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• Tonight’s show at the Lizard Lounge in Cambridge, MA at 10pm will be awesome! I promise! Come check it out, more details at www.matthewebel.com/tour
• February 17 I’ll be performing in Trenton, NJ at Purple Stripe Productions, again the details are at www.matthewebel.com/tour

I mention these shows because of C.C. Chapman’s latest episode of Managing the Gray. He reminded me about my dreams and my goals. Yes, I would be happy just paying my bills and feeding myself, but that’s not what I dream about. Nobody dreams about simply surviving, we all have grander visions of our futures. No one dreams of mediocrity. People in my line of work share the same goal: Playing shows in big arenas to a crowd so massive you can see it from space.

The two shows coming up this month are the first steps towards that kind of dream for me. I want to become a famous rock star like Ben Folds. There’s a reason games like Rock Band and Guitar Hero sell so well: many of us dream of doing that sort of thing. To make it reality, however, requires a combination of luck, connections, and hard work. I need to know if I am good enough.

We all want to know that we can jump over that bar when we come to it. We all want to clear the bar with two feet to spare and then set the next bar even higher. This is why we dream, this is why we set goals. My goal this year is to play more shows for more people who came to hear my music. And none of us can reach our goals without help.

I may not be an über-connected CEO, but I can help you reach your goals. Just contact me and let me know how I can help. If you can help me play new shows for new crowds of people, contact me. Even if you live a long distance away from Boston, you might be able to see a live Matthew Ebel concert anyway. Fans in Atlanta made it happen, fans in Ohio are making it happen, you can make it happen.

What are you doing to reach your goals and realize your dreams? What can guys like me do to help?

It’s House Concert time again, and I need your help! I want to play in living rooms across the Northeast in the next year, starting with YOURS!

It’s really easy to host a house concert, the details are right here at http://matthewebel.com/houseconcert/

It’s time for the New Year’s Resolution: TOUR. Now that Matthew Ebel dot net is off the ground, I can actually try to get out on the road like a real, live musical act. Imagine that!

Here’s what I need from you: Your hometown. Before I can go on tour, I need to know where you are! There are two ways to do that…

• Enter your hometown info and join the mailing list at http://matthewebel.com
• Join the Facebook fan page and make sure you’re sharing your hometown info at http://facebook.com/matthewebelmusic

• The album is finally DONE and is on its way to CD Baby right now. If you want to know more (like when it’s available for purchase), just join the mailing list at http://matthewebel.com/signup
• I’m still looking to play some house concerts in 2010! Drop me a line if you’d like to host one! http://matthewebel.com/contact

• The High Orbit Holiday Special is coming soon! If you want to know when it’s officially released, watch here or join the mailing list!
• The Entourage has filled 4 out of 5 slots already. Will you be the last taker for 2009? Sign up at http://matthewebel.net
• There will be no live recording or new studio recordings for Matthew Ebel dot net members in December. Instead, they’ll receive The High Orbit Holiday Special in their download feed. That’s 3 times the music!

• Songs from the Vault, vol. 1 is now available on the iTunes Music Store. Hooray!
• The next edition, SFTV2, will be available for Matthew Ebel dot net members as soon as the artwork is ready to go.
• At long last, The Entourage has come to Matthew Ebel dot net. Now those fans that want to become patrons of the arts (and get everything I’ve ever released, and ge ttheir name in the credits for my albums, etc.) can sign up for this exclusive group. Membership is limited to 5 people per year, so check it out at Matthew Ebel dot net

• It’s Movember, time to grow that ‘stache and help raise funds to fight prostate and testicular cancer. Join me as a Mo Bro or Mo Sista and see what your face can do!
• I’m submitting my application to Polyphonic today. It’s an intriguing new VC-style way of approaching the music industry. As the brainchild of Terry McBride and the people that brought you Barenaked Ladies and Sarah McLachlin, there’s some real industry clout behind this. If there’s anything you can do or anyone you can reach out to to help me get on board with this, please do!
• Songs From The Vault, vol. 1 will soon be available via iTunes, CD Baby, and elsewhere! The second volume’s almost ready to release to the subscribers at Matthew Ebel dot net, so volume one will move on to the rest of the fan base sometime this month!

• Podcamp Philly 3 was a blast, bigger than ever, and educational. Now let’s see if it helped anyone else out there.
• Much discussion about Matthew Ebel dot net took place over the past month. Today I must decide how the system is going to change, hopefully all the advice and feedback will work for the better.
• Yes, I am now a ham nerd. My current call sign is KB1SZT, but I have an application in to change that. I’ll let you know when it’s permanent!

• What budget should I set for Sellaband’s new format? I can pick anything from $10,000 to $100k, but right now I’m only at $5,000. What should I shoot for?
• The robot band is cute, but is it worth it? Tell me what you think about my performances with backing tracks vs. without. I really want to know!
• Of course, you can see the difference for yourself tomorrow at 6pm Eastern Time at http://matthewebel.com/ustream

ENN September 21, 2009 (MP3 download)

I want to try and update YOU, my fans, once a week by a quick and dirty audio post. Via the miracle of podcasting, you can get these little blurbs from me by adding http://feeds2.feedburner.com/MatthewEbelBlog to your iTunes or other podcast catcher. This week I’m covering:

• New recording to be released today: Waking Up Alone
• Now booking shows via Virtual Assistants
• Sellaband is changing… not sure how or why. Stay tuned!