January 2007 Featured User

Matt (From Mass)

Chelle: Where were you born?
Matt: I was born in Springfield, MA. (1964)

Chelle: What is your earliest memory?
Matt: That would probrably be pre-school. They used to call it nursery school. I remember being forced to eat foods I didn't like (yuk!).

Chelle: Do you have any siblings?
Matt: I have an older sister (5 years older) who lives in Fla. I also have an older brother (10 years older) who lives in CA.

Chelle: What were your interests in school?
Matt: I played football in high school and concentrated on Art. I went to Westfield State College. It is a 4 year school. I just went 2 years. Majored in Art.

Chelle: What did you always want to be when you grew up?
Matt: I never really focused on one thing. I kind of just wanted to enjoy whatever I was doing. For a little while, I wanted to be a comic book artist.

Chelle: What's your day job?
Matt: I am currently employed by the U.S.Postal Service. (16 years).

Chelle: Have you, or any of your co-workers, ever "gone postal"?
Matt: Nobody I know. But there are a few fellow employees that we try to keep our eyes on. lol

Chelle: Married/single? Kids?
Matt: I have 15 yr old son who lives with me. The pic that is in the member photos section is of me and my son back then, during the PD days. Now he is about my size and in high school. His mother and I just recently divorced. We live with my girlfriend and her 2 kids.

Chelle: How old are her kids? Does your son get along with them?
Matt: There is a big diffence in ages. My son is 15 and my girlfriends are 3 and 5.

Chelle: How long have you been involved with the online VH community? Have you always had the same username?
Matt: I was formerly a member of the Pleasure Dome. I was "the Incinerator" there and at Tormented VH fans until I moved and changed my e-mail address and wasn't able to log-in anymore until I changed my TVHF name. ......Matt (From Mass)

Chelle: Would you like me to see if I can change it back to that?
Matt: I tried to keep Incinerator, but I've had Matt (From Mass) for so long I am kind of attatched to it. Besides, I frequent the Joe Bonamassa forum with the same name.

Chelle: Do you play any musical instruments?
Matt: I love to play guitar. I am relatively new to it, even though I've had one off and on for about 20 years. I just started seriously playing 3 1/2 years ago.

Chelle: Did you play any instruments as a child that you don't play anymore?
Matt: My sis had an acoustic guitar when I was a kid but I thought it was too hard to play and gave up.

Chelle: Tell me about your musical interests.
Matt: Aerosmith was my first favorite band. My sister bought Toys in The Attic, and I was hooked on rock'n'roll ever since. I soon after became a huge Kiss fan and then Van Halen. I love music. I need to listen to something every day.... I've seen over 30 different artists perform live. Some multiple times. Van Halen 6 times, Kiss 6 times etc. The first time I saw Van Halen live was in 1979 when I was 15 years old. I remember that I had just bought Van Halen on record and my friend bought Van Halen II. We did that because each of us could only afford to get one each.

What stood out for me was David Lee Roth's performance. Very energetic, jumping around and those patended DLR screams. Also I remember Michael Anthony's bass solo. I really enjoyed how he ran around and twirled though the tons of stage smoke -Very cool! It wasn't till about a year later that I started to become the huge Eddie Van Halen fan that I am today. I'm one of those people who would love to hear anything that Eddie does on the guitar. I'm all for a solo record.

In 1986 I got the chance to see VH with Sammy and also DLR solo. I do have to say that I enjoyed the solo DLR show more. Probrably because He did play many more classic VH songs, I think Van Halen w/Sammy probrably did maybe 2. Also DLR had this 'all star' band including Steve Vai on guitar and Billy Sheehan on bass. If there is anyone capable of recreating the EVH guitar experience it's Vai.

Many years later, about 20 years, I met a co-worker who went to the same 1979 show. He also shared with me the pics he took of that very same show. Here is one of those pics taken by Wayne Macdonald.

Chelle: What is your opinion of the current state of VH?
Matt: Well, "Tormented" comes to mind. I don't know of any other artist or band that drives it's fans crazy with frustration. Especially waiting for new music. I am one of those fans who would love to hear something, anything. A solo record with Eddie doing anything on guitar would be aewsome.

Chelle: Have you met any of the VH band members?
Matt: No

Chelle: Met any other celebrities?
Matt: I met Joe Bonamassa at a show once in 03. He's really starting to get his name out there.

Chelle: What single store would you choose to max out your credit card in?
Matt: 'Best Buy' or any other store which sells movies, music, electronics, computers, etc.

Chelle: Do you have any hobbies?
Matt: I love fantasy art. When I find the time, I like to draw..... I self published my own comic book way back in 1995. It only got as far as issue #1

Chelle: I'd love to see some of your art. Do you have anything we could see?
Matt: Sure.

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Chelle: What is your comfort food?
Matt: Pizza and beer, and my girlfriend's brownies with coffee.

Chelle: What is your guilty pleasure?
Matt: I shamedly admit that I'm addicted to MySpace.com. There is so much crap on there it's easy to get lost. But there is also so much music related stuff you can find.

Chelle: Finish this statement: If I won a million dollars, I'd...
Matt: Well my first thought would be, to hire Van Halen to play my birthday lol. But seriously I'd have to start with family. I would love to be able to buy my brother and sister new houses. Hopefully close enough together so we could all be near each other.

Chelle: What is the craziest thing you've ever done?
Matt: I remember sitting in the backseat of an old co-worker friend of mine's car on our way to see the band Boston. He had a brand new 1980something Monte Carlo SS. Two of his friends also had fast cars. We traveled from Springfield to Worcester Mass. at about 100 miles an hour almost the whole way. I was in the back seat drinking beer and didn't really get scared till the next day.

Chelle: Do you have a general philosophy on life?
Matt: Treat others with respect, the way you would want to be treated.


http://www.myspace.com/matthewgreenia