Buy your tickets now for Autism Sings! a night of music and performance by young adults with autism to benefit kids with special needs.  It’s May 5th at the Canyon Club in Agoura. If you haven’t been to the Canyon Club, you must check it out…It’s a laid-back venue with a great vibe. Off the subject of Autism Sings!, out here we are a little deficient in way of cool venues for live music. Yes, Ventura has a few but the Conejo Valley still hasn’t got this licked. So support Canyon Club anytime you can. Now back to Autism Sings!…the special guest band is Jack Mack & the Heart Attack, which I hear is a really fun rock band. Glenn Frey from the Eagles apparently likes Jack Mack, which is good enough for me. I’m aware of Autism Sings! through my pal Keri Bowers, a local autism advocate and documentary filmmaker. Keri and her son Taylor Cross (who will be participating in Autism Sings!) made the award-winning documentary Normal People Scare Me, a film about autism; Keri and her younger son Jace King teamed up to make The Sandwich Kid, a film about siblings of challenged kids. By the way, Keri is also a kick-butt artist. I have a couple of her paintings and everyone who comes over loves them. Anyhow, I’ll be attending Autism Sings!  Support the arts and support these wonderful kids on May 5th!

For Tickets, go to www.autismmovementtherapy.com or www.canyonclub.net

or call 323 240-0361 for more information

A week ago, the most “superbad”  guy I know, went for a hike. He didn’t return. Matt Chidgey, a Conejo Valley icon, will be forever missed. His energy, love and laughter were infectious. You couldn’t NOT be drawn to him. He had more friends than anyone I know.  Tonight we pay tribute to Matt at the Canyon Club, where, every Thursday since 2006,  you could find Matt playing “Curtis” the bass player for The Spazmatics, the 80s tribute band that rocked our world.

Soon after hearing the news of Matt’s passing last Friday (the story can be found here ) friends and family began a tribute page on facebook. A look back at what a great guy Matt was through the eyes of people that knew him best.

Matt, 40,  a Thousand Oaks native (practically, a young transplant from Houston actually), stomped our grounds from grade school till  now. From Glenwood to Redwood, to Thousand Oaks High School “back in the day”. His icon status started early. If you didn’t “know” Matt, you knew of Matt. In high school (in the 80s) he drove the Suburban you couldn’t miss. Pink, with purple zebra stripes.

Matt stayed close to home for college, attending California State University Northridge, and continued his love for music with local bands Vomit and Theatre in the late 80s and 1990′s. He was also a main “character” in the tribute bands Boogie Knights, Dr. Funkenstein, and lately, The Spazmatics. His charisma was catching, and his ability to play the part of one of these characters, while continuing to be a music genius both on stage and behind the scenes as engineer were amazing.

Most of my memories of Matt come from my brother and sister, good friends of his. My brother Rick loved what a “kid at heart” Matt was. He loved inventing new games out of old board or other “classic” family games. Toss a Cross blindfolded comes to mind. Or the Operation Chidgey game, a personalized version of Operation.

So, with a heavy heart, I join my friends and family tonight to say goodbye to a great guy, who loved life, family, and friends. And who will be sorely missed for his presence, both on and off the stage.

Matt Chidgey, on 1/17/10, performing with The Spazmatics.