Hey everyone,

You’ve got things to celebrate. Maybe you’re happy it’s no longer 90+ degrees outside. Maybe you’re grateful for family and friends who survived earthquakes and hurricanes. Maybe you’re happy we’re not (yet) in a nuclear war. Maybe you’re glad we’re not gonna strip health care away from millions of people just to prove an empty point (at least this week).

Or maybe you’re worried or mourning. Tons of good reasons for that, too.
And ...

Hey friends,

I just wanted to take a quick minute to say thanks to all of you for coming out to see us at shows, for being cool at an open mic, and generally being part of/supporting a vibrant musical community here in Chicago, Oak Park, and Berwyn. (And for those of you not in the Chicago area, for supporting us/me for all the many years leading up to now.)

As a bit of context, I moved from NYC (Brooklyn, to be exact) to Chicago (Oak Park, to be exact) a few years ago. I loved New York, but was rea...

This is a brand new song that I finished writing about 30 minutes before rehearsal. I showed it to the band and we worked up this version within about 1 hour. Recorded with a Shure Motiv MV88 on an iPhone in our rehearsal space + a vocal overdubbed at home so you can actually hear the words.

There’s pretty much nothing in the world I like better than when a tune comes together so fast like this. Call it the muse or a state of flow or luck or whatever you want, but there’s something otherworldly a...

Here’s the first full-band performance of a new song, “Doubt”, from our show at Friendly Tap on 3/10/17. Thanks so much to everyone who came out and made it such a great evening!

Oh…did we mention that we have a show on Friday at Friendly Tap? Yeah, well we do. And here’s another teaser from last night’s rehearsal (complete with one iffy note in the middle from yours truly). Move over, Eagles! See you Friday! https://www.facebook.com/events/305124423223676??ti=ia

Snapshot from our weekend chili cookoff/fundraiser show for Glenwood Sunday Market! We had a blast and are more ready than ever for this Friday night at Friendly Tap!

Alright, kids, it’s getting close! Hope to see you Friday at Friendly Tap! https://www.facebook.com/events/305124423223676??ti=ia

Matt Lenny & The Elm City Council @ Tonic Room, on 4/3/2014

That was an awesome night.  Huge thanks to every single person who came out and supported us.  You made it memorable in every way.

I was watching this on Monday and was saddened to hear about Pete Seeger passing later that night.  R.I.P, Mr. Seeger.  Thanks for the music and for all the heart and soul you put into the things you believed in.  You were truly a model for us all.

On a side note, young Johnny Cash is wild!  Check out the shoes and how he’s just draped all over that chair.  Wild!

David Simon: 'There are now two Americas. My country is a horror show': David Simon: Capitalism in America has lost sight of its social compact

I agree with a lot of this. The specific policies will always be (and should be) subject to debate, but I think he has a real point about how we have lost sight of how connected we all are and the responsibility that creates. Extra ironic in the age of “social media”, which, I have to say, seems more and more like just some sort of refracting mirror for ...