Matt Smallbone

I like the Seattle airport. Free WiFi and comfy chairs. Half of our team are asleep in the comfy chairs. It’s all that we need.

We are getting in to Nashville tonight at about 6pm, and will be home for about 44 hrs before we trundle off to Africa and South America for three more weeks.

You read that right… we will be home for only 44 hrs in the middle of a five week tour. It has been a long time since I have hit the road this hard.

My kids don’t know that I have to leave for tour again… we are still trying to figure out how to break that news.

What I do know is that my family is a very pliable unit. They roll with the punches really well. We have lots of fun together, and I think that this is what makes the difference.

The only real parenting philosophy that we have adopted is that our home is a fun place. We have lots of fun within some clearly defined parameters. I think that this buys me a lot of grace from my wife and kids. I am so thankful that they allow me the freedom to not only ‘live the dream’, but they allow me to do it free of guilt. I owe them everything.

Daddy will be home soon. Get the wrestling cushions out.

We are 10 days into this 37 day tour… and there have been some great things going on. Here are 7 of the best from the Canada leg…

1. Sharing the stage with Downhere. These guys are a great band (and a cool hang). They are superb musicians and have written great songs. Yet… somehow they have never won a Dove Award. And further… somehow Mark has never been nominated for Male Vocalist of the Year by the GMA!! Someone over there is taking crazy pills. You should go and buy all of their records and tell me if I’m wrong.

2. Canada is one of the most picturesque places on God’s green earth. There has been a lot of great scenery, and awesome cities to wander through.

3. Unite Productions have been taking great care of us. These guys are unbelievable servants and they have treated us very well. (They can also promote like legends…. EVERYTHING is selling out).

4. We have a Nintendo Wii on the bus.

5. It is NHL finals time… so the Canadians are ready to rock.

6. Michael W. is just finishing a new record… so we have new songs to road test. (You are gonna love this new record… it is blowing my mind).

7. I love the guys that I get to do life with. Great musicians, technicians etc… but even greater friends. What we do is important… but not as important as loving God and loving the people we meet every day. This is a GREAT group for keeping things in perspective.

Have a great weekend,

smalls

PS – Here is a video that Anna “W” Smith (Michael’s daughter) made of the first few days of the Canadian tour…

Tags: Canada, Downhere, Michael W. Smith, Unite Productions, world tour

I am often reminded of how cool my job is. The following took place a few days ago…

There is definitely something  surreal about shopping and hearing a song that your boss recorded playing through the speakers. Surreal but nice.

Peace,

matt

It has been heart breaking to see my beloved Nashville go under water whilst being on the road up here in Canada. Our place is fine, but we have a heap of friends who were not so fortunate.

There have been 30 reported deaths, and it is a really sad state of affairs.

Many of the Nashville musicians keep their gear in lockers at this place called Soundcheck, which is the biggest enclosed rehearsal studio in the world. It houses instruments and tour sets…. and our Michael W. Smith locker got smashed. Folks like Keith Urban and all of the big country and Christian music stars have been hit with an incredible amount of damage.

We probably won’t be able to access Soundcheck until Saturday morning.

Gibson USA on Massman Drive has sustained an enormous amount of damage.  The Grand Ole Opry House is a soggy mess and the Schermerhorn Symphony Center saw the water rise to within 12 inches of the concert hall floor, then eased down. The flood destroyed two Steinway pianos and an organ console. At the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, the Ford Theater took on three inches of water, but historical documents and instruments were generally preserved.

All in all it has been a really bad week for my adopted home town.

However, I must say that I am so pleased to hear zero reports of looting and general craziness. It is great to live in a place where civility survives the storm.

Please help us if you can.

You may donate to the Nashville Red Cross by sending a check to:

Nashville Area Red Cross at 2201 Charlotte Avenue, Nashville, TN 37203.

Those who would like to make a donation over the telephone may do so by calling 1-615- 250-4300.

Also, Nashville is a town that makes a lot of coin on tourism… so I would love for you to consider visiting our cool little part of the world next time you take a vacation.

Thanks y’all,

matt

Writing location: Winnipeg, Manitoba (Canada)

Supp,

I just got back from a great week at Disney World with the family! Mary’s sister Sarah.. and her husband Hugh joined us from Australia. Hugh is also my arch-enemy on the cricket field. He is currently winning 3-2…. with a few days of play to go.

We also had a great time last night when we received a surprise visit from our Irish mates: Aaron “God of this City” Boyd and Stevie from the great band BLUETREE. We played some cricket and listened through their new songs. Good crack my wee fellas.

It has been a fun few months at home… but my musical life is about to come alive. An outline of the rest of the year’s schedule was just posted at Michaelwsmith.com

Check this out:

If you’ve been watching MichaelWSmith.com, Smitty’s Twitter, or his facebook page then you know that Michael’s been pretty busy working in the studio on his new album; well all of that is winding down as the final touches are being put on the new album.  Any and all prayers are appreciated.

This Thursday, April 29, Michael begins his World Tour, which will take him 2 weeks all the way across Canada, from Montreal all the way to Victoria, British Columbia.

After returning to the U.S. on May 13, he jumps to Charleston, SC for the final Women of Joy event with Steven Curtis Chapman.  As quickly as that show is over, Smitty and the band fly over to South Africa for a week of tour dates.   Home for a few days and on to Brazil & Costa Rica.

Did we mention that at some point in there he has to spend a few days in the studio putting those all important finishing touches on what will be his newest album (currently slated for release in September or October of this fall). Quick Aside:  All of you Cruisers joining us this July on the trip to Alaska:  You’ll be the first to hear the album as a completed project during one of the late night listening parties on the ship.

After Costa Rica, Smitty and the band will head home for a few weeks of rest and Cruise preparations.  Then when July hits it’s out to Colorado for a festival, then up to Seattle for a show on July 10th, the eve of the Alaska Cruise.  The day following the show in Seattle, Michael, Max Lucado, Matthew West, Natalie Grant, Henry Cho, Michael Olson, and John & Beverly Sheasby will be making their way to Alaska with nearly 1,800 of their friends for a week of concerts, worship, and fellowship on the MS Oosterdam (July 11th to 18th).

Quickly after the tour ends on July 18th, the band and Michael head back over seas for two more weeks of touring (Countries and Cities will be announced soon), returning just in time to go on tour with Sean Hannity’s Freedom Concert tour.

All of that touring comes to an end in early September and just in time to return home to Nashville for rehearsals for a pretty big (aka HUGE) tour that hasn’t been “officially” announced yet, but has been by the artists via their Twitter and facebook pages.  After that tour ends, at the end of October, Michael will again return home in time to rehearse for his Christmas tour that starts in late November and Early December.

Somewhere in the middle of the fall Michael will head to Europe for some shows before the Christmas tour.

So… there you go. There will be plenty of round the world blogging in the next few months!

Love

matt

Tags: Michael W. Smith, schedule, tour