Tree Hill,” while the emo-driven ballad “Wait for Me (Hold On),” recently closed out the final dramatic scene of the season of MTV’s Real World Cancun. His music is also doing well at college radio, with airplay on over 200stations. Skope Magazine states Matt “would impress fans of artists such as John Mayer, Tom Petty and Jason Mraz” and CMJ predicts, “Acoustic-wielding, Boston-Based singer songwriter Matt Shwachman will be giving … Five For Fighting a run for their money.”

His most recent album is “Uncharted Territory” and MSB is currently in therecording studio working on their new CD due out in early 2010. Matt waxes philosophic about his recent successes as a “growth process that brings fulfillment, and in order to attain any sense of it, it must be earned.” Catch the Matt Shwachman Band performing this month in the city of Worcester: Saturday the 2^nd at Galway Bay Irish Pub, Saturday the 9^th at Boston Billiards, or Friday the 29th at Sakura Tokyo.

http://www.blackstonevalleytribune.com/pdf/BLA.2010.01.01.pdf

MATT SHWACHMAN
Uncharted Territory
12-song CD
We are indeed all searching for something and according to his one-sheet, Matt Shwachman is seeking “melody, motion, and fulfillment of the mind.” His contemplative, soulful lyrics are alive with philosophical themes, yet maintain a straightforward approach. In this way, audiences of any generation can easily relate: there is no guesswork. Irony and metaphors are simply not present here. Instead, listeners are greeted with simple, inspirational messages of hope. Gentle, melodic grooves are reminiscent of John Mayer’s debut album, Room for Squares, as well as the Dave Matthews Band. With tunes such as these, it’s no wonder Shwachman has been featured in a variety of places—on over 150 college radio stations, as well as the television series, One Tree Hill. Here’s to many more! Uncharted Territory is a solid, likeable effort—ear pleasing with a coffee-shop ambiance. (Julia R. DeStefano)

http://www.thenoise-boston.com/content/blogcategory/3/17/

Boston Globe Magazine 8/29/09

PLAZA SWEET

We are searching for something, right? Some of just want a good piece of apple pie, but for the Matt Shwachman Band (Above), its a search for melody and motion. The New England acoustic guitar-driven pop/rock group coheadlines tomorrow with Brothers McCann a blend of pop, folk, and soul with killer harmonies. The music is part of a the free Rock the Plaza music series at Patriot Place. Aug 30 at 2 pm, weather permitting. Free.

Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Music in the park
Newton Hill, Elm Park concert series ready to roll

By Nancy Sheehan TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF
nsheehan@telegram.com

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July 14: Matt Shwachman
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July 9: Beatles for Sale
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July 16: Dennis Brennan
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Newton Hill will be alive with the sound of music on Tuesdays while down below, in the more visited part of Elm Park, summer concerts have long been one of our favorite things on sultry Thursday nights (assuming we even have any sultry nights this rain-soaked year).

Both Elm Park locations are about to kick off their respective free summer music series. Newton Hill is first out of the gate with Hat On Drinking Wine slated to perform at 6:30 tonight (Tuesday).

Elm Park (down at the Highland Street at Park Avenue part) will start shakin’ at 6:30 p.m. July 9 with the crowd-pleasing cover band Beatles for Sale. Come back again July 16 for Boston music legend Dennis Brennan, who will bring his whole band out west here with him. It will be Brennan’s first appearance in the park series. Cliff Goodwin, the series organizer and well-known guitarist, snagged him for the lineup after seeing Brennan at the House of Blues in Boston, where he opened for the J. Geils Band.

“I was blown away with what Dennis did at House of Blues,” Goodwin said. “I hadn’t seen him in years and I always thought of him more as a solo act, but he had a band with him and he’ll have the band at the park, which will be great.”

Here is the rest of the lineup for the Thursday night Elm Park series, presented by Park Spirit, a citizen friends-of-the-park group: The Valves July 23; Worcester Jazz Orchestra July 30; The Dinosaurs Aug. 6; The Red Riders Aug. 13.

How does Goodwin go about selecting bands to please just about everyone in a public park?

“I’m thinking ‘great entertainers that will satisfy everyone from 8 to 80,’ ” he said. He believes he has met that goal with the tuneful roster he has put together. “It’s fantastic,” he said. “It’s got a little bit of everything. Obviously we know where the Beatles are coming from. The Valves are just a great rhythm and blues horn band. Dennis Brennan is a true talent. The Worcester Jazz Orchestra speaks for itself. The Dinosaurs are just a great fun band and the Red Riders are jump blues. There’s not a downer in the bunch.”

Meanwhile, up at the Newton Square rotary, the Tuesday night music club has about 300 or so enthusiastic members and everyone is invited to join. The Newton Hill Concert Series, though smaller in scale than the Elm Park one, is a neighborhood tradition the whole city can share. The line-up includes always-popular bands, most of which have some kind of Newton Square connection. Many have members who live in the neighborhood.

In addition to the music series, there also is a cross country race every Tuesday in August at the same time. The reason for all the running is that the Friends of Newton Hill, which presents the concert series, wants to show off the lesser known heights of their namesake knoll, which rises fairly steeply behind the rotary area.

“It’s in beautiful condition,” series organizer Luke Robert said, of the once neglected area. “Some guys in our group actually go up and mow the top so it’s pretty clean.”

You could go for a nice stroll on the knoll, or you could challenge yourself and run.

“We’re just trying to promote the hill and get people up there,” Robert said. “Rich Lemerise, who is with Central Mass Striders and lives in the neighborhood, thought it might be nice to do a cross-country race, so we started that in conjunction with some concert nights so we’d have a lot of people at the bottom and a lot of people running around the top and just creating a little atmosphere.”

And, if you’re not huffing and puffing too hard, you might be able to hear the strains of some fine music emanating from the bands below.

June 30, Hat On Drinking Wine; July 7, Dog House Flowers; July 14, Matt Shwachman; July 21, Swing Dixie; July 28, Far from Eden; Aug. 4, Kids Under the Carpet; Aug. 11, TBA. All shows start at 6:30 p.m.

http://www.telegram.com/article/20090630/NEWS/906300402

Uncharted Territory
Matt Shwachman | Self Produced (2009)

There should be another category for singer/songwriter Matt Shwachman’s acoustic pop than Adult Album Alternative, otherwise known in radio circles as Triple A. How about latte folk? After all, Shwachman’s ear-pleasing and consistently upbeat tunes have a Starbucks ambiance to them.

The trembling piano and honey-sweet vocals of the first track, “Destiny,” reveal the guilty fingerprints of a Coldplay influence but Shwachman takes a lighter approach than his English idols. While Coldplay aim for the stars, Shwachman plays it down to Earth, his gentle melodies swimming in subtleties. This is a song that, in the hands of a lesser talent, could have faded into the background; however, Shwachman has a keen ear for hooks, and it’s a talent that enables his tunes to transcend the John Mayer comparisons which will inevitably haunt them.

The crisp snap of Shwachman’s unplugged guitar gives “Rise Above” a sprightly rhythm, but it is his optimistic worldview that makes the track truly infectious. “When your worries wear you down and out/Rise above,” Shwachman sings. It conveys a simple message of hope and never retreating from failure, and sometimes that’s all a song needs. Shwachman doesn’t drown in metaphor or irony; his lyrics are often straightforward and easy to comprehend. The moving “Soulmate” recalls the summer-soaked romanticism of the sadly forgotten Toad the Wet Sprocket while “Wait for Me” echoes U2’s ethereal chime.

Shwachman keeps the grooves laid back and mellow; however, his poetic sense of melody, such as the breezy vocal harmonies on “Do You Know?,” ensures that interest is sustained throughout the album. Shwachman isn’t trying to set the world on fire with this release; he is merely giving it time to chill out.

Visit Matt Shwachman on the web.

Track listing: Destiny; Dying to Feel Alive; Rise Above; Unreasonable; Side of the Road; Soulmate; Do You Know?; Floating; Wait for Me; See Through; Samantha; Blink of an Eye.

Personnel: Matt Shwachman: vocals, guitar; Jason Yost: guitar; Josh Gromblom: drums; Nate Wilson: piano; Andrew Gallagher: bass, keyboards, guitar, background vocals; Jess Tardy: background vocals.

Style: Beyond Jazz
Published: June 20, 2009
By Robert M. Sutton

http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=33218

Rising above

CLUBS

It seems some days as though the poppy, fundamentally upbeat singer-songwriter is kind of a rarity on the local scene: lots of alt-country and contemporary-folk stuff, sure, but not a whole lot playing to the John Mayer end of the spectrum. That’s where Matt Shwachman comes in. Shwachman’s an engaging songwriter, and there’s an overwhelmingly positive vibe to his music, even when he’s being fundamentally melancholy, as on “Side of the Road.” But it’s when he’s playing deep into a positive message, such as on the uplifting “Rise Above,” he hits with a lot of power. Shwachman performs at 9 tonight at Tammany Hall, 43 Pleasant St., Worcester.

— Victor D. Infante

Matt Shwachman
By Linnea Sheldon

Matt Shwachman came to Worcester at the tender age of eight years old. He attended Bancroft High School, where he began studying music during senior year. As part of his senior project, he picked up the guitar and also wrote his first song, “Side of the Road.” According to Shwachman, it is a song about finding your dreams and not letting what other people think get in the way of that. “Ironically enough, that is the first song I started getting national attention for,” he said. “It was recently featured on the hit TV show “One Tree Hill,” and is also featured on my new album, “Uncharted Territory,” which is a personal account touching on love, relationships, transformation, existentialism, and spirituality.”

Shwachman graduated from UMass Amherst with a degree in Business Administration, and is currently the Vice President of American Realty, Inc. He continues to focus on his career as a singer-songwriter as well.

After performing as a solo artist for several years, Shwachman decided to expand his musical horizons, creating the Matt Shwachman Band (MSB). The band features Hugh Allen on bass, Dana Bonardi on drums, and Mike Fiore on lead guitar.

“They are all extremely talented musicians as well as awesome guys,” Shwachman said. “We have been touring New England for the last 6-8 months with a focus on Worcester, Boston, and New York, and have already played many of New England’s top club venues, including The Hard Rock Café Boston.”

MSB also had a headlining slot at the Boston Music Festival and performed on the TV show “Backstage.” They also performed in First Night Worcester and are next playing Tammany Hall on Friday, January 2.

Shwachman said that he has always loved the songwriting aspect of what he does. “It’s like putting a puzzle together that is stuck inside your head,” he explained. “Every songwriter knows and loves that moment when you finish a new song and you can’t wait to play it for someone. What inspires me to keep doing it is that I hope I touch people’s lives the way other people’s music has touched mine.”

Shwachman felt differently about performing. “I did not always love to play live,” he confessed. “At the beginning I was encouraged by friends and family to play out. My parents and brother have been extremely supportive and encouraging. My guitar teacher, Rich Falco, head of Jazz Studies at WPI and an instructor at Clemente Music, was also instrumental in getting me to perform for the masses. Rich is an amazing guitarist and teacher as well as a good friend.”

He currently credits his band with giving him the drive and inspiration to perform. “The friendship and band chemistry that I have formed with Hugh, Dana, and Mike has been invaluable in my growth as a musician,” he said. “It is so much fun that I honestly can’t play enough right now, hence our busy schedule.”

Shwachman uses his talents to help out in his community. MSB has performed to help raise money and awareness for some great causes, recently performing and contributing to the Karaoke for a Cause event put on by City Councilor Joff Smith and Channel 3’s Jen Roy.

Shwachman’s plans for the future include touring and performing live with MSB as much as possible. For upcoming dates, visit www.myspace.com/mattshwachman and www.mattshwachman.com. MSB are also in the studio working on their first group CD, tentatively titled “Are You Prepared,” which is due out in the fall of ’09.

Matt Shwachman took time from his crazy schedule to talk with Stoli all about the 12/6 show. Matt has a very loyal following in New England so with him opening up the night expect lines at the door early on. This guy is the real deal!

Stoli: How did it feel when you confirmed that you would be playing the 2008 Skope Live Holiday Bash?

Matt Shwachman: My band and I were thrilled to be chosen to play the 2008 Skope Live Holiday Bash. We were especially excited to be involved since the show is also a benefit and raising money and awareness for Autism.

Stoli: What singles, albums, or EP’s have you put out recently so people can get familiar with your sound if they are not already?

Matt Shwachman: My new album, Uncharted Territory is the latest release and is available on I-tunes and Cd Baby. The latest single is a song called Rise Above, which has gotten great reviews from many publications, including Skope! People can also listen for free at our myspace page, www.myspace.com/mattshwachman <http://www.myspace.com/mattshwachman> .

Stoli: How do you determine what songs that you will play for this big show?

Matt Shwachman: We look at this as a showcase type of set and will feature our strongest original material. We will most likely include a couple of covers though to keep the crowd involved if they haven’t heard our music before.

Stoli: Have you ever played Bill’s Bar before & if yes, how was that set?

Matt Shwachman: Bill’s Bar is actually one of the few larger clubs in Boston that we have yet to play, so we are excited to make our presence felt there.

Stoli: What other bands on the bill are you excited to watch?

Matt Shwachman: We are really excited to see all the bands – Meet the Day, The Vital Might, & Forgetful Jones. Skope did a great job of putting together an awesome bill and we are excited to be a part of it.

Stoli: What is one of your favorite things about playing live in Boston?

Matt Shwachman: We love playing Boston as it is home for us. Boston takes their sports and music seriously. We actually recently had one of the largest concert promoters in NYC tell us after our set that he thinks that the Boston bands tend to put on better shows than the NYC bands. We took that as a big compliment and are always proud to be representing Beantown.

Stoli: What do you do to let all your fans know about the 12/6 show? Will any family members come out to show support?

Matt Shwachman: We promote grass roots style by word of mouth, calls, and texts. We send out emails to our mailing lists and use social networking sites like Myspace and Facebook to let our fans know when and where we are playing. We are hoping that some family members will be in attendance. I invited my folks to the show a week ago and had my Mom mark her calendar so it would be nice if they came.

Stoli: Before you go on to play, what must you do to get ready to play?

Matt Shwachman: I don’t know that we do anything special to get ready. We tend to stay pretty lose as a band are always eager and ready to take the stage. Like most bands we do like to make sure that our sound is good prior to playing and that we have a good mix of the instruments in our monitors on stage.

Stoli: The show is on 12/6 so will you do anything special to close out 2008 that night?

Matt Shwachman: We actually have about a half dozen more shows planned after this one in 2008 including a First Night Show so I wasn’t really thinking of it in terms of ending ’08. It will be great though to get in the holiday spirit and start celebrating early.

Stoli: Skope Live! is used as a medium to help raise awareness & money for Autism Speaks. What are your thoughts on Autism and have you been directly effected?

Matt Shwachman: Again, we couldn’t be happier about being involved and raising awareness & money for Autism. That really makes this a special night for us. My ex-girlfriend worked with many special need children, some with Autism, and we would regularly discuss how it was disheartening to see all these young children with these extremely challenging diseases like Autism. As a band, we are really excited to be involved and contribute in raising money and awareness for Autism.

Stoli: What is your favorite element of playing to a live audience?

Matt Shwachman: The energy of the crowd is hands down my favorite thing about playing to a live audience. When the crowd is hyped we really feedback on that energy and return the favor.

Stoli: What should my readers know before they come see you play on 12/6?

Matt Shwachman: Readers should know that they are in for a great night of music which is supporting a great cause. They should be ready to be “Shwached and awed” and to have their sox rocked off!

Matt Shwachman: Thanks Stoli!

www.myspace.com/mattshwachman 

Fusion Plugs in for Live Music

By Doreen Manning

Fusion. Noun: The process or result of joining two or more things together to form a single entity.

Fusion Lounge and Nightclub is living up to its name these days, as they expand their lounge club mindset by adding live music to their weekend lineup.

With state-of-the-art sound and lighting systems, a stylishly decorated lounge area, and a spacious nightclub with a shake-your-rumpa dancefloor, Fusion is already well known for its weekend offerings. You have college and half-clad young folks celebrating with an 18+ college night on Wednesdays with Blurry Nights Entertainment and DJ Matty; Break from the Books on Thursday with DJ Snoopy; Saturdays with DJ Hydro spinning Hip Hop, Reggae and Top 40, and Sundays International Night with DJ Nick and Sam. Now add to that Friday evenings with the Matt Shwachman Band playing live sets with a mix of originals songs and popular covers from bands like Coldplay, U2, Pearl Jam, Radiohead, Dave Matthews Band and more.

No, Fusion is not having an identity crisis, but rather an expansion of their mindset by adding live music to their mix. Owner Rob Arakelian explains, “The decision to venture into live music was an easy one. I wanted to offer something different for my customers. Now they have the ability to watch up-and-coming bands perform in a laid back and intimate setting.”

Currently supporting a new album titled Uncharted Territory, the Matt Shwachman Band (mattshwachman.com) consists of Worcesterites Shwachman (go figure), guitarist Mike Fiore, bassist Hugh Allen, and drummer Dana Bonardi. “Uncharted Territory is a journey about the process, not the end result,” Shwachman says. “We are all ever-evolving, changing and growing people. It is this growth process that brings fulfillment, and in order to attain any sense of it, it must be earned.” This residency comes on the heels of much buzz about the band, as they have recently played at a host of New England venues, snagged local TV appearances and even a spot on the airwaves on a few Boston area radio stations. Catch them every Friday night from 9:30-11:30 p.m. this fall at Fusion, 109 Water St, Worcester, fusionworcester.com.

http://www.worcestermagazine.com/content/view/3244

Downtown beat

Music festival gathers Tammany Hall favorites

If you like music, you’ve got to love Worcester lately.

Music festivals have been popping up all over the place, providing a great soundtrack to summer and giving people the chance to check out a month’s worth of bands at a single sitting. As summer slips into fall, the (relatively) new owners of Tammany Hall, one of the most venerable music venues in the city, are getting into the act with “Tamfest ’08,” a 20-band festival tomorrow. The event, which will be held rain or shine, will feature 10 bands inside and 10 outside in the parking lot next door.

“These bands are our best performers,” Tammany co-owner Tom Hammond said. “They bring out the most people. They have the most fun. We have hundreds of acts coming in and out of here all the time but these 20 are pretty much our top 20.”

Headliners will be the Ray Hendricks Revival (which has been mulling the idea of disbanding recently), the up-and-coming Sam James Band, Uncle Billy’s Smokehouse and Humblebee. Rounding out the varied bill are Black River Sound, Skullfunked, New Pond Fondle, The Curtain Society, New Pilot, Mass Elite, The Franks, Weight of Gravity, Matt Shwachman Band, Dave Rivers Group, Hey Now Morris Fader, Brendan Mahoney, Dusty Cobb, 508 Family Biz and a couple of bands TBA.

 http://www.telegram.com/article/20080919/NEWS/809190391 

The Curtain Society, top photo, and the Matt Shwachman Band are among the bands set to perform tomorrow. Enlarge photo