As a member of the alt-rock band that carried his name and later as a solo artist, Matthew Good didn’t hear his name called as a Juno Award winner in 2000, 2003, or 2011. The Burnaby, BC native was a no-show at all three award ceremonies.
Perhaps Good was too busy to attend, or perhaps he didn’t feel being nominated — which he has been a remarkable 21 times — was that a big deal.
Whatever the reason, it’s a big deal for his fans that Matthew Good and His Band will headline Peterborough Musicfest at Del Crary Park on Wednesday (July 22). As always, admission to the 8 p.m. concert is free, thanks to the support of numerous sponsors.
Initially a folk musician, Good switched gears in 1995, forming a rock trio with drummer Charlie Quintana (later replaced by Ian Browne) and bassist Geoff Lloyd. With guitarist and keyboardist Dave Genn (who later joined 54-40 and is still with that band) on board as a paid session musician, the band recorded its debut album, Last of the Ghetto Astronauts.
The first 5,000 albums released were titled MGB but, after people started requesting the album by Matthew Good Band at record stores, Good et al — who were still undecided on a band name up to that point — went with that, and the rest of the album’s pressings included the full “Matthew Good Band” moniker.
An EP, Raygun, followed in 1997, followed later that year by Underdogs, the band’s sophomore album from which the singles “Everything Is Automatic,” “Indestructible,” “Apparitions,” and “Rico” achieved chart status as hits. With new bassist Rick Priske on board, the band toured Canada in 1998 while Underdogs was certified platinum in Canada.
VIDEO: “Load Me Up” – Matthew Good Band (2009)
Those who felt there was more to come from Matthew Good Band were vindicated in 1999 with the release of Beautiful Midnight. Debuting at number one on the Billboard Canadian Albums Chart, it featured the hit singles “Hello Time Bomb,” “Load Me Up,” and “Strange Days.” Certified double platinum, Beautiful Midnight became the band’s top-selling album, and brought it Juno Awards in 2000 for Best Group and Best Rock Album.
That album would prove a tough act to follow, with the band’s 2001 release, The Audio of Being, not hitting the same mark. That said, it was certified gold on the strength of the singles “Carmelina” and “Anti-Pop.”
After Genn and Browne left the band, Universal Music Canada confirmed, in February 2002, that the band was no more. Undaunted, Good carried on, the result being 2003’s Avalanche, his debut album as a solo artist. The video for the album’s single “Weapon” won Good and co-director Ante Kovac a 2003 Juno Award for Video of the Year.
Good’s solo career offered the singer-songwriter few breaks, which was just fine with his fans. Avalanche was followed by 2004’s White Light Rock and Roll Review, 2005’s In A Coma, and 2007’s Hospital Music.
The latter, which was self-produced by Good, was written during his recovery from overdosing on Ativan — a prescription benzodiazepine used to treat anxiety and insomnia — and his subsequent stay in a psychiatric ward (he was later diagnosed with bipolar disorder).
Good’s openness about his struggles struck a chord, with Hospital Music debuting at the top of the Billboard Canadian Albums Chart and the single “Born Losers” peaking at number 27 on the Canadian Hot 100.
VIDEO: “Weapon” – Matthew Good Band (2009)
The next target of Good’s muse was the city he knew best and where his music journey first took flight. The result was Vancouver, released in 2009. It was followed by tours of both Canada and the United States. In 2011, Good was awarded a Juno Award — his fourth — for Rock Album of the Year.
Since Vancouver, Good has recorded and released another eight albums and EPs, the latest being last October’s EP Zero Hours.
There was a plan to tour the United States but Good, who has made no secret of his views of President Donald Trump and his policies, was worried he might not make it back home to Canada. Canada’s cancellation of the digital services tax to appease Trump also didn’t sit well with Good.
Years after meeting with great success as a denizen of the vibrant alt-rock landscape of the 1990s, Good has grappled with the changes in the music industry he has lived through since.
In a CBC Music interview in 2020, he admitted streaming and open discussions about artists’ mental health have been difficult for him navigate.
“I make art all the time; it’s something I’d do even if I didn’t do it professionally,” he told CBC, adding “That’s something I’ve thought of doing — just quitting and doing it for myself.”
VIDEO: “Born Losers” – Matthew Good (2011)
Good compared what he sees as the unfairness of streaming to being a contractor.
“Imagine a contractor gives you $150,000 to build a house, but now someone pays you $7.99 a month to build it. That’s ridiculous, but for some reason in my profession, that’s completely warranted. I don’t get it.”
“At some point you’re just like ‘Why does this have to be a consumer product? I’ll just do it by myself and a lot of my friends will listen to it, and I’ll be a greeter at Walmart.'”
In the same interview, Good took aim at virality — the tendency of digital content, such as images or videos, to spread rapidly and widely on the internet. He said his experiences with rising celebrity status led to his “sabotaging” his success south of the border.
“Why the hell would I want to be famous in another country when I’m at home and I leave my apartment just to find some girl is stalking me or I walk down the street and a guy runs across the street to get an autograph. I don’t like fame. I despise it. The entire American game … I wasn’t willing to play that game.”
Good said his goals have remain unchanged over the past three decades — “All I do is make art” — and dealing with “a lot of crap in the way” is just an occupational hazard of his craft.
VIDEO: “Lost and Found Kids” – Matthew Good (2025)
Prior to Good taking the stage, the Cogeco-sponsored Future Sound Series will see Graeme Jonez, an Anishinaabe-English indie roots-rock musician and singer-songwriter from Toronto, perform from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m., near the food trucks at the George Street entrance to Del Crary Park. Jonez’s Musicfest performance is made possible with the support of the Gord Downie & Chanie Wenjack Fund.
Peterborough Musicfest is presenting 16 free-admission concerts during its 39th season, staged in Del Crary Park on Wednesday and Saturday nights until August 19.
Overseen by executive director Tracey Randall and staff, a board of directors, and numerous volunteers, Peterborough Musicfest’s stated mission remains “to provide diverse, affordable live music to enrich cultural and economic prosperity in our community.”
For more information on this concert or the 2026 season, visit www.ptbomusicfest.ca or call the Peterborough Musicfest office at 705-755-1111.
kawarthaNOW is proud to be a headline sponsor of Peterborough Musicfest’s 2026 season.
