@ Double Door, Chicago, March 17
by Andrew Clayman
Published in Chicago Innerview, March 2008
Matthew Good’s Cobain-esque struggles with fame might come as a surprise to most Americans, considering that most Americans have no idea who Matthew Good is. Cross the border into Canada, however, and it’s a very different story.
Ten years ago, the Matthew Good Band was sort of Vancouver’s answer to the ‘90s alternative sound of bands like Live and Collective Soul. The key difference was Good himself, who’s gritty, passionate vocals carried a lot more socio-political weight than his contemporaries, but apparently less crossover appeal than the Neanderthals in Nickelback. That being said, MGB was a staple on Much Music TV and one of the top selling bands in Canada up until the pressures of stardom led to their derailment in 2002. Good’s battle with bipolar disorder threatened his promising solo career, as well, but he bounced back with the folky, confessional Hospital Music in 2007, which went to #1 on the charts . . . in Canada.
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