Live From Matt's House

I had the pleasure of meeting Chris Guzikowski last night at my friend Katie (and Ty) Rand’s house.  It was a great time.  The kids were ice skating on the rink that Tyler made (it’s amazing), we had a steak dinner and lots of their friends showed up.  Chris played some of his originals, as well as Stevie Wonder’s “Signed, Sealed, Delivered”, Peter Gabriel’s “In Your Eyes”, Van Morrison’s “Into the Mystic” and “Domino” as the Rolling Stones “You Can’t Always Get What You Want”.

Chris is an amazing talent.  He has a solo act and plays regularly at the Blue Mermaid in Portsmouth, NH.  Below is his Bio as well as the link to hear his music and purchase his CD.  Below that is a video of Chris playing the title track to his album, “Better Selves”.

Chris Guzikowski is a Portsmouth, NH based singer/songwriter who has played with a variety of the areas best musicians over the years. Sometimes appearing solo acoustic, or as an acoustic duo, and often as part of the full band…Good Will Harding. Chris writes songs about life experiences we can all relate to. His debut studio cd features his original songs, Introspective lyrics, and ear for melody surrounded with a fuller band sound and lush production values. Co-produced with local legend Adam Scharff at Adam’s studio in Kittery, Maine, the album “Better Selves” features contributions from many of the musicians Chris has played with. Featured on Better Selves are: Adam Scharff on guitars, Joe Harding on bass, Jamie DeCato on drums, Sam Harding on drums and percussion and Dana Brearley on guitars. Also appearing are guest female vocalists: Stefanie Guzikowski, Elissa Margolin, Andrea Szirbik, and Katie Freda Rand. Connect with Chris via his artist website: realguzmusic.com

Original song by Chris Guzikowski. A song about the constant tension between being comfortable as you are and where you are vs. striving to be the best you that you can be. “Our Better Selves…are pulling on the strings”.

Below is a photo of the backup singers on the album.  Second from the right is my friend Katie Rand and third from the right is Chris’s wife, Stephanie Guzikowski.

Here’s a photo of Chris playing and singing last night at Katie Rand’s house. Chloe was having a blast listening to the music – that’s her in the corner…

Hope you enjoyed it…

Matt Becker

Live from Matt’s House

Rocking Chair Eric Clapton 2010

Live from Matt’s House

Eric’s 20th studio album, CLAPTON, is one of my favorites.  Not because it has huge hits, or was widely popular, but because Eric picked songs that he loved from his childhood.  There are many great songs on the album: Rocking Chair, written in 1929, How Deep is the Ocean, written by Irving Berlin in 1932, Autumn Leaves, written in 1945, Hard Time Blues, written by Lane Hardin in 1935.  All wonderful songs that should be remembered.  There is a new song on the album as well, Diamonds made from Rain, written by Doyle Bramhall II, who is also one of my favorites.  The video above is Eric playing Rocking Chair in 2010 at the Royal Albert Hall, my favorite musical place on earth.  The guitar he is playing is a 1948 Gibson L-5P which he sold at auction for over $82,ooo to raise money for Crossroads Antigua, the drug and alcohol rehab center that he founded.

Matt Becker Portsmouth, NH

Live from Matt’s House

How to make a GREAT burger…..  Grass fed beef (local), Black Krim Heirloom Tomatoes, Caramelized Onions, Arugula mixed with other greens, fresh bread and a nice warm over easy egg!  For a great burger in the area, take a ride into Portsmouth and visit the BRGR Bar, or Lexi’s Joint.  Both have fabulous burgers.  If you want a burger with a fried egg on top, try the Brazen Burger at the BRGR Bar!  If you get the right meat, you don’t need to add much.  I like to add salt, pepper, chopped up onion and garlic.  On occasion, I like to add a little BBQ sauce while I’m mixing all of it up…

Matt Becker Portsmouth, NH

Live from Matt’s House

Well, the Holidays are upon us…  It’s that time of year again.  Christmas Parties, entertaining, eating….  Here are two ideas for Holiday Appetizers that are inexpensive, easy to make and you will definitely get compliments on them.

Run to your local Michael’s Crafts store, buy individual appetizer dishes (they come in many shapes and sizes) and get started!  For the Shrimp Cocktail, buy more cocktail sauce than you will think you need.  Buy the shrimp and lemons, put them together and BAM!  No one is double dipping!  Top them with a little chopped parsley and you are good to go.  For the Vegetable dish, choose a different cup, put Ken’s Blue Cheese on the bottom and put in the normal items- carrots, green beans, red and yellow peppers!

Matt Becker Morgan Stanley

Live from Matt’s House

Toys for Tots

Great Bay Corvette Club

What a day we had!  We started out having a Holiday Brunch at The Oaks Golf Links in Somersworth, NH.  I have to say, the brunch was fantastic!  I thought the omelette station was awesome, but ALL of the food was delicious.

Sixty seven members showed up at the breakfast this morning, and everyone brought at least one toy with them to donate.  We donated over 100 toys to Toys for Tots!  After we ate, we took some time to admire the cars in the parking lot.  After that, many of us drove togetheras a group to Newington, NH so we could drop off the toys at the Crossings at Fox Run.  What a site we were, close to 15 Corvettes in a row, headed down the highway.  Toys for Tots was officially approved as an activity of the U.S. Marine Corps in 1995.  Their objective is to help less fortunate children experience the joy of Christmas and to deliver a message of Hope to them and to their families.

Here are some photos from today….

This is what 627 Cubic Inches of Supercharged Callaway Corvette looks like!

Matt Becker Portsmouth, NH

Live from Matt’s House

I learned of this version of “I Won’t Back Down” by Johnny Cash this weekend while watching the documentary on Tom Petty called “Runnin Down a Dream”.  This is a must see documentary for any Tom Petty fan.  It’s over 3 hours, but worth every moment.

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers served as Cash’s band for his 1996 Unchained album, but this take on Petty’s Full Moon Fever track appeared not on that LP, but 2000’s American III: Solitary Man. Still, Petty appears here to harmonize with Cash, who after battling illness, imbues the song with added defiance.

Read more: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/johnny-cashs-11-coolest-cover-songs-20140912/i-wont-back-down-tom-petty-20140912#ixzz3tAIz203R
Follow us: @rollingstone on Twitter | RollingStone on Facebook

Matt Becker Portsmouth, NH

Live from Matt’s House

George Sigolas, meet Bonnie Raitt…

After a lovely evening with good friends at the Carriage House in Rye, NH, I wanted to post this video, so my friend, George Sigolas would be introduced to Bonnie Raitt.  Long story short, Sandy is a fan of Bonnie, George is a fan of Sandy, so I suggest that George become a fan of Bonnie!  This couldn’t be a better time as Bonnie Raitt is coming to the Orpheum Theatre in Boston, MA on March 29th.  Sandy informed us that tickets just went on sale (George, that’s you’re cue).  Let’s take a look at this video.  Bonnie Raitt is playing lead/slide guitar, Jimmy Vaughan (older brother of Stevie Ray Vaughan) is playing rytham guitar (on the white Stratocaster) while Gary Clark, Jr is playing along side Jeff Beck.  Tracy Chapman also makes an appearance.  That’s quite the lineup.  Everyone is playing for President Obama.  In the audience is none other than  Buddy Guy, Robert Plant and Jimmy Page, along side a host of celebrities.  What I would have given to be there….  Ms. Bonnie Raitt is playing “Sweet Home Chicago”, which is a song that was written by Robert Johnson and recorded for the first time in San Antonio, Texas in 1936.  This song was written during the time of the great migration for blues players, who traveled up to Chicago from the South, many times riding the blind (the empty boxcar of the freight train) in order to seek out the new sound of Chicago.  This era brought us Muddy Waters, Big Bill Broonzy, Howlin’ Wolf, Bo Diddly, Sonny Boy Williamson and many, many more.  These are the musicians that influenced the Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton and many others with the sounds of the Chicago Blues.

Matt Becker

Live from Matt’s House

I was 8 years old.  Men at Work, a new band from Australia had just released their debut album “Business as Usual”.  It was 1981.  “Down Under”, “Who Can it Be Now” were the biggest singles from the album and I remember it clear as day.  Their next album, “Cargo” came out in 1983.  “Overkill”, “It’s a Mistake” were the biggest hits on that album.  Yes, these were the MTV years.  Years later, Colin Hay performed an acoustic version of “Overkill” on the popular TV show “Scrubs”.  Colin Hay has had a brilliant solo career since Men at Work.  Above is a clip from his latest album, “Next Year People”.

The album’s title track, “Next Year People,” is a stand out composition – a stark but beautiful homage to the depression-era farmers who kept going by holding on to hope that next year would be better. “They kept doing the same thing and expecting a different result,” explains Colin. “I can relate, although their situation was so much more bleak.”

Colin Hay, much more than Men at Work.

Enjoy…

Matt Becker Morgan Stanley

Live from Matt’s House

I was 15 or 16 when I heard my first Elvis Costello song.  I was in the back of a Volkswagen GTI.  Gary was driving.  Charles was in the passenger seat, and I was in back, with Veronica, Gary’s girlfriend.  That was over 25 years ago.  Must have been a spring day because we were still in school and I remember the windows were open and the music was cranking.

“Well I used to know a girl

and I would have sworn

that her name was Veronica”

It took me 25 years to hear the song again and realize what the song is about.  Costello’s inspiration for this song was his grandmother, who suffered from Alzheimer’s.  When talking about the song on a VH1 interview, Costello reminisced about his grandmother having “terrifying moments of lucidity” and how this was the inspiration for “Veronica”.

“Well she used to have a carefree mind of her own

and a delicate look in her eye

These days I’m afraid she’s not even sure

if her name is Veronica”

Matt Becker Portsmouth, NH

Live from Matt’s House

Matt Becker Portsmouth, NH

Everyone loves lasagna, but unless you’re having 10 people over for dinner, you’re going to have leftovers for days…  I of course can eat lasagna breakfast, lunch and dinner, but I hear that isn’t normal.  So, what can you do about it?  Lasagna Cupcakes!  It’s easy to do.  I would recommend a DEEP cupcake pan, that way, one cupcake will serve one person.  My favorite lasagna is with hamburger, spinach, ricotta cheese (salt, pepper and cheddar cheese mixed in) and extra marinara sauce.  When I don’t have time to make a sauce, I’ll use Prego Meat Flavored red sauce, which is Gluten Free.  Speaking of Gluten Free, my favorite GF lasagna noodles are Tinkyada Brown Rice Pasta Lasagne, which can be found at Fresh Market and Market Basket in Portsmouth.  The box is blue/light blue and brown.

A couple of quick tips on making lasagna – I like to slice up a tomato or two and use it in the layers.  Also, don’t be shy on the red sauce.  The lasagna noodles and ricotta cheese will soak up moisture, so I always add more than you think is the right amount.  For the lasagna cupcakes, make sure the noodles are hanging out of the cup a bit,, it will make them nice and crispy….  Don’t forget salt and pepper!

I would bake them at 350 in the oven until they are golden brown….  Good luck out there making lasagna cupcakes!  They’re a fun treat to make with the family.

Matt Becker Portsmouth, NH

Live from Matt’s House