Matt Poss Band

By Michael Sudhalter

Simply put, Matt Poss is a product of the heartland and the eclectic mix of sounds that you can find there. You’d be hard-pressed to find a more versatile artist in country music – or any other genre.

Steeped in the bluegrass of his youth (his family used to have a traveling bluegrass band) and soaked in the blue collar rock of Bruce Springsteen and John Mellencamp, Poss also knows a thing or two about country outlaws like Waylon Jennings and Johnny Cash. Poss, writes most of his songs from personal experience or from things he’s observed.
And after working in a machine shop, teaching high school biology and selling real estate, Poss is very much in touch with the real world issues of today.

Take for example his most popular song and the name of his band – “Rolling Thunder”, which pays tribute to the U.S. military and the sacrifices that they make so we can continue to live in freedom. Poss’ support of the troops led to his taking part on a USO Tour through Germany, Belgium, France and England. He’ll continue his work with the USO, entertaining US troops stationed in Afghanistan in April. “It was absolutely amazing,” Poss said. “All of those guys and girls are just hungry for anything American. They’re the most appreciative audience I’ve ever seen or played for.”

Poss plays both solo and with Rolling Thunder and has toured extensively through the Midwest, opening up for such stars as Gary Allan, Kid Rock, Miranda Lambert, Diamond Rio, Todd Snider, Craig Morgan and Dale Watson.

He might be Illinois-born and bred, but Poss is often mistaken for a resident of another state in the middle of the U.S. “I’ve been told if they didn’t know I was from Illinois, they’d think I was from Texas,” Poss said. That might be because Poss’ sound is closer to that of the thriving Texas Music scene with stars such as Roger Creager, Kevin Fowler and Robert Earl Keen.

Poss, however, can fit in anywhere and has made frequent trips from his hometown of Effingham, Ill. to Nashville. If you want to hear how that first visit to Music City went, you’ve got to check out his true-to-life tune “Frontdoor” – the first track on his “Hinges” album, released last May.

Band members Don Woolard (Bass Guitar), Rob Rennier (Drummer), Mike McDevitt (Lead Guitarist) and Dirk Baker (Rhythm Guitar) all hail from southern and central Illinois and play a key role in Poss’ unique sound.

Poss isn’t just a musician, but also a festival organizer; he recently opened for Texas/Red Dirt giants Cross Canadian Ragweed at the inaugural Flatland Jam Festival in Effingham. “I’ve been wanting to put on a festival for a while, and a couple of buddies said they wanted to take my idea and make it happen,” Poss said. While Ragweed often sings about experiences in their native Oklahoma, Poss connects with listeners on rural anthems about coming of age in southern Illinois (“Three Bricks Shy” and “Danielle”). If Poss had his way, he’d like to spark a similar scene to the Red Dirt in the Land of Lincoln.

“For years, I wouldn’t listen to the radio, just old country,” Poss said. That’s especially evident on “Coyotes”, a western folk ballad that wouldn’t be out of place at a Cowboy Poetry Festival somewhere in the Rocky Mountains.
Part of Poss’ ability to write songs stems from his initial dream – of becoming a novelist. He can write a song that can have both personal and widespread appeal, like “Hey Leah”, a song about his wife, Leah, whom he’s been married to for nine years.

With so many different influences, you’d expect Poss not to do some cover songs. Most recently, he covered Bruce Springsteen’s “From Small Things (One Day Big Things Come)” and Cracker’s “What The World Needs Now”. Don’t expect to hear an identical version of the originals, as Poss puts his own unique stamp on the songs.

Where will the next stage of Poss’ musical journey take him? It’s hard to tell, but it’s been one heck of a ride so far.
- Mike Sudhalter

Some years ago Matt Poss, kid brother of my college housemate, solicited some comments from me for a few short stories he had written. Flattered that he sought my opinion, I was also excited by the idea someone else from my hometown—built around grain elevators and truckstops—was willing to try his hand at the literary arts. Sure, I said. Send them my way.

If the stories I read weren’t yet fully developed, they certainly showed promise: tales of men in tough places. There was evidence of a good ear and a strong faculty for language. I had my obligation to warn him about the expense of writing short fiction (most publications pay in copies, not cash), but I encouraged him. I made some suggestions. We communicated by email. He told me about the books he was reading, Hemingway and Cormac McCarthy.

What he didn’t tell me was that he could sing.

That revelation came later. After dinner at Matt and Leah’s house one night (over beers, I’m sure), he let me know—somehow modestly—that he had written a portfolio of nearly a hundred songs. I was floored. A hundred. At that point I hadn’t written a hundred anything. This guy was serious, he was working at the craft, and when he played and sang some for me in the spare room where his guitar and lyric sheets were, it became apparent the short story discussion would be put on hold. Let’s talk records.

In 2003 Matt recorded his debut, Fool Enough, which featured “Her Mama Don’t Love Me,” a finalist for VH-1’s Save the Music songwriting competition. People were noticing. He was featured on Coca-Cola’s website. He was gigging with a band, The Wild Bunch, named for Peckinpah, which included Marty Williamson on guitars along with Matt’s brothers, Larry, Jr., and Mike. Their father, Larry, Sr., filled in on banjo whenever the need arose (and lucky for us, it arose often). Matt’s brother, Bill, an Austin, Texas, singer-songwriter, shared the bill with the band on occasion.

So, on roadhouse stages across the midwest, Poss was coming into his own as a front man, but the title of his second disc meant to give propers to his “high octane country” cohorts. 2005’s Matt Poss and the Wild Bunch revealed a maturing songwriter riding cowboy over some great hooks. While the sound would tilt toward the hard country of, say, Bocephus, the writing--the characters, the details--bore the empathy, nostalgia, and wary patriotism of rockers such as Springsteen and Mellencamp. It follows that Poss holds artists such as Steve Earle in high esteem, and, though The Wild Bunch was chosen along with Kid Rock for a USO/Armed Forces Entertainment European tour, an opening slot for Fred Eaglesmith must surely be a highlight of Poss’s early career.

The tracks from this third album, Hinges, started arriving in my inbox in the spring of 2008. In two clicks I could tell my laptop wasn’t doing them justice. They were big, proud things--they blustered and snarled. I needed to get them on the stereo pronto (yep…one louder!).

With a barrelling and nuanced voice, Poss has, innately, the presence of a performer, them magic beans that eventually separate the golden eggs from the rest of the pickers in the patch. Now, by that, I don’t mean to slight the scores of talented guitarists and scratch pad songwriters who, God bless us, won’t figure to play beyond the back porch. I love the back porch. But when you hear the confidence in these songs, the cleverness in their writing, it’s hard to imagine any back porch being a big enough stage. These songs simply knock down the fences. They blow the doors off.

It feels like it’s time.

Hinges was produced by Grammy nominee R.S. Field at Omni Studios on Music Row in Nashville, which used to be the old RCA Victor, made famous by the likes of Owen Bradley, Chet Atkins, Porter Wagner, the Everly Brothers, and the King hisself, Elvis Presley. Field himself has worked on dozens of productions with Webb Wilder, Sonny Landreth, Buddy Guy, Billy Joe Shaver, Justin Townes Earle, and John Mayall. Good company, for sure. The guitars are played wonderfully by Nashville’s veteran renegade Kenny Vaughan, tastefully even when he’s got the throttle open, as it should be.

Chad Willenborg
May 2008
- Chad Willenborg - Philidelphia

Some years ago Matt Poss, kid brother of my college housemate, solicited some comments from me for a few short stories he had written. Flattered that he sought my opinion, I was also excited by the idea someone else from my hometown—built around grain elevators and truckstops—was willing to try his hand at the literary arts. Sure, I said. Send them my way.

If the stories I read weren’t yet fully developed, they certainly showed promise: tales of men in tough places. There was evidence of a good ear and a strong faculty for language. I had my obligation to warn him about the expense of writing short fiction (most publications pay in copies, not cash), but I encouraged him. I made some suggestions. We communicated by email. He told me about the books he was reading, Hemingway and Cormac McCarthy.

What he didn’t tell me was that he could sing.

That revelation came later. After dinner at Matt and Leah’s house one night (over beers, I’m sure), he let me know—somehow modestly—that he had written a portfolio of nearly a hundred songs. I was floored. A hundred. At that point I hadn’t written a hundred anything. This guy was serious, he was working at the craft, and when he played and sang some for me in the spare room where his guitar and lyric sheets were, it became apparent the short story discussion would be put on hold. Let’s talk records.

In 2003 Matt recorded his debut, Fool Enough, which featured “Her Mama Don’t Love Me,” a finalist for VH-1’s Save the Music songwriting competition. People were noticing. He was featured on Coca-Cola’s website. He was gigging with a band, The Wild Bunch, named for Peckinpah, which included Marty Williamson on guitars along with Matt’s brothers, Larry, Jr., and Mike. Their father, Larry, Sr., filled in on banjo whenever the need arose (and lucky for us, it arose often). Matt’s brother, Bill, an Austin, Texas, singer-songwriter, shared the bill with the band on occasion.

So, on roadhouse stages across the midwest, Poss was coming into his own as a front man, but the title of his second disc meant to give propers to his “high octane country” cohorts. 2005’s Matt Poss and the Wild Bunch revealed a maturing songwriter riding cowboy over some great hooks. While the sound would tilt toward the hard country of, say, Bocephus, the writing--the characters, the details--bore the empathy, nostalgia, and wary patriotism of rockers such as Springsteen and Mellencamp. It follows that Poss holds artists such as Steve Earle in high esteem, and, though The Wild Bunch was chosen along with Kid Rock for a USO/Armed Forces Entertainment European tour, an opening slot for Fred Eaglesmith must surely be a highlight of Poss’s early career.

The tracks from this third album, Hinges, started arriving in my inbox in the spring of 2008. In two clicks I could tell my laptop wasn’t doing them justice. They were big, proud things--they blustered and snarled. I needed to get them on the stereo pronto (yep…one louder!).

With a barrelling and nuanced voice, Poss has, innately, the presence of a performer, them magic beans that eventually separate the golden eggs from the rest of the pickers in the patch. Now, by that, I don’t mean to slight the scores of talented guitarists and scratch pad songwriters who, God bless us, won’t figure to play beyond the back porch. I love the back porch. But when you hear the confidence in these songs, the cleverness in their writing, it’s hard to imagine any back porch being a big enough stage. These songs simply knock down the fences. They blow the doors off.

It feels like it’s time.

Hinges was produced by Grammy nominee R.S. Field at Omni Studios on Music Row in Nashville, which used to be the old RCA Victor, made famous by the likes of Owen Bradley, Chet Atkins, Porter Wagner, the Everly Brothers, and the King hisself, Elvis Presley. Field himself has worked on dozens of productions with Webb Wilder, Sonny Landreth, Buddy Guy, Billy Joe Shaver, Justin Townes Earle, and John Mayall. Good company, for sure. The guitars are played wonderfully by Nashville’s veteran renegade Kenny Vaughan, tastefully even when he’s got the throttle open, as it should be.

Chad Willenborg
May 2008
- Chad Willenborg - Philidelphia

Herald & Review (Decatur, IL)
Thunder scores big with troops
Hats taken off for Matt Poss and the Wild Bunch

   ALICIA SPATES
H&R Staff Writer
Matt Passalacqua wasnt looking for his Effingham bands latest single, "Rolling Thunder," to be a hit. He was moved to write the song after anti-gay protesters from Kansas showed up at a young soldiers 2006 Effingham County funeral. The protesters claimed soldiers have died because they fought for a country that condones homosexuality.

"I think theres a time and place for everything, and I was furious at the lack of respect. It was a funeral.
"Rolling Thunder is about the kind acts of the Patriot (Guard) Riders," the motorcyclists who attended the funeral and shielded the mourners from seeing the protesters, Passalacqua said, "and its a tribute to the soldiers."
Matt Poss's "Rolling Thunder" has been the No. 1 requested song on WCRC-FM 95.7, Effingham's country music radio station, for the past five weeks, said an e-mail from Cromwell Radio Group. The single is a precursor to the group's upcoming album, tentatively set for a February release.
The ballad has received much praise at regional venues, but nothing compared to the response the band received when they played the song overseas for soldiers.
"We played the song on the trip to Germany and the response was so overwhelming," Passalacqua said. Soldiers were putting their drinks on the stage in memory of a fallen soldier, and hats were taken off as a sign of appreciation to the band, he said.
The Effingham-based country group consists of lead singer and rhythm guitarist Passalacqua, Marty Williamson (lead guitar), George "Billy" King (steel guitar), Rex Pickens (bass guitar) and Adam Robertson (drums). They performed in Germany, Belgium and England on a two-week tour in June and July. The tour was part of Armed Forces Entertainment, a Department of Defense agency that provides entertainment to military personnel overseas.
This was the band's second trip overseas, following a three-show 2006 tour for troops in Germany.
Now back home, Matt Poss and the Wild Bunch will perform a free concert at 8 p.m. Sept. 29 at the Teutopolis Knights of Columbus Hall.
While playing overseas, Passalacqua was surprised at meeting many young soldiers who have served in Iraq and have families in the States.
"I met a guy with kids he's never met," he said.
He added that the soldiers spirits were high.
"They were just hungry for something American," Passalacqua said. "A lot of people there were hungry for home. These guys and girls lay their life on the line for us everyday. It was a great privilege for us (to play for them)."
Eric Reynolds, the bands manager, spoke of how selective Armed Forces Entertainment is when picking out music artists.
Out of 2,000 submissions it receives, "they only select about 20 bands to fill their roster," he said. "Its pretty special for the band to be picked."
Before leaving for Europe, the band put on a charity concert in Teutopolis and raised $2,500, which was donated to Germanys Landstuhl Regional Medical Center�s Wounded Warrior Project.
The project buys needed items for wounded soldiers who come through the medical center, such as clothing, blankets, toothpaste, calling cards and etc. The items are added to the Chaplains Closet.
"Its literally a broom closet," Passalacqua said, "but it holds anything to make a soldier feel comfortable."
The band is looking to do another Armed Forces Entertainment tour in 2008. Reynolds said the band is in discussion of performing on a military aircraft carrier.
"Were getting better gigs all the time," Passalacqua said. "We had a great year, and 2008s shaping up to be even better."
Alicia Spates can be reached at aspates@herald-review.com or 421-6986.

Copyright, 2007, Herald & Review, Decatur, IL
- Decatur Herald & Review

Herald & Review (Decatur, IL)
Thunder scores big with troops
Hats taken off for Matt Poss and the Wild Bunch

   ALICIA SPATES
H&R Staff Writer
Matt Passalacqua wasnt looking for his Effingham bands latest single, "Rolling Thunder," to be a hit. He was moved to write the song after anti-gay protesters from Kansas showed up at a young soldiers 2006 Effingham County funeral. The protesters claimed soldiers have died because they fought for a country that condones homosexuality.

"I think theres a time and place for everything, and I was furious at the lack of respect. It was a funeral.
"Rolling Thunder is about the kind acts of the Patriot (Guard) Riders," the motorcyclists who attended the funeral and shielded the mourners from seeing the protesters, Passalacqua said, "and its a tribute to the soldiers."
Matt Poss's "Rolling Thunder" has been the No. 1 requested song on WCRC-FM 95.7, Effingham's country music radio station, for the past five weeks, said an e-mail from Cromwell Radio Group. The single is a precursor to the group's upcoming album, tentatively set for a February release.
The ballad has received much praise at regional venues, but nothing compared to the response the band received when they played the song overseas for soldiers.
"We played the song on the trip to Germany and the response was so overwhelming," Passalacqua said. Soldiers were putting their drinks on the stage in memory of a fallen soldier, and hats were taken off as a sign of appreciation to the band, he said.
The Effingham-based country group consists of lead singer and rhythm guitarist Passalacqua, Marty Williamson (lead guitar), George "Billy" King (steel guitar), Rex Pickens (bass guitar) and Adam Robertson (drums). They performed in Germany, Belgium and England on a two-week tour in June and July. The tour was part of Armed Forces Entertainment, a Department of Defense agency that provides entertainment to military personnel overseas.
This was the band's second trip overseas, following a three-show 2006 tour for troops in Germany.
Now back home, Matt Poss and the Wild Bunch will perform a free concert at 8 p.m. Sept. 29 at the Teutopolis Knights of Columbus Hall.
While playing overseas, Passalacqua was surprised at meeting many young soldiers who have served in Iraq and have families in the States.
"I met a guy with kids he's never met," he said.
He added that the soldiers spirits were high.
"They were just hungry for something American," Passalacqua said. "A lot of people there were hungry for home. These guys and girls lay their life on the line for us everyday. It was a great privilege for us (to play for them)."
Eric Reynolds, the bands manager, spoke of how selective Armed Forces Entertainment is when picking out music artists.
Out of 2,000 submissions it receives, "they only select about 20 bands to fill their roster," he said. "Its pretty special for the band to be picked."
Before leaving for Europe, the band put on a charity concert in Teutopolis and raised $2,500, which was donated to Germanys Landstuhl Regional Medical Center�s Wounded Warrior Project.
The project buys needed items for wounded soldiers who come through the medical center, such as clothing, blankets, toothpaste, calling cards and etc. The items are added to the Chaplains Closet.
"Its literally a broom closet," Passalacqua said, "but it holds anything to make a soldier feel comfortable."
The band is looking to do another Armed Forces Entertainment tour in 2008. Reynolds said the band is in discussion of performing on a military aircraft carrier.
"Were getting better gigs all the time," Passalacqua said. "We had a great year, and 2008s shaping up to be even better."
Alicia Spates can be reached at aspates@herald-review.com or 421-6986.

Copyright, 2007, Herald & Review, Decatur, IL
- Decatur Herald & Review