  Matthew Good |
Matthew Good is full of surprises.
For instance: On his current tour, he's sharing the stage with former Matthew Good Band drummer Ian Browne for the first time in a decade.
"That's the big news," announces the 40-year-old singer-guitarist from his B.C. home. "I'm really looking forward to it. I haven't played with Ian since the old days."
Sadly, it took the death of troubled MGB bassist Geoff Lloyd in 2010 to reunite the pair, who lost touch after the group imploded in 2002.
"Ian and I met at Geoff's memorial and got to talking about everything. After 10 years, you just f---ing grow up and realize that what you had at the time, you shouldn't have squandered. Back then, everyone acted pretty f---ing stupid. Ian and I can admit that to each other now.
"Anyway, he ended up coming out for dinner with his wife, and we went down into my basement and had a long talk. About four weeks later, I found out that my regular drummer wouldn't be available for this tour, so Ian was basically my first and only phone call."
Of course, one buried hatchet isn't the only positive change Good's made. Since finally getting treatment for his long-undiagnosed bipolar disorder in 2006, the notoriously mercurial musician has turned his life around. He's released some of his most personal and ambitious albums, including 2009's Juno-winning Vancouver and this year's expansive Lights of Endangered Species. He remarried last year. His wife gave birth to their first son in February. And his touring schedule hasn't slowed -- this time out, he's playing 40 shows in 38 Canadian cities over two months.
But for a guy whose life is an open book, there's still plenty to learn about Good. Here are a few things you might not know:
He digs jazz.
"One thing few people know about me is that I'm a huge jazz fan," he says. "I grew up listening to it. My dad played nothing but big band music around the house. He's got all the original Glenn Miller albums on vinyl. If you were to ask me the best album ever produced by a human being, I'd say Bitches Brew by Miles Davis. Done deal. I can listen to it nonstop for eight hours and every time it blows my mind. For years upon years it's blown my mind. It doesn't stop blowing my mind."
He just bought his first house -- and it's fit for a hobbit.
"I've never owned property. I've been terrified of it my whole life. But we've been looking for a house. My wife saw this place, and she knows how much of a fan I am of The Lord of the Rings. I first read it when I was nine and I've read it like seven times. She was like, 'Check this out: The house is fashioned after the architecture Peter Jackson used for Rivendell in the movie. It's all like that. It's stupid. So somehow I ended up buying a $1-million Lord of the Rings house. Now I'm totally stressed. You try to deal with that reality when you just released the first record in your career that might not go gold. Right now, I feel like, 'Holy s---, did I pick the wrong house.' But I know it's where I'll spend the rest of my life. I won't sell it. I want it for my kids."
He loves the ponies.
"My wife and my (step)daughter and I are all horse people -- we all ride. That's another reason we got the house: It's only on two acres, but it has a stable and a riding range, and we're hoping we can make some money by boarding other people's horses."
He gets starstruck, too.
"It was 1996, and I was in the loading bay at GM Place with our gear. We were opening for The Who. This guy taps me on the shoulder, I turn around -- and it's f---ing Pete Townshend! I can't speak. He says to me, 'Are you with the opening act?' And I say, 'Yes sir.' I called him sir. And he says, 'Can you please tell them we're sorry for taking so long in soundcheck?' I still can't say anything. I just nod and shake his hand. And I remember coming offstage that night, and he and Roger Daltrey had listened to us. He looks at me and points and goes, 'You're in the band!' "
He's related to one of his favourite musicians.
"Mark Hollis of Talk Talk is actually, like, my fifth cousin by marriage. I didn't find that out until the late '90s. My mom went to England and stayed with relatives. And she called one day and said, 'You're a real big fan of that band Talk Talk, right?' I'm like, 'Well yeah, Mom.' I mean, I've got the gold record of their album The Colour of Spring on my wall. And she says, 'One of the guys is married to your cousin.' I'm like, 'What!?' Those last two Talk Talk records, Spirit of Eden and Laughing Stock, had a huge impact on everybody. They're considered the first two post-rock albums. You read interviews with Thom Yorke and he cites that as an influence."
He wants to jam with some singer-songwriters.
"I'd love to sit down with Steve Earle. He would be at the top of my list. Jeff Tweedy from Wilco would also be up there, and Ryan Adams. Those guys are just pure songwriters, you know? I'm drawn to writers like that. I always go back to Bob Dylan and Paul Simon. Those guys just do it. Give them a s---ty acoustic guitar and they can play something great. Paul Simon is a f---ing genius. There is no questioning that."
Matthew Good tour dates:
Oct. 8 | Goderich | Square
Oct. 9 | Bala | Kee To Bala
Oct. 12 | Sydney | Membertou Convention Centre
Oct. 13 | Halifax | Forum Multi-Purpose Centre
Oct. 14 | Moncton | Casino New Brunswick
Oct. 16 | Pembroke | Festival Hall
Oct. 17 | Montreal | Le National
Oct. 18 | Peterborough | Showplace
Oct. 20 | London | Centennial Hall
Oct. 21 | Kitchener | Centre in the Square
Oct. 22 | Hamilton | Hamilton Place Theatre
Oct. 24 | Kingston | Grand Theatre
Oct. 25 | Mississauga | Living Arts Centre
Oct. 27 | Belleville | Empire Theatre
Oct. 28 | Ottawa | National Arts Centre
Oct. 29 | Oshawa | Regent
Oct. 30 | Meaford | Meaford Hall
Nov. 1 | Sarnia | Imperial Theatre
Nov. 3 & 4 | Toronto | Queen Elizabeth Theatre
Nov. 6 | Thunder Bay | Outpost
Nov. 7 | Winnipeg | Burton Cummings Theatre
Nov. 8 | Saskatoon | Odeon Event Centre
Nov. 10 & 11 | Calgary | Jack Singer Hall
Nov. 12 | Red Deer | Memorial Centre
Nov. 13 | Fort Saskatchewan | Dow Centre
Nov. 15 | Edmonton | Jubilee
Nov. 16 | Prince Albert | Rawlinson Centre
Nov. 17 | Lethbridge | Stone
Nov. 19 | Kelowna | Community Theatre
Nov. 21 | Trail | Charles Bailey Theatre
Nov. 22 | Whistler | GLC
Nov. 24 | Chilliwack | Cultural Centre
Nov. 25 | Mission | Clark Theatre
Nov. 26 | Port Alberni | District School
Nov. 28 | Nanaimo | Port Theatre
Nov. 29 | Victoria | Royal Theatre
Nov. 30 | Duncan | Cowichan Theatre
Dec. 2 & 3 | Vancouver | Vogue Theatre
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