Matt Connarton Unleashed 10-3-23

In a different world. It used to be holy you, holy me,

But it's not the past that haunts me. So it's that I let you go. When we were kids. You live next door, your hair was yellow gold. I had stand outside your kitchen door. I struggled to be bold, would share my coke and meal. Any candies are clutched in sticky fingers, suple simple treasures came in handy, and we will go so young and so night with you. I share my words. Don't be innocence. We shared together, growing to devotion, our innocence we lost together, untangled our invultion. We grew apart.

My graduation, no, not so on expecting our love or just in fatuation has kept us close. Evenven we struggle

to break free. And all the years I spent a longing were your ears to say all you will not belonging. I just wanted one more chance to dance to you in a different pearl. It used to be holy, holy me, But it's not the beast that haunts me. So it's that island you want both. Time has seen us both in door misfortune and his favor.

A family life is so much more, but nothing left to save your photographs a difference scene, then what's your eye? Confess the simple truth you can't reveal has brought us here once again. Well, I struggle to be born the pay stream. It's not withstand day. It feels so right to me behind to ask me all why. I just want chance to day in a different world. It used to be holy, holy me, but it's not the best. It haunts me, so it's better I let you go.

You are listening to tum and eight ninety five point three Duck Command Guy, don't get so greenly Doe Magzille Guby. Hello, everybody, Welcome, Here we go. It is that time again. Matt Connerton unleashed and we are live from the studios of wmn H ninety five point three FM and Glorious Downtown Manchester, New Hampshire, also on Comcast Channel six. If you're in Manchester and hello to olive our online listeners across the nation and around the globe. You can go to my website Matt Connerton dot com for all of your live streaming options, social media links, contact info, show archives, etcetera, etcetera.

Today is Tuesday, October third, twenty twenty three, So nice to have you all with me. By the way, that opening track is called Reunion, and that is from lou An Tanucci, who is going to be our musical guest today in the second hour Numerowdos, and I'm really looking forward to meeting him. Great guitar player as you heard in that track, and just an amazing voice as well. So he's gonna come in. We've got some some additional studio tracks to share, but he's also to play live for us, so I'm really looking forward to meeting him and hearing him live.

That's going to be really cool. So that will be coming up in the second hour today. In the first hour, I think we have I think we have some pretty enormous political news to discuss, which is ongoing. But yeah, so it's it's a big it's a big day. But the studio line is open six zo three two five zero six zero seven six zero three two five zero six zero seven. You can also text me at six one seven nine one seven four four seven six. I'm on social media at Matt Connerton. You can email me Matt at Matt Connerton dot com and of course you can interact endo Pine in the Facebook live chat and we will say Hello, everybody in there in a moment.

But the best thing to do so that we can hear and enjoy your dulcet tones is give us a call at a six zo three two five zero six zero seven. Ronifervero joins us in the Facebook live chat and says, Callie here of course, running from the great state of California. Jay Fett is in the chat room from the Great Vermont says good afternoon and everyone. Jenny is in the chat room and says shalom peeps. Carol Zawarwitz says, hello, hope everyone is enjoying this beautiful day. Yeah, the weather here is is quite quite nice.

I see my old friend Brett Goodson is in there, Hello Brett. Yeah. So, if you've been paying attention at all to the political news there is there does seem to be a lot happening at the moment. What do you guys want to talk about? Yeah, there's Kevin McCarthy. His day of reckoning seems to have arrived. If you don't know, if you haven't seen or heard the news today, actually right now happening at this moment in real time, the ouster of Kevin McCarthy. So there's a lot to unpack with that. But Matt Gates has gone forward with his uh, and I guess he's got five other It was four other and now he's got five other House Republicans who are also interested in helping him oust McCarthy as a speaker,

something that surprised me a little bit today. I thought House Democrats might come to his rescue, but apparently not. Now I have been sent this is very interesting. I got this right before the show. I have been sent some audio. Now, Uh, this is an exclusive, my friends. You won't hear this anywhere else. From what I'm told, I have a source at the at the House in Washington, DC who who recorded something, who overheard something and was able to record it and send me this audio. So apparently, despite what's being reported in the media, there was a secret meeting between House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and Democrat Leader in the House Hakim Jeffreys about some sort of a deal that could be made despite what's being reported.

Now, I didn't get a chance to pre listen to this, so I have no idea what happens in this audio. And so we'll see. So we'll be hearing this together. But again, a source I can't. I can't say who it is. I have to respect their obviously, but they are I'll just say this. They are at the House of Representatives in Washington, DC right at this moment. And this is the conversation that that was sent to me, apparently something recorded secretly Kevin McCarthy and Hakim Jefferies. Let's let's see what we have on the tape here.

What if he's just floating is to keep the peace? What if there was a power sharing situation? Power sharing, you won't win charge equally, but no major decisions can be made without a majority of two. With that I this way, you're not such a big target for the fates. Three of the other families have this kind of arrangement. What's this stuff? Fu when now I forget it. Wow, it didn't sound like it didn't sound like either of them. That's that's interesting. Wait a minute, Okay, I just got a text message from my source who sent me that.

It says, ha ha, Matt got you again. You're so gullible. I can't believe you fell for that. You'll never beat Howie car in the ratings. You're so dumb. That was from the Sopranos now that's great. That's just great. That's the second time she's done that to me. Damn you, Lauren Bobert. I wasn't supposed to say who it was. Uh, one of these days I'll learn Shannon is on the line. Hi, Shannon, Hello, Hey, did you say that's from the Sopranos? Apparently? I did think that sounded a little odd. It didn't quite sound like Hakeem Jeffries and Kevin McCarthy.

But I didn't, you know, I didn't get a chance to pre listen to it. Yeah, and I didn't catch it all I wanted to before you started on and everything, uh mentioned. I thought of Eric Culture this morning. I'm reading the book and the guy is in uh Or. I think he's in Bangkok. I'm not honest to god sure, but anyway, the point is the character says that he knows why George Romero filmed Darner the Dead in a mall, and I man that he said George m I said, oh what, sorry, it was just a reference. So I don't know.

I just I never would have known who it was if it wasn't for Eric Pulture. Who what was? What? Huh? Who? What was? I don't understand, Shannon. I was reading a book, okay, listening to a book, okay. And the guy was in a mall in somewhere,

and there's like three floors to the place and he said he's walking down the morning. He says to himself. Now I understand or now I know why George ro Merroll filmed Dawn of the Dead at them all? Is that right or wrong? I don't know, Shannon. I wasn't there. I'm gonna take your word for it, though. Okay, then I'm asking did The question is did George Romeroll film Dawn of the Dead in a ma all?

I have no idea, Shannon, I couldn't tell you. All right, bye, alright, bye bye, Okay, cool story, bro, I think is what the young people say? Uh? Okay? Well, six O three two five ozho six zero seven is the studio line. Six zero three two five zero six zero seven. If you would like to join us on the program, we will. Let's see I see Polly See just popped into the Facebook live chat police see of course of retro Spectrum Radio with Policy, which you can hear Friday nights from eight to eleven pm here at WMH ninety five point three FM.

I have the honor and privilege of being one of Paul's co hosts on that show along with DJ Steve, and we have a great time. And today is Tuesday, which means if you miss Friday's show, you can catch the replay tonight. Of course, if you're listening live on WMH, immediately after this show is through the Stage Store with Rob Dion, and then after that at seven pm is retro Spectrum Radio, so or you can go to WMH Radio dot org and listen to it on demand. But we have a great time on Friday nights. Also, Abort seven joins us in the Facebook live chat and says Shannon to be Shannon, Hello, hashtag gen coffee from US, we said to you from US, abort seven, Good afternoon.

Hashtag Matt from US. Hi, hashtag gen coffee from US. Yes. And by the way, I'm pretty sure that Abort seven, I'm just going to go out on a limb here is very likely from Greensboro, North Carolina, and they probably sing and dance and we'll be doing karaoke at what's the name of the place. What's the name of the place? Uh oh, aboard seven says in the chat room. We are from Greensboro, North Carolina. Yes, yes, it's amazing, A lot of great uh all the great boy bands are from Greensboro anyway. Yes, six OZ three two five oh six O seven is the studio line six ZO three two five O six zoh seven.

Oh thank you aboard seven Center City Park, downtown Greensboro karaoke. Yes. Yes, So right now as we speak, they are voting, and I don't know if that will be uh if if they will, I'm sorry I shouldn't say they're voting. They're speaking. They're getting up and they're giving their speeches, and they are pontificating. And of course they are, you know, are elected law givers and overlords. They are quite loquacious and voluble. They've they know that if nothing else, the c SPAN cameras are running, and so they got to get some some good clips for their next campaign commercials when it's election time.

No, but actually, you know, CNN, MSNBC, Fox, I'm sure they're all carrying it live because this is a pretty big deal. This is the first time in I believe over a century that there has been even an attempt to remove a House speaker, to vacate would be the correct term, or I suppose to remove it is a removal what is it a removal motion that Congressman Matt Gates has decided to initiate to try to remove Kevin McCarthy. I will say this now, I understand because there's a way out of this, right and the obvious way out, and I'm curious to get some get some feedback from the audience on this, if you agree, disagree, there's a way out of this, and that would be that the Democrats are in a position to rescue Kevin McCarthy.

They could vote with the Republicans with the Bass majority. Apparently there are six Republicans. Last I knew there were five, and then five became six, and that number could grow of Republicans in the House, including Matt Gates who do in fact wish to oust Speaker McCarthy. You know the Freedom Caucus. If you add them all up, it's it's like twenty people, twenty House members Republicans in the House Freedom Caucus. He used to be with the Tea partiers back when John Bayner was House Speaker. He had to deal with the Tea Partiers, and then that was part of why he decided to finally move on because he didn't like having that sort of damocles over his head all the time.

And he said, you know what, I think I'm gonna move on. But Kevin McCarthy seems to really like being speaker. Not that John Bayner didn't back during the Obama administration, but I think he I think at a certain point he just but but he was older too than McCarthy is, at least I think so. So I just I see, let me put it this way, I understand why the Democrats don't want to help. And they met today, they had a meeting their caucus and the determination was that they will not be rescuing Kevin McCarthy.

But mathematically it is possible they would be voting. If they were to decide to rescue McCarthy, they would be voting with the Republicans because again, he has overwhelming report support from I forget how many House Republicans are total, but the six of them who want to vote to remove him, but the rest of them want to keep him. But again that number six could grow because there are other House Freedom Caucus members who might want to help to remove him. But math mtically it would be possible for the Democrats to want to keep him, or I shouldn't say to want to keep him, but to want to rescue him.

I should say, ideally they would like Kim Jeffries to become House Speaker. And that's how they voted consistently. Of course, back in January, remember it was fifteen rounds, fifteen rounds of voting before House. Well, then Kevin McCarthy, Congressman McCarthy before he was able to become House Speaker, fifteen rounds, and you know, young in there. I give him credit for that. I have a lot of criticisms of Kevin McCarthy, certainly, but you know, I have a little bit of grudging respect for him in the sense that he you know, he hung He hung in there.

I mean, he could have had any points stepped aside and said, you know what, maybe maybe you'd be happier with Congressman's Steve Scalise of Louisiana, for example, who may end up being a House Speaker in the future, in the nearer future. But but he hung in there. He came through on the dead ceiling. I didn't think he would. He came through on the keeping the government open. We almost went into shutdown. I didn't think he would. But he's also broken some promises along the way. So I understand why the Democrats don't trust him, and why it is difficult for them to say we're going to rescue him when apparently, in fact, at the meeting that they had today, apparently at the opening of the meeting, someone had put together a video compilation of McCarthy over the weekend, just you know, trashing Democrats, blaming Democrats for this and for that, blaming the Democrats for almost having a government shutdown, and so forth.

So he has not endeared himself, so I understand the impulse to want to watch him just suffer and get the boot. I will tell you this though, while I understand, I absolutely understand I would for if I had my way, I think I would prefer that they do rescue him, not for free, but they meet with him and get some sort of a concession from him that they are confident he will come through on Now, maybe that is impossible for a couple of reasons. One is they don't trust him. He already reneged on some of what he agreed to with Biden back when we were trying not to default.

When we were about to go over the fiscal cliff. Some thing's in that budget deal. McCarthy has not been able to keep his word. And I say it that way because you know, it's not as simple as he enters into an agreement with Biden and then you know he has to be able to deliver on everything later. And of course, again you've got Matt Gates and others who do everything they can to make sure that he doesn't deliver on what he promised. So but I'm not saying that to let McCarthy off the hook. I'm just saying that is the reality of the situation.

So I understand they don't feel like they can trust him, and he behaves as though. And this part has surprised me a little bit. I am surprised by this somewhat. He seems to act like, I don't want their help anyway. Why would I want Why would I want their help? I don't want their help. That part has surprised me a little bit because my impression, my perception of McCarthy has been all along that the speakership is the single most important thing to him. You know, he was willing to give away everything almost down to the clothes he was wearing on the night that they went through that fifteen rounds of voting before he was able to finally be elected speaker.

You know, I mean, how much how much more could he have possibly given away during those negotiations with Matt Gates and others, Ship Roy and Lauren Bobert. I'm still mad at her. How much more could he have given away? So I guess the part that surprises me is this. I would have thought, knowing that the Democrats are in a position to save him, I would have thought that he would have tried to maybe make some sort of a deal with them that would also be acceptable to the vast majority of the Republicans in the House who like him, or at least can tolerate him and want to keep him there.

Because again, it's only six last I knew, it's only six Republicans who want to remove him. So I would have thought he would have made some effort to make a deal with the Democrats to save him. But then again, he might have thought about it. He might have considered that and already he concluded that it's not going to be possible, because either he thinks the Democrats are going to want too much like a power sharing agreement. Although that's pie in the sky stuff that was never going to happen. But he might think that the Democrats want too much in terms of concessions because they're not going to do it for free.

And he might think that the Republicans, the vast majority of whom still support him, he needs them. He needs to keep them on his side, that majority, to maintain his speakership. He might feel like if he makes any kind of concessions to the Democrats that the Republicans who are with him, some of them will no longer be with him, and then it will have all been for nothing. His own party may turn against him in a big way, not just you know, six people. So maybe it just isn't possible.

But if it were possible, again, I understand why the Democrats don't trust him and wouldn't want to rescue him. I get it. But I have to tell you this, as fascinating as all of this is, and for someone who loves politics like me, this is fascinating to watch. This is a big deal, This is a historic moment as we're watching this happen. But the thing about politics is very often the more fascinating. It is, it's for worse and worse reasons. Things that are fascinating are very often in politics, are very often things that are horrible for the country.

What I'm saying is, as much as this will be interesting to see how this all unfolds, it's also really bad, guys. It's really really bad because what's going to happen now is if they successfully remove him, this is going to be chaos. There will be no speaker at that point. Now they're going to have to start the process all over again that they already went through.

Oh, there's an update here on Politico. The House is officially moving toward a final vote. Ext Really, let me refresh that we might be close to this happening. I didn't know if I didn't know if the actual vote would take place before we got off the air, or you know, before before our guests arrives in the second hour. But I'm trying to refresh this as a live feed from Oh are they voting? Let me see her

Molton? I remember her. I don't know who this is that I'm looking at, but I remember her from January counting votes. This is it. They're voting. Yea, they're up to the MS Murphy. So they're about halfway through, so they're voting right now. So the thing is, guys, Again, as fascinating as this all is, it's really bad for This is so bad for the country. We're gonna have a House of Representatives that is paralyzed. They're gonna have to start this process all over again of electing a speaker. One of the things about this that will be interesting is seeing if Kevin McCarthy puts himself, which he will be able to do, put himself back in as a candidate, and he'll have to run for the speakership all over again.

It may end up being Steve Scalise in the end. He's much more My impression is Steve Scalise is much more well liked and generally respected than McCarthy is, So maybe it will be him. Yeah, but I don't know how this ends. And again, as as interesting as it will be to watch unfold, I'm not looking forward to going through this.

What if, you know, they just passed a continuing resolution on the budget for forty five days. What if we get to the end of forty five days, that forty five days and there's still this chaos you have to understand

nothing that Okay, they're in the ohs. I just heard Ocasio Cortesse oguls. That's kind of a fun name. Let me turn that down a little more. It's just the names are distracting me. But I do want to keep an eye on this because I think within just just the next couple of minutes, we're going to get a vote on this. This is the House is going to be paralyzed. Is a lot that can't get done if the House is paralyzed. Anything having to do with money, anything having to do with the budget appropriations, that all has to go through the House.

How does our government function? We just averted a government shutdown? How does our government function though with a paralyzed House of Representatives. That's what's really on the line here. So again, if there's an opportunity, if there is an opportunity to save McCarthy, I would say to the Democrats, I think you should do it for pragmatic reasons. You know, politically, it's great for the Democrats to watch these Republicans who continue to look as though they can't govern, they're in disarray.

I shouldn't even say that they I mean, I shouldn't even say it looks like that. That is what's happening, right, I mean, this is disarray. So it's very good for the Democrats. So I understand the impulse on their part to want to just sit back and watch the Republicans self immolate right there on the floor of the House of Representatives. I understand that. But sometimes you gotta put pragmatism over politics, and it doesn't help us. It might help the Democratic Party. It will help the Democratic Party.

I mean, look, this is the Republicans look so dysfunctional here. They're going to lose the House. They're going to end up losing the House in the next election. I really believe that. So I understand why Hakim Jefferies would say, guys, let's let them just dissolve into chaos and we'll just sit back and watch. It's not our problem. I understand all of that, but it's bad for the country. And I think the Democrats should put pragmatism over politics in this case, and I think they should save them.

I think they should. I mean, they got to get something out of him for it, right, and by the way, that may yet come. That may yet come, because what might happen with this vote, and let's see where we're at here. Okay, they're in the RS, so they're close. If he is ousted with this vote,

when he I assume he'll put himself in as a candidate when they have to start electing a new speaker, and then if he wins and become speaker again, this will have all been for nothing. Maybe they can figure out a way to expel Matt Gates so this doesn't happen again, because he seems to be the center of all of this, right, But maybe at that point when McCarthy is trying to get back in, maybe at that point there can be some negotiating with the Democrats. But maybe he just doesn't want to look like he's negotiating with the Democrats.

Maybe it's too politically caustic for him to do that. Boy, let's see, Oh are we in the t's We gotta be close. Oh no, we're still in the RS. I'm sorry, I don't know what I thought I was hearing. Ruper Spurger. That's a fun name. I like fun names. Chris Parrior, also known as Crispy, says in the chat room hashtag McCarthy, McConnell, Jordan Bobert, MTG grahams Stone, Meadows, Trump's Trump bar Flynn Baron, and all Banana Republic House under McCarthy. M hmm. Yeah, that is in fact a list of names.

Y see where we are here, Santos, Santos, We're in the asses. We're getting close. Yay. Scalise nay. By the way, I'm sure Schools school is of course just voted. No. I'm sure he'd love to be speaker, but he's not going to stick a shiv in the back of his uh his friend Kevin McCarthy, at least not not quite so publicly. All Right, we got to be close to the end here. I'm anxious to see what happens here. Yea, yeay Schryer,

yea Swiker nay, Austin Scott. We might not be as close to the end as I thought, because now that I'm thinking about it, Uh, there's probably a lot of tea names yea, yea, so oh Crispy and the chat room says, oops, I forgot to finish. They are traders to their oaths aboard seven in the chat room says, we can stand the situation. Democrats, we said from us to you hashtag Matt, we say President Biden stays hashtag Matt Connerton because he is a good okay president, we are going to be covering some barrio boys songs.

Oh well, very nice. They're still in the says I'm actually getting anxiety over this. Maybe some of you are too. Let's see. Yeah, it says here. I had mentioned this earlier media. It has a story up and again this is I wonder if McCarthy regrets this at all. Video of McCarthy belittling Democrats was played for House DEM's before vote on Speaker's fate. That's when they when they went and had their meeting. Let's see what this. Let's let's look at this. Uh well, we'll put up We'll mute the other video for a moment of the vote, because I think that's going to be a few more minutes.

And this is audio of the video that apparently was played at the beginning of the meeting with House Democrats today. I wasn't sure I was going to pass. You want to know why, because the Democrats tried to do everything they can not to let it pass. They were the ones who voted number than Republicans to keep the continuing resolution alive. Did you watch the floor. Yes, oh, yes, okay. Then the Republicans voted against it. Okay, So let's let's walk through what actually happened. First of all, the Democrats stood up and did dilatory actions.

Asked to endure, so was that supporting to adjourn? Then they used the magic minute. They went as far as pulling the fire alarm not to try to get the bill to come up. So here's the thing, all right, and then Jake Tapper weighs in. But that's apparently that was played at the beginning of the meeting. All right, let's see where we are on the vote. Oh, and that's buffering. Probably a lot of people are watching this at once. This is the feed from coming through politico dot com. Let me unmute that.

We'll see where we are here. Swallowell Oh, we're still in the asses. We're at the end of the assas sikes, we're in the ts. Yeah. By the way, hello to Nolan Coda, who I see in the Facebook live chat. Nolan was here yesterday with his great band Pointless Culture. If you miss yesterday's show, check it out. Those guys came in in the second hour, all four members of Pointless Culture. We're here It was actually Nolan's second time on the show. He was here a few weeks ago. He's got a solo project that I love.

It's called Eonsen Coded and he Nolan does everything himself. It's really really good. But he also plays in the band Pointless Culture, and they were here yesterday. Melanie Liberty joins us in the Facebook lap chet and says, hey, guys, hello Melanie. All right, let's see where we are in the vote here to leab yea yea, all right, we're in the teas, but we're we're in the early tease. I hope they so. I don't know if this vote exactly does it or if this is a vote on whether to vote to expel. I'm actually not sure where we are in this entire process, but I mean, it will be fascinating to see what happens next, But I'm not There's a separate story here.

Senate Republicans are upset with McCarthy after McCarthy jams them on Ukraine aid. It says, yeah, that's that's frustrating too. You know. In that continuing result, Lucian there was nothing about aid for Ukraine, and uh no, I don't know how that's all going to play out too. But I think we might actually be at the beginnings of walking away from Ukraine, which is just I think at this point it's just crazy to me. I think we should we need to keep up the we need to keep up what we're doing. Vasquez's Oh, Vasquez, are we in the V's Oh it's buffering.

A lot of people are watching.

Yes, Wagner, Oh, we're almost there. Nay Woolburg, Nay Waltz, Nay Whilsom and Schultz, Yay Waters, Yeah, Watson Coleman,

Yeah, Yeay. Webber of Texas, Nay Webster of Florida, Nay Windstrup,

Nay Westerman, y Nay Webston. Yea wild there's a there's more w names than I thought. Williams of Georgia, Yes, yea, Williams of New York, Nay Williams of Texas. There's a lot of Williams. Wilson of Florida, yea, yea Wilson of South Carolina. Nay Whitman, Nay whoa Mac Nope, Nay yackam, yackam. That's a fun that's a fun name. Zinkie, Oh, Zinkie's fun too. Nay McCarthy. Nay,

all right, so everyone is voted. What is that? What your guys? So what happens now? There's gotta gotta do some math. Ammock Carter of Texas, I have, I have, all right, so I assume. Now let's see what. Oh, I didn't mean to close that browser. I just want to see. I'm sure if somebody's already figured out if that's enough to oust him. If you are just joining us, we were just listening to the vote on ousting Kevin McCarthy. Let's see what the Hill dot com is saying about this. They've probably got to add.

I assume there's a few people who didn't vote yet. Let's see what what are they saying here? Yeah, they're still adding things up, so we probably won't know for a few minutes. But let's see. Yeah, nobody's reporting yet on what the vote, what the final vote was, so they probably won't until there is an announcement on whether that passes. If you'd like to chime in six zero three two five zero six zero seven six zero three two five zero six zero seven, we do have a great musical guest coming up in the second hour.

We'll be joined live in studio, and I'm really looking forward to this. We're gonna be joined live by Lou Antonucci. If I'm pronouncing that correctly, I hope that I am. So he's gonna be coming up. Really looking forward to that. But if you'd like to get in with a call on this matter, don't wait too long. Six ozho three two five zero six zero seven six zho three two five zero six o seven. Now they've got a live feed on the Hill, the Hill dot com. Let's see what they're doing, cammick. Oh, they're behind Okay, they're feed on their live feed.

They're still voting. But yeah, we might not know. We might not know before the top of the hour whether this passed or not. So we'll see. Melanie in the chat room says the most unenthusiastic Yea's ever. Well, you know, it wouldn't be very statesman like to, uh, you know, be too enthusiastic when when voting. Interestingly, where are they voting again? Oh? Are they taking the votes of the people who weren't in the room. Some people had to go to uh go to the bathroom. Oh, I think they're getting some of the votes of the people who weren't in the room the first time.

Peltola. Yeah, she's going back through them, Peltola. Let's see here. Yeah, I mean I assume as long as as long as that six voted to oust him, and all the Democrats voted to oust him, that's probably enough. By the way, this a little bit of a side story, but it's related. Nude Gingrich has been pretty outspoken lately, and it's oh, wait a minute, are there other members in this body who have not been recorded or who wish to change their vote? You can do that, you can change your vote. I didn't know that.

Hmm. No, for real, I thought, once you said yea or nay, that's it, you're locked in. Like on the Morning show when they you know, when you say locked in, that's it, you're locked in. That's what I thought. All right, I want to get an answer to this before for the top of the hour. Here. All right, they're talking who is this guy anyway? See the parliamentarian. I don't even recognize the guy.

All right, Well, while we wait for that, so Nude Gingrich, this is from Media eight. Nude Kingridge calls on House Republicans to expel actively destructive Matt Gates from GOP conference. So Nude Gingrich managed to get me to agree with him on something, It says. Nude Gingrich, a long time Republican Party elder and former Speaker of the House, is calling on the House GOP to expel Matt Gates from their conference over his efforts to team up with House Democrats to oust Speaker Kevin McCarthy. In a column for The Washington Post, to Gingrich minced no words, leading with the assertion that Gates quote is an anti Republican who has become actively destructive to the conservative movement.

Some behavior crosses the line, and when it does, there has to be consequences unquote. Oh. He also said there's more. He also said in the piece, if Gates were simply allowed mouth to Junior this vote hang on, Here we go. The yay's are two sixteen, the nays are two ten. The resolution is adopted without objection. The motion to reconsider is laid on the table. The office of Speaker of the House of the United States House of Representatives is hereby declared vacant. Uh. Okay, so it's done.

Oh boy, Now, now what chaos do we plunge into? So I guess that's it. Right, McCarthy's done for the moment, because I wonder, I mean, are they going to start the process of trying to elect a news speaker immediately? Are they going to do that today? Now? Chris Portier in the chat room, Chrispy's as, does George Santos get a vote? Yes, yes he does. Well, here's what We'll take another look at that in a moment. We'll see if we can get an update on what happens next. But this is from the piece that Gingrich wrote,

Gates has gone beyond regular drama. He is destroying the House Goop's ability to govern and draw a sharp contrast with the policy disasters of the Biden administration. It says. Gingrich even went on to approvingly site Representative Nancy Pelosi, who recently noted that Gates has no sway in Congress. Gingrich wrote this, Gates has been ego centrically, going from TV show to TV show and attacking his own party by repeatedly threatening to bring emotion House McCarthy as speaker, which he did on late Monday.

Furthermore, Gates is violating the House Republican Conference rule that states the motion to vacate should only be available with the agreement of the Republican Conference so as not to allow Democrats to choose the speaker. The agreement made when McCarthy became speaker doesn't supersede the conference rules. Gates still needs a majority of the conference. Now that's interesting. That's an interesting take. So in other words, it sounds like what Gingrich is arguing here here is you know, there's there's rules.

The Republican Conference has their rules, and just because you make a side agreement doesn't mean those rules are invalidated. So that seems to be the argument that Gingrich is making here. It says Gates, this is what Gingrich wrote, Gates knows he can't possibly get a majority of thus GOOP conference to his side. He is simply violating the rules and the pursuit of personal attention and fundraising, just like Pelosi said. Wow, So in this case, not only am I agreeing with Newt Gingrich, which is rare, but apparently he's agreeing with Pelosi.

Gingrich went on to write, I served twenty years in the House, including four as Speaker. On occasion, I fought against the GOP establishment. I led the fight against President George H. W. Bush's nineteen ninety tax increase. After he had broken his word about no new taxes, I felt bound to stay with my commitment to the American voters. Unlike Gates, though, when I rebelled, I represented the majority of view of the caucus at the time. Gates's motion to remove McCarthy should be swiftly defeated, and then he should be expelled from the House Republican Conference.

House Republicans have far more important things to do than entertain one member's ego. Ouch, al right, weel again. I tend to agree with Gingrich on that Melanie says in the chat room so well that allegedly I think he was I think he was clear of that. But something about underage girls. But causing chaos and a party is bad. Thanks King Rich.

Let's see, I'm refreshing Politico one more time. Here, see if we can get a final word on the events of today with this, with this story, Let's see where we are here. Politico says, Yeah, it's official, McCarthy out as speaker in an unprecedented development. Let's see, it says, for the first time in history, the House has deposed its speaker

again. The last time this was even attempted was more than a century ago. Democrats joined with Representative Matt Gates and his small group of conservative allies to vote to strip McCarthy of his gavel. It's unclear who would succeed McCarthy long term, though, as allies expect, he will try to run for speaker again. Representative David Valado, Republican of California. McCarthy allies said quote, We're perfectly happy to drag this out as long as it takes. We're all going to be there for the speaker, as long as he wants us to be.

Un eight Republicans, Okay, so it had been six last I knew who were planning to it ended up being eight Republicans voted against McCarthy. Eli Creative Arizona, Ken Buck of Colorado, Andy Biggs of Arizona, Matt Rosendale of Montana, Matt Gates of Florida, Bob Good of Virginia, Nancy Mace of South Carolina, and Tim Burchett of Tennessee. Three House leaders have been floated as potential long term replacements. Majority Leader Steve Schulie, who again, that's who I would put my money on. Whip Tom Emmer Republican of Minnesota.

Of course, well, of course these are all Republicans, and Conference Chair Elise Stephanic all three of disavowed any interest in replacing McCarthy, a reality that could change now that the Californian is afially out. McCarthy's long running troubles with his right flank became a full fledged rebellion in recent days after he called up a stop gap spending patch on Saturday that averted a shutdown without imposing any of the spending cuts on conservative border policies that he'd vowed to push. More Democrats than Republicans voted for that short term spending bill, essentially guaranteeing the conservative push back against the speaker.

The last time the House moved to try to evict a speaker was nineteen ten, and the move has never succeeded. So there you go, and U. Yeah, so it's been well, it's been well over a century since this was even attempted, but first time in history this has been done. And prepare for the chaos that will now descend upon the House of Representatives as they will be paralyzed for lord knows how long as they try to. I don't know. I guess. I mean, maybe it'll start today. Maybe they'll start the process today of electing a new speaker.

I don't know. I don't know exactly. We're in somewhat uncharted territory. I mean, who's going to be in charge of organizing that. It won't be Speaker McCarthy. He's not the speaker anymore, So I don't know. Again, it's one of these instances where you know, for someone who loves politics, I'm fascinated by it all. But also I have a feeling of incredible dread as I marvel at how awful this is for the country, all of this defunction dysfunction. It really is bad. I don't think defunctions the word.

I apologize. But so there we are. There we are, my friends. Well, listen, we are approaching the top of the hour. We have a great musical guest coming up. In fact, he's here, so we're gonna get him set up. But we're going to so we'll take a quick break. I'm gonna play a song. This is called Grandfather's Song. It's one of the tracks he sent us to play today, Lou Antonucci. And when he's on the air with us, he can he can tell me if I'm saying his last name correctly, Hopefully I am. But I'm really looking forward to this.

Uh. He's got an incredible voice and a really great sound and he probably doesn't know this, but we we did play one of his songs to open the show today two at four o'clock and I'll just just fantastic. So I'm looking forward to this a lot. But we're gonna play this track and then we're gonna show some love to our amazing sponsors. And then when we come back in the second hour, he is here. He's got his guitar, and I'm really looking forward to this. So plenty more to come. Don't go anywhere, Come in, God, don't get so prettily done, Matzilleging.

Welcome back everybody, as we are into our number two numerodos of Matt Connerton Unleashed, and we are live from the studios of wm n H ninety five point three FM and Glorious Downtown Manchester, New Hampshire, also on Comcast Channel six. If you're in Manchester, and hello to all of our online friends across the nation and around the globe. You can go to my website Matt Connerton dot com for all of your live streaming options, social media links, contact info, show archives, etcetera, etcetera.

Today is Tuesday, October third, two thousand twenty three, and as promised, we have a great musical guest in studio with us, Lou Antonucci, and I am saying that correctly, exactly, you got it right. Awesome. That's a that's a big relief. I try, I try to get names correctly, very very Italian, very slightly. Yes. So welcome to the show. It's uh, it's great to meet you. Finally. I love your sound. Uh great, great voice and the guitar work and everything. We were kind of talking off here a little bit that one of the songs that I played, close the Door, you were talking about some lead guitar work on that from Jerry Puttnam.

Is that his name from Jerry Putnam up at Cedar House Sound, Yeah, And that that name has been coming up on the show so much recently. In fact, the guys I had on yesterday from the band Pointless Culture that's where they record, and I hear nothing. I don't I don't know Jerry personally, but I hear nothing but great things. Yeah. I know, it's it's a great studio. I'd suggested to anybody that's looking to do to do some recording. Absolutely, and he does all the mastering there too, right Oh yeah, yeah, that's that's that's amazing.

Yeah. And he'll even you'll even even do a little guitar for you for you if you brought him enough, and he's a great guitarist. So yeah, yeah, it seems to me too, like I get the impression and that he kind of becomes like a de facto producer, which which usually happens by accident, but it sounds like, you know, he's someone who really knows what he's doing and it has a lot of good ideas. Oh yeah, absolutely, yeah. And he produced the the CD that that that song that you played was on as well. Yeah, let me hold this up for the cameras over here, So let me hold this up for everybody.

So Lu brought brought me copies of for Jenny and I. It's called an almost Perfect Flight and uh, no way to really zoom in, but I'll hold it up there if some people at home can see, or people listening or people watching on their computers, I should say, or on Channel six. But yeah, that's a cool cover. I like that. Yeah, if if nothing else, they make great coasters. But you know that's the h I still give those out of you know it at performances. And yeah, you know, it's interesting because the one thing that I miss about the days of of vinyl albums, even though vinyls come back or the liner notes.

Yes, yes, and so we incorded incorporated quite a bit of liner notes in there about the different stories behind the song. Oh cool, cool, very cool. Yeah. Yeah, and yeah people still buy CDs, uh, certainly too, you know, for that for that reason, you know, people people like to have the liner notes. And of course Vinyl someone had told me. I think in twenty twenty two it was the first year that Vinyl had actually outsold CDs. Really. Yeah, well, you know with Vinyl two. I mean a lot of people, you know, they'll buy vinyl of their favorite artists and then never open it.

You know, they just buy it to collect it and then they'll leave it sealed, but they'll you know, put it on their bookshelf or whatever it is. So but i'd read an article where actually there's less homes now with CDs in them. Yeah, it used to be like that's really going to you really only find CD players in people's cars, yep, And I figure those are probably go by the wayside in the next year or two, probably haven't already. Yeah. Yeah. It's interesting to see over time what what technologies go away, what technologies stick around, because it's it's often hard to predict, you know, like cassette tapes stuck around, probably about five or six years longer than I expected.

And then a few years ago I was on band camp and even cassettes were back. I couldn't believe it. I saw I saw a local independent artist putting out cassettes. Wow, yeah, did you Yeah? You know, yeah, I didn't even know you could buy a cassette player anymore. Yeah, I think high end stuff, I guess. Yeah, you can get them online and uh but yeah, people, I mean, I don't know if anyone actually I think it's I think it's an idea similar to with vinyl. You know, you buy the cassette, but you don't necessarily listen to it, you know, unless you really like the sound of tape hiss, why would you.

But if you really like an artist. But yeah, you can go on band camp and there's artists selling cassettes limited edition cassettes. It's it's wild, so you just never know. Yeah, yeah, but uh, Lou, I'm dying to hear you play. And I know we were talking off during the break about this up this song message from Harry,

and I don't know if you want to tell us about it before you play it or sure. Yeah. Well, actually recently I've put together a small stage show that we've been doing called You, Me and Harry and what it is. It's a very intimate solo performance, just me doing quite a bit of Harry Chapin's music. And you know he's he's well known for his story songs, right, songs like Taxi and so on. Yeah, well, this particular song, it's the only Lou Antonucci song in the show. Oh but it was kind of inspired out of an incident that happened.

You know. I play all around southern New Hampshire, and I was before I had written this song. I had just gotten back into performing because I had worked in high tech for a number of years right sold the company finally had the opportunity to retire earlier, just get back into music, and so I started playing again, picking up my old repertoire. And I hadn't had a complete yet, right, it's just adding songs from my past and work and run. One night at the Copper Door over in Bedford, Yeah, and I'm just finishing up a song and I see a gentleman.

He gets up from the bar and he walks over. He's got a napkin in his hand. Yeah. And he hands me the napkin and I see there's one word on the napkin. And I immediately look up at him and I say, oh, you must be a Harry Chapin fan, because the word was taxi. Yeah. He wanted to hear taxi. Yeah. And so he said, hey, can you do this song? And I said, well, you know I haven't haven't performed that song probably for twenty years. Wow, you know I might be able to figure it out. He says, well, I'll tell you what if you if you can play the chords, I can sing it.

Well, Matt, I don't know if if if you've been out performing anywhere, but the last thing you want to do is when someone is missing at the bar for two hours walks up and says he can sing, the last thing you want to do is give him the microphone. So I quickly ran through some chords, and I figured out the song. Yeah, and I did it, and I blew myself away because I didn't. I didn't screw it up. I remembered all the words, remembered all the chords. I must have played it thousands of times when I was younger.

Yeah. So, and that's not even that's not even the craziest thing that happened that night, which kind of comes at the end of the song. So I'll leave that that little opening. But I went home that night and the next day and I wrote this song. Okay, it's called Message from Harry all right, wonderful play in front and night at the copper door. I got him. Messis from Harray. When one of his fans walked across the floor handed me a note, just one word heard on a paper napkin. Took me back to when I was young.

I must have played that request a thousand times back then, got a single note one Now. The man stood there with his drink in his hand, asked me if I could have glide, said it's his favorite song. He could sing along if I could figure out the tune. It's been too many miles on this old guitar since I last sang those words. But I told this guy I'd give it one good try if I could get me up the nerve. Harry, will I do with justice? Harry? Will I make you proud? Not everybody's looking call that story's all, But there's this one man in the crowd.

I could have said, I'm sorry, I haven't played that one in yes, but something told me to give it a go, and I overcame my feet. Now I started slow as it goes. I was a million miles away. His story has had a way of doing that even to this day.

Well, the lyrics flewed like satin off the tail that herod spun it in twenty odd years since I sang those words. But I remembered everyone.

Yeah, I surprised myself full remembering. And about three or four minutes in that man he made his way back to the bar. Wre's a whiskey in his hand, and I could see him mouth and neverword hadn't. It didn't miss me. It made us night. It made one too. However, bitter sweet Harry, did I too with justice? Harry? Did I make you proud? Not everybody's looking for that story song, But there's this one man in the crowd. I could I said, I'm sorry, I haven't played that one in yet. Something told me to give it a go, and I overcame my feet because I was leaving fully even in part it out the door.

This limo pulled up. This couple jumps out, just trying to make last call, but the door had locked behind me, bolted for the night. They looked at me and I said, yeah, they're closed, as their limo drove out of side, and yes, I packed my car. They stood there in the Chile winter frost. I could see they had disappoint me, wondering if that night was lost. Neither wore and over the coat, so why off them a riot? But they said thanks, we'll take a taxi. That's when I got all choked up beside Harry. Did I do with justice?

Harry? Did I make you proud? Not? Everybody's looking for that story song. There's this one man in the crowd.

I could have said, I'm sorry, I haven't played that one in yet, but I got a message from Harry, and I overcame my feet.

Yes, I got a message from Harry, and I overcame my feet.

Oh very nice. Wow, that's that's incredible and you know it's true, true story. Yeah. Yeah, to this day, I wonder why the guys said we're taking a taxi right versus like an uber or a lift, right. But it's just kind of its kind of what what happened earlier in the evening. It was kind of crazy. Yeah. Yeah, wow, that's fantastic if you're just joining us. Lou and Tanucci is here with us live in studio. He is on the couch and he's playing some songs and we're talking and having a great time. Mike from Queen City Cabinetry, one of our great sponsors here at w m NHS in the chat room, he says, very nice, really like this, Thanks Mike.

I also see Gary Smith from Fox and the Flamingos and Jam Tomorrow also on the Facebook live chat, and my old friend Jay Bellow from the band Jason the Devil also in the chat room. So we got a very busy, busy chat room today. A lot of musicians in there, which is good to see. Do you always finger pick? Do you ever use a pick? Or do you always? Oh? No, I probably more often than not use a pick. It's just just depends on the particular song. Yeah, yeah, I'm always I'm a bass player, but I I use a pick, and I'm always amazed at how people are able to fingerpicking.

It just kind of fascinates me watching it, like, how do you even make your fingers do that? Yeah, I didn't know where they go. They just go where they want to go. Yeah. Have you have you put out other albums prior to this one? The uh No? Actually this was really kind of the first one I'm done in a long long time. I didn't know there's there's a song on this this album called Living in My Fantasies, Yeah, which I think you have a track of. Yes, And there was an album I had done back in I believe it or not nineteen seventy nine, when I was just a ladd and Sheep was a pup and the name of the album was Fantasies.

If you were to if you were to google Fantasies Lou Antonucci on on Google, you'd come across this album. Yeah. It was probably the worst piece of recording I ever had done in my life. Yeah, because we were young. We did it in the studio where the guy was like the engineer was really into polka bands, so he knew nothing about what he was doing, but it was just you know, we did it. And but that album was really the only other album I had ever done. Wow. But the interesting thing about Fantasies, that song on the album is completely different from what the song is today.

Oh yeah, yeah, I kind of rewrote it after so many years and put it on this CD. So but yeah, that's really the only thing I've done a couple of singles way back when forty fives were big and I lived in in in uh Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, outside of Pittsburgh. Yeah, and this is definitely a full length there's cheez. How many songs are on here? Like fifteen tracks? Thirteen fourteen? I think there's thirteen. Wow. Yeah, we have a call. Hi, Welcome to Matt Connerton unleashed. Who's this

hello? Oh mister Connerton, sir? Oh, I know that voice. Hey Dave, what's up now? Have all right called in at a bad time? Well, we do have a musical guest here. If you have a question for our musical guests, we have Lou Antonucci here with us. I do not I was not able to log in to listen today. Oh, I'll call back at a different time, all right, Dave sounds good. Thank you, Thanks bye bye, Thanks Dave. Great? Here all right, great Dave Ridley. Yeah, there's a there's a lot of tracks on this album. And you did this solid cedar house, the whole thing.

Yeah, you know, I had I told my wife at one point and here this, and this was several years ago, that I wanted to take, you know, my original material that I'd written over the years and kind of put them all on a CD. Yeah, And she says, oh, what you know, Well, what would that cost you to do? And I said, probably about five hundred bucks, go into studio and do it. H She's okay, I'll get that for you for your birthday. And two years and about five thousand dollars later, I had I had an album. And by the way, you played Grandfather's song earlier.

Yeah, that was a song I wrote when I was seventeen years old, no kidding, Yeah, I wrote it from my grandfather when I was seventeen. You know, like every Italian family, big Italian family, we would spend from as far back as I can remember till my teen years, spent every Sunday at my grandparents house. Yeah. So I kind of wrote that song and it was really it's really kind of a metaphor for how our grandparents nurtured all all the grandchildren. Yeah. Yeah. Has a song changed over the years or slightly?

Yeah, just just slightly few words here and there, But it really hasn't hasn't deviated much at all. Is that when you started writing songs at seventeen or were you writing before that? I wrote my first song when I was thirteen years old? Do you remember it? Uh? Yeah, I do. Is a matter of fact, that songs on the on the CD. Yeah, oh wow, it's a song called family Life and Freedom okay. And I can remember about that song is my sister and I had my cousin Rose Marie, who has our baby sitter. Yeah, and so there's kind of a there's a line in this, you know.

And I did this song, by the way, and had some great musicians on this album. Rich Gerzina, who's a sas flute horn player, played with Tower of Power, number of pe Wow, lives here in New Hampshire. He did all the hornwork and he did some great flute work on this particular song. I'll do a little bit of it anyway, sure, And it goes like this really only like three chords of the whole song, because I think that's all I knew at the time. If you come to see me, don't tell Rosne. If you bring me flowers, I would not agree to.

All these simple treasures they're in life are free. Believe me.

If your heart is broken, find your sacred tree and planted in your garden. So you can hardly see who was of my obsessions when you were loving me. Believe me, Believe me, all I wanted was family, life and freedom. Don't you ever wanted was free? Let's just do that much of it for it? Yeah? Yeah, so wow, so you wrote that at thirteen, Yeah, and that was your first one it Yeah, has that changed? That's probably changed a little bit over the years. I would think, right, no, no, wow, that's pretty good.

No. But when I was thirteen, Wow, yeah, when we were doing this album, there's all these, you know, different songs that came back to me that yeah, I'd written and I you know, and because because as Rich was able to do, I mean, he just colored it with the flute and it makes it kind of magical. So yeah, yeah, that was a lot of fun. Oh, very cool, very cool. I'm I'm dying to hear another one another? Uh, if you want to play? Uh, I don't know what. What did you want to play? Did you want to play? You wanted to save merchant?

Right, you want to save that for later? Yeah, we'll save that. What about what about my back porch? There you going? Yeah? I don't pretend to be a country singer, okay at all? Okay, but a buddy of mine one time says, hey, got a great idea for a song. It should write a song about your back porch. And I had this phrase in my mind, you know, gonna sit on my back porch and write a new song. Yeah, so I ended up writing this song. Uh, just kind of came out. But it's, you know, it's it's somewhat country.

It has that sound to it. It's got you know, boy and girl break up, it's got missing you, it's got the back porch, it's got whiskey. I think the only thing that doesn't have is a pick truck. Okay, right, so fair enough, all right, we'll see all see all this. We goes all gonna sit on my back porch and write a new song. Not quite sure. The melogi and I just don't know how long hit my tick to come together as I wrestle with the two. I only know this song will be a boy how much I'm missing you, gonna wrap my head around the thought of losing you.

Try and understand the best I can the choice you had to make when you walked away from loving me in a struggle to survive. I only hope this song get help to heal the hurt I feel inside. I'm missing you in a mone head as a live weaken day, missing you in a daytime it's messing with my head. I'm missing you in the night time when I need someone new hole and I really miss those loving arms to kept me from the cold. I'm gonna sit on my back porch, drink some whiskey, try and understand the best I can the choice you had to make when you walked away from loving me in our struggle to survive.

I a'll let know this song get helped to heal the heard I feel inside. And I'm along long way from forgiving you got I'm not that far away from being stone. If I get the feeling I might call you on the phone. On second thought, I guess that I'll just sit here and drink along.

I'm missing you in the morning head as a live weakend. Ben, I'm missing you in the evening, well, that's messing with my head. I'm missing in the night time when I need someone to hold you know, I really miss those loving arms that kept me from the cold. I'm gonna sit on my back porch and ride a new song, and I know this song will be about how much I'm missing he. That's cool. I like it. It has a good beat. Yeah, yeah, we'll give it a nine like it's it's got kind of a bounce to it. I dig it a lot.

If you're just joining us, A Lou Antonucci is here with us. He is live in studio. He's playing some songs for us and we're talking and uh, this is great, this is great. Do you play out a lot? Do you do a lot of shows? I do. I do a lot of restaurants and bars. They generally will pay three to three to four nights a week. Oh wow, yeah, so you're pretty busy. That's yeah. Yeah, it keeps me busy. It slows down a little bit in the winter, simply because so many places have added outdoor patios and entertainment, but then winter comes, they lose their entertainer.

Right, but yeah, and like I said, working on this Harry show, I'll be doing a lot more of those. We're kind of putting together a tour in New England for the spring. Oh good of that show, and we've gotten great response to it so far. We did a show in Vermont show in Pennsylvania and got a great response from both the venues and the and the audiences. So looking forward to that come spring. Excellent, excellent. Now, so do you have are there a lot of people on stage with you? Or is it mostly just you?

Or no? No, no, me, me and my guitar. That's cool. Yeah, yeah, there's really nothing else. Yeah, and you know that's when when Harry would do a you know, a solo show, that was it. Yeah, you know, he didn't use pedals, didn't have you know, loopers any of that guy. You know, it's just him and his guitar. So I try to keep it pretty uh authentic. Yeah. Yeah. Is that is that challenging or does that kind of come naturally to do that? Well? I think it comes naturally because when I was when I was young and I was playing, I would play uh you know and in some clubs I played when I was in my early twenties.

I would do four five nights a week, four hours a night. Wow, and just me and my guitar and yeah, you know, all that stuff gets ingrained and and oh yeah, and I'm old school, so that's that's kind of how I do it today too. Yeah, so you're you're wild conditioned to be able to pull that off. God, because that everyone can pull that off, you know. Uh no, no it's not it's not easy. Yeah, it's not easy. And uh but I get you know, I get great response, and I do when I play at the clubs. I do all all the classic acoustic stuff.

Yeah, you know, the Neil Young, James Taylor, Jim Croche, Harry Chapin. Yeah, and I think you know, people they enjoy that that era of music. So yeah, now when you're doing that, do you mix in originals with the covers. Yeah, I'll throw I'll throw a few in. Yeah, but you know, you know, again, those venues aren't the venues where originals are the big thing. But I'll throw in a few like my back porch. Yeah, you know, upbeat tune, that type of thing. You get into the six seven minutes songs and you know, people want to get their second beer by the time you're two thirds of the way through it.

But yeah, that can that part can be a challenge. Yeah, well I'm sure. So did you want to play did you want to play reunion? I'm sure I'd love to hear that live. That's a great Yeah, thank you. Oh so you've you've heard you've heard that on that track? Yes? Oh okay, yeah, yeah online on Uh yeah. I listened to it on YouTube and I was like, it's very it's a lot of emotion with that. Well, it's you know, you know, it's it's the type and interesting. I just got back from Pittsburgh because our high school just had our fifty year class reunion wow, and the head of the reunion committee had kind of commissioned me to write a song for the class, and then I, as a surprise, which was not the easiest surprise to keep, I performed the song at the reunion wow.

Yeah, and it went over well, it was great. So uh no, it's fun being back there. But you know, when you think about it and you think back to those high school days, right, uh, there's usually always someone whether it's your girlfriend or your boyfriend, you've got this great relationship with you've grown up with through school, and you always had this thing for them, right, Yeah, and then you graduate, you end up going your separate ways, and you're always thinking about what what could have been?

Sure? Right, and so you go back to these reunions halfway thinking, I wonder if I'll see so and so right again. So that's really what this this song is about. Okay, in a different world, did you used to be holy? Holy me? But it's not the past that haunts me. So it's that I'll let you go. When we were kids, you live next door, your hair was yellow gold. I'd stand outside your kitchen door, struggle to be bold. Who would share my coak and jaw penny candies house stuck in sticky fingers, Those simple treasures came in handy.

We will go so young and so nigh with you. I'd share my words. See in a sense we shared together. We'd grow into devotion, our innocence. We lost together, and it tangled up our emotion. We grew apart by graduation. So we're not so unexpected. Our love or just in five tuition has kept us close

even we struggle to break free. And all the years I spent in longing,

worri or ears the same, all the fear of not belonging. I just wanted one more chance to dance with you in a different world. Used to be only you, only in me. But it's not the past that haunts me. So instead, I'll let you go. Though time has seen us boil, enjoy misfortune and his favor, a family life so much more,

but nothing left to save now, and your photographs a different scene?

Then what your eye confess it? It's the simple truth you can't reveal.

It's brought us here once again. Now I struggle to be bold and past reunions notwithstanding, let's feels so right to me. I have to ask before I leave. Now, can I have just one more chance to dance with you in a different world? Used to be only you, only me?

But it's not the past that haunts me, So settle, let you go.

Mmmm. Wow, that's so good, that's so good. Thank you. Lou Antonucci is with us live in studio. If you're just joining us today on Matt Connerton Unleashed and wow, that's yeah? That that song? Boy, really, I don't know it paints a picture. I almost hate to say it sounds cliche to say it that way, but it really does. You know, it's that that's really that's really good. Do you have I mean, is there is there anything on the album that's kind of a favorite of yours that you you particularly love to play live that or that gets a particular response from people, right?

Well, I think the Merchant obviously, the Merchant on Market Square. It's it's an interesting song because I'll tell you this. You know, obviously, I've been playing music since I twelve thirteen, yea and writing songs here and they're all along the way. That song Merchant on Market Square is the only song out of all of my songs that I actually sat down one day and said, I'm going to write a song about that subject. Okay. Usually all these other songs like I'll get an idea and then something just comes out.

Yeah, And you know it's most of the times it's both the melody and the lyrics at the same time. Yeah, And that's kind of how I write. Or there's some emotional event that kind of really gets in my head and sure I'll write about it. But that that song again, I was I was born and raised outside of Pits again, and it was the early eighties. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania was going through a renaissance, both a cultural and a physical renaissance. The steel mills were moving out and had been moving out, and there were a lot of there were a lot of corporate headquarters used to be based in Pittsburgh, Rockwell International, US Steel, a lot of those companies and have since moved on.

One of the companies, uh PPG. You've probably heard of them as PPG Industries, Pittsburgh Painting Glass, they were originally called. So Pittsburgh wanted to keep them and their corporate offices in the city. And so what they what they did was they put together a deal and offered up PPG prime real estate rakedowntown in Pittsburgh to build their world headquarters. And if you look like if you're watching Monday night football and the Steelers are playing, and you see the see in the background, you see this big, t all building.

It's all glass. It looks like a castle at the top with four corners. That's the PPG headquarters below. And but to do this, what they what the town, what the city of Pittsburgh did was they took a big, big part of what was known as Market Square not unlike Fannel Hall. Picture Fannel Hall. It was a big square in the middle of the city from the early eighteen hundreds, cobblestone streets, you know, family owned businesses, bistro shops, all of that, and so they were going to take about two thirds of that.

And to do that they offered some remuneration to the businesses, but really not that much, yea. And there were some businesses that held out and went to court and fought it. They didn't want to give their lifelong businesses up. Unfortunately they all lost. The city took the property by imminent domain and the rest is history. The interesting thing is when I do the song around Pittsburgh, always get requests for it, and you know, but I find when I play it out. I did it at at at a place called Stage thirty three up in Vermont, and on one of the breaks, a guy came up to me and said, boy, that song really hit home.

That says all, are you from Pittsburgh and he goes he goes, no, I'm from Baltimore. My family's from Baltimore. But my grandfather, who used to be known as like the Banana King of Baltimore, he would distribute and bring in all the fruit and vegetables for all the grocery store. The same thing happened to him where the city ended up taking his business by eminent domain to do some you know, renovation of the city of renaissance in the city. So yeah, it's still somewhat valid today. Yeah, yeah, no doubt.

All right, I guess that's a great introduction for this. Yeah. Yeah, I'd love enough time. Oh, definitely, definitely, yeah, i'd I'd love to hear it absolutely all right. So I'm gonna do this one. Uh. Good musical friend of mine back in Demon Valley. Uh, she always tells me this is your favorite favorite song. And I was there to do I was there to do the Harry Show. And she had asked me that evening before I left if I could just play this for Oh, and I forgot. I forgot and never did get to do it.

Oh. So this one's for a net if you're out there a net, I don't. I'm a merchant here on market Square, try to save my piece of the pies. Really right or even fair for my life us to be denied for the renaissun saw glass and steel the cities on their side, it's tearing down my life

too fast. You're moving too fast for a simple man like me. We're todd half a life on the south side series my family, my business crew. I'll move uptown here to market Square, a life savings down. City says tearing down, give it all to BEBG. Too slow. The carts too slow for a common man like me. My friends said stay, but the judge said no. I thought this life was sweet. One by one, the shots close down their own market square. I'm losing ground. Won't give it, won't lay it down, won't give it all to be pige

lord. The merchant here on market Square tried to save my piece of the pie. To really a right or even fair for my livelihood to be denied for the renaissance of glass and steal the cities on the side to charing down my life by my life. I'm just a I'm a mind you CD,

my business crew. I moved uptown here to market Square, life savings down. The citizens tearry down, give it all to Ppgee too much. It's all too much for a broken man like me. My bank accouncil, I empty here and there's a little hole in my lease. We'll give you thirty days. It's got a minute more here on market Square. I gotta close my doors. Makes no sense. If I want to eat, you gotta go to work for Ppge the Lord. I'm a merchants late on the market Square trying to save my piece of the pipe. To really right, we're even fair for my life to be denied for the random son saw the glass and Steel the cities on this side.

That's Sarran down. Wow, that's my favorite of the ones you've played. I love that. I love that, the Renaissance of Glass and Steel. Wow, thank you. Yeah. Yeah, we're really good, really good. Yeah, that's I don't know if you've listened to the one on the CD, but you know I mentioned Jerry doing lead guitar. Yeah, and he plays lead guitar on that song. And the interesting thing is he goes back and forth between nylon string guitar and electric guitar. Yeah, and it's like kind of the two eras battling themselves.

Interesting in the middle of the song. I gotta listen. Yeah, I haven't listened to that one. I gotta I gotta check that out though. Yeah, I'm very curious now by the way, DJ Steve Stephen Light is in the chat room. He says, loving it great, playing Lou, Yeah, absolutely, thanks so much. I love the lyrics of that track too. I can see where you know you told the story about the guy from Baltimore. I can see where people from other cities would would also relate to the subject matter. You know that's interesting.

Yeah, it happens all over absolutely absolutely. We are running short on time, so I want to make sure people know where to find you, where to find you online, where to h You're playing out a lot, so we want to make sure people know where to where they can find out, how to see you live and or get the CD or anything at all. Where's the best place? Should probably spell your last name for people. Hey, that's Antonucci, just like it sounds a N T O N you c C I okay, and it's Lu not l E. W right and you can you can find me at Lou Antonucci music dot com.

Everything you need to know or need to access is right there. Uh. This this album, Almost Perfect Flight, it's on the whole album is is on YouTube. So if you just if you typed in Lou Antonucci Space an Almost Perfect Flight, you could stream the whole album yes, yes. Oh. By the way, where does the I meant to ask you too, where does the title come from? The album title an almost perfect flight? It sounds like something that would have a story behind it. I'm so I'm curious. Well, it does a little bit.

It's you know, I worked in high tech for years. I traveled all over the place and I remember getting off a plane one time and one of the one of the guys I was traveling with, said, we had turbulence, you know, yeah, we got off and he says, oh, well, that was an almost perfect flight, and it just kind of stuck with me, and it's it's a line in the in the Fantasy song as well. Oh okay, yeah, I think I'm a I'm actually gonna end with with uh with that, uh the studio track there, great of that. Yeah, that'll be a that'll be a good way to end it.

Since since you mentioned it, Lou, thank you so much. This has been amazing. It's been fun, Matt. I really appreciate it, absolutely amazing. And I just want to say on the record too, you're the most prepared guest I've ever had. So well done, sir, well done. This has been great, though, Lou Antonucci everybody, and if you miss any part of today's show it we'll be up in just a little bit at w M and H radio dot org and on my website Matt Connerton dot com. And we will leave you with this. What's the full title of this song, Living in My Fantasies, Living in My Fantasies by the Great Lou Antonucci.

Check this out. It'll freak you out.

Matt Connarton Unleashed 10-3-23

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