"I knew Matt was a player- that's why I hired him.
But it wasn't until I saw him do his own thing
that I realized what an entertainer he is. Kauai
is justifiably
proud of this local export."
-Todd Rundgren
BIO
Matt Bolton is a singer/songwriter originally from New York. After spending several years playing in various bands on the east coast, Matt moved to Kauai to start a solo career. Building a following through energetic and eclectic shows in the club scenes of Kauai, Honolulu and Maui, Matt and his band, gained new fans with every performance. |
|
|
 |
During Matt's performing in Hawaii he has been picked up to play as a part of several different national and international touring acts. Most recently Matt was the guitarist/keyboard/vocalist for Todd Rundgren's summer 2008 Arena tour through the United States and Canada. He has also played concerts in bands with Bill Kreutzmann of the Grateful Dead, Jesse Colin Young of The Youngbloods, Donovan Frankenreiter, Prarie Prince of The Tubes, Rachel Haden of The Rentals and Jimmy Eat World, Titus Kinimaka, Adam Sandler, Makana and Amy Hanaialii Gilliom. He has shared stages with Citizen Cope, Steve Kimock and countless other musicians as opening acts and guest appearances. Matt is also most recently featured in Todd Rundgren's soon to be released live DVD 'Arena.'
Matt's new CD 'Just the Echo' was recently released independently and has been gaining listeners on various radio stations in the state of Hawaii. 'Just the Echo' was produced by Grammy winning sound engineer/producer TJ Doherty and Grammy winning producer Ron Pendragon. TJ Doherty is the head sound engineer for Wilco and has worked with Donald Fagen, Sonic Youth, Steely Dan, Beth Orton, Stephen Malkmus, The Killers, and various other artists. Ron Pendragon has worked with Earth, Wind and Fire, Little Feat, Tower of Power, and many Hawaiian artists. |
While Matt is based out of Kauai, HI. Much of the year he spends
playing clubs across the country as either a solo acoustic artist or
as a band. This Winter Matt is going back on the road to promote his
record with an energetic eclectic solo-acoustic diverse mixture of
original music as well as music from hundreds of different musical
artists and bands. Matt plays acoustic versions of songs from wide
varieties of genres. Depending on the setting and atmosphere of the
club, Matt gets the crowd dancing using
live-right-before-your-eyes-made loops of one-man-band-style-drums
that needs to be seen and heard, or he can play a more intimate/mellow
acoustic set. It is this experience and Matt's energetic performance
that is not to be missed. This has been proven by his growing number
of loyal fans and newcomers alike. |
|
|
March 13, 2010 The Garden Island
KAUA‘I MUSICIAN’S LIVELY SOUND PUTS PEOPLE ON THE DANCE FLOOR
The grassroots rock’n’roll of Matt Bolton
by Léo Azambuja |
It might not be something we think about every day, but music has a huge influence in our lives. It touches us deep in the heart, chasing away the blues, bringing back fond memories and connecting us with each other, besides making us dance like no one is watching.
Matt Bolton’s music does all that. The young musician seems to have a fondness for small crowds, in bars and lounges where the interaction between the performer and the public creates a friendly, warm feeling. It’s inevitable; every time Bolton plays his rock’n’roll the public ends up on the dance floor.
"We get people dancing two or three hours a night, that’s what we do," Bolton categorically says of his band.
He’s right. His music is melodic, yet vibrant and alive.
"What I really like about music is seeing people having a good time and celebrating," Bolton said.
But don’t think for a moment that Bolton’s music is only a reflection of what his public wants to hear. The interaction is what makes his art so interesting.
"A lot of times the songs I’m trying to play are the songs I love," Bolton said. "I want other people to hear them; they move me emotionally."
A fat stack of 10 songbooks sitting near Bolton during his performances is a frightening sign of what he can do with musical notes. But he also plays his own songs. The young musician is a talented songwriter, with deep roots in old rock’n’roll songs.
On Friday nights he performs at Tahiti Nui alongside drummer Rhett Pierce and bass and guitar player Jeff Caldwell. The three of them are always coming up with new ways to play old songs, keeping things interesting for the audience and musicians.
"A lot of times we’ll be playing songs at the Nui, and it’s the first time all three of us have ever played it in front of a crowd," said Bolton, admitting that sometimes he gets a little nervous not knowing if a song will work out as he imagined.
Bolton said he might hear a song at home, and immediately think: "Oh man, I think I can do that song as a rock song." He’ll have it in his head, and when he arrives at his gig, he’ll tell Caldwell which key the song is, give Pierce a hand sign, and then go: "one, two, three, let’s go."
"Sometimes it doesn’t work and sometimes it really works," he said.
For the most part though, it works, which is an amazing thing considering Bolton said the only rehearsals they do are five minutes before the show.
Bolton grew up in Long Island, N.Y., and started playing the saxophone when he was really young. Then his grandmother, who was a concert pianist, turned him on to the keyboards.
By the time he reached high school, he was playing in jazz bands. It was around that time when he first started "fooling around" with the guitar. By the end of high school he was already doing gigs at parties.
To this day, the singer and composer still creates most of his songs on the piano.
"It’s all laid out in front of you, you’re looking at the keyboard and things just happen," Bolton said.
If you ever had a chance to see Bolton and his band playing, you probably got the feeling of what their show is all about — having a good time onstage and sharing the same feeling with the public.
With this in mind, Bolton has already done some amazing things. Last year, filling in for a member of Todd Rundgren’s band, he toured the whole country by plane.
A little while after coming back, he left on tour again, this time in a way many musicians only dream about; traveling the whole West Coast with two friends in an old 34-foot RV, stopping in towns next to each other, and playing six to seven nights a week.
Bolton and his band were on the road for three months, and said they made a decent amount of money, something they were unsure of when they started. He jokes that they would’ve made a lot more if the 1987 RV hadn’t broken down so often and blown both front tires on the road, nearly killing them.
He’s already planning a similar tour for later this year, only this time they will take the mountains.
In the meantime, Bolton is slowly crafting his second CD, which his legion of fans will have to wait for until probably next year.
His first CD, "Just the Echo," shows an impressive maturity for a first-time release. But then again, Bolton has been playing music his whole life. |
| |
| Album Review |
Artist: Matt Bolton
CD: Just the Echo
Sept. 24, 2008
Every once in awhile in a popular music lover's life one falls into an oppprtunity to watch a musician grow from his embroyonic roots to greatness. This very well may be the case regarding Matt Bolton's first cd offering "Just the Echo". Starting off with the first track "Bad Weather" he explodes musically into rat-tat-tat rythmn professing lyrically hard times a couple are facing an offers the question whether they will survive. Lyrically, Every track on the CD deals with the anguish and rewards of coupling in a intelligent way. "Ironwood Tree" an acoustic plea Bolton explores a relationship that is captured in the lyrics, "It's not love I'm searching for, It's love I'm running from" said by his lover.
"I've been Thinking" , the fourth track is a musically upbeat saga of a guy who has been twisted by love and has steeled himself against his former lover's return to attempt a reconciliation. He burns her hopes with the lyric "I've been thinking, sorry babe it ain't been about you". This angst of a lover who's lost love theme runs through out the cd . This theme is always compatible with the music it's engaged to whether it's slow or fast. The music is delivered with a great sense of harmony and ebb an flow. Kudos to the engineer, TJ Doherty, who has a deft sense of balance between singer and music. The bare bones recording allows the listener to appreciate the musicanship of Bolton, Truglio, Pierce, and Berkemyer.
The last track" New Light" is a true love song giving the listener hope of a new love found and embraced. A fitting end to a roller coaster saga of ups and downs that this CD represents and most of us have gone thru in the relationship game. The CD is available on iTunes and at
www.mattbolton.com
Roland Lanzi Programmer KKCR
www.kkcr.org
|
List of Venues |
Hawaii |
Mainland |
Oahu
The On Stage
Maui25
Flatbread Company
Jacques
Charley's
Kauai
Tahiti Nui
The Gourmet
Trees Lounge
Sushi & Blues
Kilauea, HI TR-i Central 60th Celebration/Toddstock
Kauai Performing Arts Center
|
Oshkosh, WI Leach Amphitheater @ Riverside Park Waterfest
Cleveland, OH House of Blues
West Hollywood, CA Key Club
San Juan Capistrano, CA The Coach House
Agoura Hills, CA The CanyonSan Francisco, CA Great American Music Hall
Portland, OR Aladdin Theater
Seattle, WA Triple Door
Tempe, AZ Marquee Theater
Beaver Creek, CO Vilar Performing Arts Center
Boulder, CO Boulder Theater
Aspen, CO Belly Up
San Diego, CA House of Blues
Austin, TX Antone's Nightclub
Dallas, TX House of Blues - Dallas
HOB Dallas
Houston, TX Warehouse Live
St. Louis, MO The Pageant
N. Kansas City, MO Voodoo at Harrah's
Rochester, NY Nolas
Bearsville, NY Bearsville Theater
Buffalo, NY The Tralf
Atlantic City, NJ Borgata Spa and Resort - Music Box |
Aloha Lounge Ventura, CA
PCs Bar and Grill, Simi Valley, CA
Frog and Peach, San Luis Obispo, CA
Humboldt Brews, Arcata, CA
Blue Lake Casino, Blue Lake, CA
6 Rivers Brewery, Mckinleyville, CA
The Boiler Room, Eureka, CA
The Inn Place, Laytonville, CA
Shanachie Pub, Willits, CA
La Barca, San Fran, CA
Grant and Green, San Fran, CA
Constable Jacks, New Castle CA
Davidson's Distillery, Reno NV
Liars Bench, Placerville, CA
Nicks Night Club, Chico CA
Downtown Eatery and Libations, Redding CA
Cold Stream Tavern, Fort Jones, CA
Sea Star Bar, Gold Beach, OR
Mcfarlins, Bandon OR
Uptown Pub, Newport, OR
Fireworks, Corvallis OR
Nicks Bar and Grill, Amboy, WA |
|
|
