Matthew Sweet Benefit Show at McCabe’s Guitar Shop Brings Out Old Friends and Collaborators

“It means so much to know that my friends in Los Angeles will be playing in my honor tonight… I tear up just thinking about all of you. Please know that I’m with you while I continue my rehabilitation and recovery here in Omaha. And lastly, whatever you do, don’t stroke.”

This sincere yet sardonic opening message came from the reason for this concert—legendary power pop singer-songwriter Matthew Sweet—and unleashed a wave of cathartic laughter in the 150-capacity back room at McCabe’s Guitar Shop in Santa Monica, CA on Sunday night. Sweet, 60, suffered a debilitating stroke while on tour last month, ending his live performances for the foreseeable future. It’s what every artist fears, which is why Wild Honey Foundation exists. Started in 1993, this all-volunteer organization and its “musical family” (as described by Wild Honey co-founder Paul Rock) regularly put on benefit shows for a variety of causes, including musicians in financial distress, like Sweet.

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Since Sweet’s been a part of Wild Honey for years—and because the venue’s wood-paneling gives off major “1970s basement recording studio” vibes—the audience feels less like they’re at a concert and more like they’re crashing an intimate home gathering. Every artist on stage was a friend or collaborator of Sweet’s, and they casually took turns in ever-changing configurations.

For example, Vicki and Debbi Peterson of the Bangles started things off with Badfinger’s “No Matter What,” which they’d played with Sweet at McCabe’s 20 years ago. Later, Debbi switched to the drums and Letters to Cleo’s Kay Hanley joined Vicki to perform Sweet’s “I’ve Been Waiting.” Later still, Hanley and Gabi Lima joined forces for “Sick of Myself.” It kept rotating like this all night, featuring over a dozen Wild Honey regulars — including Lyn Bertles, Kristi Callan, John Moreman, Nick Vincent, and more — giving the over two-hour concert a fun, “what’s next?” energy.

One surprise was Richard Lloyd, the iconic Television guitarist who memorably played lead guitar on Sweet’s breakthrough album, 1991’s Girlfriend. Lloyd flew in for this from Chattanooga, Tennessee, though there was a moment when he took the stage for “Divine Intervention” when it seemed all for naught. “I don’t know Matthew’s part,” Lloyd shared when everybody looked at him to start the song. Fortunately, singer-songwriter Rob Bonfiglio jumped in from backstage to cover the rhythm guitar, allowing Lloyd to play his signature solos on this and “Evangeline.”

Songwriter and Semisonic frontman Dan Wilson also opted for a song he recorded with Sweet, “Easy” (off of Sweet’s 1989 sophomore album Earth). Wilson told the story of Sweet calling him out of the blue to invite his then-band Trip Shakespeare to sing harmonies on the song because, well, they were fellow midwesterners with the same musical formula: “Loud guitars plus weedy, reedy voice.”

As the night went on, the darkness of Sweet’s most enduring songs was balanced by the love exuding from every performance, and by the anecdotes from Sweet’s longtime bandmate Tony Marsico (like how Hanson’s manager asked Sweet to get the band high for the first time). 

With the closing of Sweet’s hit “Girlfriend” and The Byrds’ “I’ll Feel A Whole Lot Better,” the whole evening hit that same sincere-yet-sardonic, bright-yet-dark, gentle-yet-loud combination that defines Matthew Sweet’s music. A perfect tribute to an artist who everyone hopes will one day return to the stage.

If you’d like to help Matthew Sweet during his stroke recovery, you can contribute to his GoFundMe here. 

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