Jake: 0:09

Coming to you almost live from Berkeley, California. It's Aaron's Radio Show with your host, Aaron Gobler.

Aaron Gobler: 0:19

Thanks, Jake. And welcome, everybody to Episode 42. Welcome to My Three Songs where I play three special songs chosen by my guests, and we talk about why they chose each song. Today my guest is Matt Wolff. Matt is the founder and CEO of Ticket Time Machine, a souvenir ticket company based near Boca Raton, Florida. We were introduced by Erik Covitz, a fraternity brother of mine. How are you today, Matt? And can you tell me more about what you do?

Matt Wolff: 1:18

I'm doing great Aaron, excited to be here. Ticket Time Machine is a commemorative product company, we're keeping the printed memory alive. And if you went to a concert, now you get a digital ticket, we can go ahead and print you up and authen tic thermal ticket for the show that says where you land. And we're working with all kinds of festivals and venues and artists to get a real nice keepsake for all of the concerts that you are going to in the future and also for the ones that you've been to in the past.

Aaron Gobler: 1:49

Is this something like I have a box full of like half tickets from all these concerts that I went to. And so it's kind of cool to go through them as keepsakes. And it's not the same to have like an 8.5 by 11 sheet of paper with a QR code on it. Like I think that's what you're where you're going with this right, you can actually have something that's much more meaningful as a memento.

Matt Wolff: 2:10

Yeah, I have a box full of ticket stubs. I also have a box full of print at home 8.5 by 11. And it's just, you know, I think people are really going to love the tickets that we have to offer moving forward with everything going digital.

Aaron Gobler: 2:27

Is this something someone can put in a small frame or something like, you know, collect them on their wall? Yeah, I used to collect movie tickets, you know, that had the movie name on them. So I could say, oh, yeah, I want to see that movie. But it's really kind of impersonalized now. And, and I think that's really cool what you're doing.

Matt Wolff: 2:43

And we're working on movie tickets, too. Because if you go back and he tickets, half of them are cut off, the title isn't full...

Aaron Gobler: 2:50

Right, right. It is kind of a little bit silly. When you look back and say, Well, why is it so important to have that ticket? Because it's experience, you know, but it's almost like a little, like a little journal of all the things that you've seen and experienced. So it does have it.

Matt Wolff: 3:07

It's also very similar why you're doing this show is three songs, these songs all have meaning to people. For me that ticket is I look at a ticket. And if it's a concert, it immediately has meaning maybe it's a song that was there maybe it's who I was with, but it's just all about memories. And so that's ... your show is exactly that we're looking back on memories and something elicits something from us when we hear it or look at it.

Aaron Gobler: 3:31

Uh huh. And I guess you could go through your tickets and say, oh, yeah, I remember that show. Or, oh, I can picture myself at the Mann Music Center in Philadelphia, you know, seeing James Taylor or Bonnie Raitt or something and the ticket elicits that kind of experience. Yeah, yeah. That's really great. And Matt, I'm really happy you decided to be on the show. And I'm really, I'm really psyched to talk with you about music. What inspired you to be on the show?

Matt Wolff: 3:58

Well, Erik told me about the show. He knows how much I love music. And man, I just love to talk about music. And these songs that we're going to talk about today have some pretty deep meaning for me and, and so I'm always happy to talk about the things I love music, movies, sports, entertainment, travel, food, mental health, all kinds of things that I'm real passionate about. It's just ... I'm happy to have a conversation, whether it's in a in a venue like this, or it's just talking to, you know, the person on the street.

Aaron Gobler: 4:29

Mm hmm. And before we get started, can you tell me like how music fits into your life in general? Like do you seek it out? Is it usually in the foreground or background of the day?

Matt Wolff: 4:39

Yeah, so music is been a huge part of my life probably since my senior year in high school, and I started to really like music. And that's late, kind of a late bloomer. Back in the days when Led Zeppelin and AC/DC and Journey... these were all huge bands, but I didn't really follow them and so a lot of my knowledge doesn't go earlier than say like the 90s as far as deep knowledge on music, and then I got to college and I was out everywhere, everything I did socially had music to it. Now, I go to man, every festival that's around here concerts -- 50 a year probably. Yeah, I love music. It's it's one of my favorite things to do. I listen to music when I shower, I listened to it sometimes when I work, if I can concentrate enough, when I'm in my car, when I'm exercising, that's kind of what gets me through exercise. So, music is important to me on a daily basis.

Aaron Gobler.: 5:32

Do you find there are times where you, you can seriously notice the absence of music?

Matt Wolff: 5:38

Yeah, it's and part of the big thing is maybe when I'm exercising, because I don't drive a lot anymore. So the exercise is the time when I'm really listening to music the most. So I think that's probably when I noticed it. I also had a conversation with someone about if I had to give up music or sports, what would I give up? I think it would be sports, crazy enough. I would, because I don't know that I could live without music. But sports, you know, it would be devastating for me, but I feel like I'd be okay.

Aaron Gobler: 6:09

And the reason I asked you that question a moment ago was that I'll sit here ready to do some work at my desk. And I need the music as kind of a meditative thing flowing in the background or stimulating my brain or, or something. And I definitely noticed the lack of it. Yeah, I don't think I could, I could exist too too long without some kind of music. So let's jump into the songs that you chose. "Listen to Your Heart" by DHT from 2005, "All For You" by Sister Hazel from 1994, and "Tubthumping" by Chumbawamba from 1997. Now I know all these songs, but the first song is rendition I hadn't heard before. I'm eager for both of us to listen to these songs. And I'm interested in knowing why each of them is meaningful to you. The first song in your list is "Listen to Your Heart" by DHT.

Aaron Gobler.: 7:12

Matt, I'm quite familiar with the original version of the song by Roxette from 1988. This version by the Belgian band DHT is really, really beautiful. And I discovered there are some great dance remixes of this too. But what inspired you to include this song on your list?

Matt Wolff: 7:26

Back in 2005, my father was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. I'm from New Jersey, but I live in South Florida and have since I graduated college, which we'll talk about on the next song. The hospital was about maybe 25-30 minutes away. And this was basically ... this song was on the radio every five minutes at that time. And so every time I'm driving back and forth, I'm hearing this song. And it just made me think about my dad. And for a long time, it really brought me to tears in a joyful way of being able to remember him. But I just think it's such a great, it's such a great song. It's ... I'm not even usually a lyric person so much. But for this one, for some reason, the combination of driving all to see my dad and the lyrics of it. It's a sad song. But it's also you know, I think it's very, I guess, retrospective and it brings joy to me to hear it to just one of the many things that makes me think of my father in a pretty good way, smile. Now I hear that song and it just, it's, it's a joy for me.

Aaron Gobler: 8:39

So when you hear it now, or even like this version, or the original version, are you immediately kind of transported back to your driving to visit your dad.

Matt Wolff: 8:45

time ago or 17 years. And you mentioned the other like the dance remixes, there was a lot of like, funky funky dance remixes to this song. And I don't really like a lot of them, some of them I do because I do like the upbeat to it. But the core of it with the lyrics is really what you know what gets me.

Aaron Gobler: 9:19

And if you could, if you could get back into your mind while you were driving was there a positive anticipation about seeing your dad or were there more like stronger feelings about what situation he was in?

Matt Wolff: 9:34

So I was living in Florida and we're from New Jersey, that's where he was and I got a call that said get on a plane. You know, that was it? Yeah. By the time I got to him, he was ... it was basically over but he was around for probably less than a week in the hospital. But at that point like right when I got to him he basically wasn't talking. Yeah, it was, you know, it was ... I'm glad I got up there when I could. And but yeah, there's so many things that reminded my dad, it could be a commercial, it could be this song, it could be watching sports. So I look at all of them as a positive.

Aaron Gobler: 10:15

Yeah. So so at this point, it's really almost, in your mind then makes you celebrate your dad as opposed to the whatever stress and anxiety you might have actually been really feeling while you're driving to visit him.

Matt Wolff: 10:30

Yeah, I mean, we knew what was happening. So it wasn't, you know, you already knew what the result was going to be. And but it was even early on, I think it was one of those songs that I wanted to hear because I wanted to get that emotion and felt good, even though I might have been crying, you know, like tears and getting emotional about it. It was one of those good, you know, good emotions even though it's, you know, for negative thing. So it's that song, willl always have a special place for me.

Aaron Gobler: 10:58

Yeah. Well, thank you for that story that's really touching. And it does underscore how how a song can immediately cause our brain to switch to a different time and place and bring back those emotions. It's a very, very powerful trigger. Matt, your next song is all for you by Sister Hazel. Let's take a listen to that and we'll talk about it on the other side.

Aaron Gobler.: 11:23

Matt, I love this song. It was quite popular in 1994. And I found out that it peaked at number 11 on the Billboard Top 100 chart at that time, what inspired you to include this on your list?

Matt Wolff: 11:45

Yes. So the background on Sister Hazel is that I have a twin brother. And out of high school. He went to the University of Florida and I went to community college for a year. A year later, I joined him at the University of Florida. Now the first time I ever heard this song was when I was visiting my brother and it wasn't Sister Hazel. It was Ken and Andrew, Ken Block and Drew Copeland who were the two original members and the singers at a bar. I'm trying to remember the bar they were playing all over. They formed Sister Hazel, I went to Gainesville and '95. I'm pretty sure I was at the taping of the music video for this at the Florida Theater. Essentially, I've seen Sister Hazel the most out of any band ever. Dave Matthews, for me is probably twice. There's a caveat to that I go on The Rock Boat, which is a music cruise hosted by Sister Hazel. So you know for five, six years, I was seeing them three times a year plus whenever else they would go and that song -- I get chills when the audience sings. They let the audience sing the chorus and I just thought it was every time that happens. It's like it's that moment and for me they're just they're great guys. The Rock Boat's a great experience. It's run by Sixthman. If you've never been on a music cruise, Sixthman does some pretty good ones. I'm gonna be on the Beach Boys cruise by Sixthman a week from today. So, Sister Hazel has just been that song is always just I love hearing it. And they put out a lot of other good music. But I always just every time that song comes on, chills, I get chills for it. And it's, you know, back in the college days, that was probably the first band I really loved.

Aaron Gobler: 13:30

Or the or the chills due to the song itself or like you're saying it was really kind of electrifying when the whole audience is singing the chorus. Do the chills come from those ... from your body like re experiencing that the being in the audience and everybody's singing?

Matt Wolff: 13:49

I think it's yeah, I mean, especially when it's live and they're singing.

Aaron Gobler: 13:53

Yes, sure.

Matt Wolff: 13:54

Because that's ... unless you hear a live version and that's interesting because that's such a great feeling for me when the when the crowd sings something. "Learning to Fly" by Tom Petty was on my list that I'd given you. And there's a live version of that song where the crowd is saying with Tom back and forth for like two minutes. It's probably the best live version of a song I've ever heard. But every time we're in... whether I'm on the cruise or whether I'm in at a live Sister Hazel show and that song comes on ... I basically just am excited for that part where they stopped and the whole crowd is just singing it because not every band has songs where the crowd is just going to sing like that and sing it loud. I go to a lot of shows and you know the bands will put the microphone on the crowd and you'll get there'll be people singing but you have the collective crowd all know exactly what the words are in singing loud. It's to me it's as good as it gets at a live performance.

Aaron Gobler: 14:51

Wow. So it really is like literally a communal experience. And, and I think you know, most of us have concerns about how we sound when we're singing. And we may be reluctant to sing in other's presence. But when everybody's singing at the same time, there's some kind of weird thing that happens and everybody sounds like ... they all kind of harmonize when you get enough people together singing. And so there's something rewarding about just like letting yourself go and sing and not care what anybody else thinks you sound like.

Matt Wolff: 15:27

It's yeah, it's crazy how many times I've seen them live. And you know how long I've seen them, you know, back when they were just two guys singing at fraternity parties and local dive bars.

Aaron Gobler: 15:42

And it must be really rewarding to have experienced their success.

Matt Wolff: 15:46

Yeah, and a lot of it is also because they're so tied to Gainesville, Florida and the Gators so it's just, it's a real sense of pride.

Aaron Gobler: 15:55

That's great. Thank you for that story. It's cool when someone has some kind of real visceral and real connection with a band like that. So I appreciate that story. The last song on your list is "Tupthumping" by Chumbawamba.

Aaron Gobler.: 16:12

Matt, I feel like most people either love or hate the song like there may not be a middle ground. I mean, it was super popular reached like number six on the Billboard Top 100 chart even higher like number two on the UK chart. I mean, it's certainly an odd song. But I also feel like it's hard to like feel anything but upbeat while you're listening to it. But anyhow, why did you choose to include the song?

Matt Wolff: 16:50

Yeah, it's just it's for me it's such a fun song. It's probably my favorite one hit wonder. And so that's probably why I chose it. Every time I hear it I turn the volume up. And it just it's so I mean, it's inspiring. It's it's simple, right? I get knocked out, but I get up again, you're never gonna keep me down. And, man if that's not a lesson for everyone, I don't know what is in a song. There's so many inspirational lyrics and songs. I look at songs like "Man in the Mirror", which really inspires me and you know, that's a whole song dedicated ... this it's one line, two lines, keeps repeating it and it's great. I love it. The one hit wonder again, I think that that's really the angle that I took with it. I love the name too, right? I mean, "Tubthumping" and Chumbawamba. Actually funny enough, I was looking at doing like a festival, a one hit wonder festival, which people come on and sing their song. And I reached out to someone who was a part of Chumbawamba and they're like, "We're no longer together. Thanks. Good luck." And I'm like, yeah, I understand that we're trying to get you together to sing one song one time. I'm still hopeful I can get a one hit wonder festival going. But to me that's that my favorite one hit wonder song. And one hit wonders are interesting. Because most of the songs that people say are one hit wonders. They're they're really not. They just don't realize it. So for me, that's a true one hit wonder. And it's it's my favorite one.

Aaron Gobler: 18:24

Through my research I learned they did have several albums. Yeah, and I have had several discussions on previous episodes of the show with guests about what had wonders and like some of the some of those cases that people have to have a whole a canon of really good stuff. But this one particular song seemed to resonate it and hit it big, and others just never matched. This like it was like this one a million shot they just this song was like incredible and the rest of their stuff never, you know, reached that level.

Matt Wolff: 18:53

It's for a long time. I mean, it's it's 25 years or so. And just keeps it's always gonna be a big thing. You who Matthew Kelly is? He does a one hit wonder podcast, which is, it's a pretty good podcast.

Aaron Gobler: 19:06

No, no, I'm not familiar with that.

Matt Wolff: 19:07

... One hit wonder, what makes a one hit wonder, and stuff like that. But that's always gonna be the biggest argument is something a one hit wonder? There are people who thought Sister Hazel's "All for You" is a one hit wonder and it might be close ...

Aaron Gobler: 19:20

It may be like a breakthrough song for them. But it doesn't necessarily mean they are a one hit wonder.

Matt Wolff: 19:25

Yeah, no, absolutely.

Aaron Gobler: 19:26

Yeah. Yeah, yeah. People would be hard pressed especially like in the US maybe in the UK, it'd be different to name other songs by Chumbawamba. But I definitely ... there are definitely one hit wonders which kind of grow old after a time. And other ones that I guess like this, which, like you said, do regardless of when it was created. It is definitely different than a lot of stuff we're used to listening to, and it's infectious. And so that's why when you put this on your list, I'm like yeah, I really want to include this on this show. I certainly had a lot of fun, it's fun to listen to. And just from a trivia standpoint I did do some research and the expression "tub thumping" is like a British expression about someone politicking or just talking loudly about their policy and that when the woman is singing, "pissing the night away", it's a British reference to drinking all night not actually urinating.

Matt Wolff: 20:20

Right. Yeah.

Aaron Gobler: 20:22

So Matt, is there anything else you'd like to share about your selections like things you might have thought about while we were listening to them or something else you wanted to add?

Matt Wolff: 20:30

Yeah, I think I want to talk I just want to briefly mention some of the other songs that were on my mind. There's so many songs that so many meanings like I sent to you. Also, I talked about the "Learning to Fly". I encourage everyone to take a listen to the "Learning to Fly" Tom Petty live version. It's insane. And then I do quite a bit of karaoke, "America" by Neil Diamond is like my go to song. And then so I was thinking about doing that, talked about putting that on here. Tom Petty"Mary Jane's Last Dance." I actually sang that on stage with bands. No karaoke. So if you ever heard that someone asked you, hey, if you had to sing a song, for like, your life, or for like, a million dollars, and you can't mess anything up, that's the one song I think I can probably do without any help without messing it up, which is interesting. And then the other song I was going to do was "We Built This City," which I really like. And it's ... the two things about that is one, it's notoriously on the list for worst songs ever, which I don't even know how. Along with other songs like "Wang Chung" have, you know, which I love. I mean, there's probably six out of the Top 10 of these worst song lists that I love every time it comes on. I'm, I'm pretty jacked up about but "We Built This City" I went and saw Starship at this small festival many years ago, and I went to go see, "We Built This City." And I kept telling my friend, "No, it's going to come it's going to come." But apparently the difference between Starship and Jefferson Starship and Jefferson Airplane, certain versions own the rights. And they're actually not allowed to sing that. I encountered that with Quiet Riot, they are unable to sing "Mr. Roboto." And was very disappointed if you ever go to a show wanting to hear one song and then not getting to hear it because there's like, there's fighting between the licenses of it. It's terrible. So those are the the songs that I had in my mind. But the three that we talked about today are a great, great meaning for me.

Aaron Gobler: 22:31

Mm hmm.

Matt Wolff: 22:32

Is anyone going to Meat Loaf? I won't do that. I would do anything.

Aaron Gobler: 22:36

Has anybody chosen that song? You mean? No. No Meat Loaf songs yet?

Matt Wolff: 22:40

Yeah, that was on my list too. I don't know why. It always brings up good conversation. We could be dying, you'd be like, "is anyone ever gonna figure out what that was?" And the answer is no. Which is one of the great mysteries. Yeah, that's up to your own interpretation, right?

Aaron Gobler: 22:59

Uh huh. I've also felt like, if there's a movie or any kind of piece of art, and you have people really liking it, and some people really don't like it, then some, but then it's been done really well, in some way. Because things that like everybody just can agree on sometimes don't challenge us enough or aren't pushing enough of our buttons. And I think that things that actually do make us feel strongly are actually better done. I think they hit a certain chord that I think ultimately makes them more more interesting to talk about and experience.

Matt Wolff: 23:33

Yeah, music is so subjective. I mean, Top hits now I'm like, how is is that people like this? And then songs I love that people are like, "What in the world are you listening?" And so you know, there's, there's so many good songs and talented people that that you've never even heard of. I'll just throw this in, like this was one of the people I met on the rock boat, which is the Sixthman, Sister Hazel's guy, JD Eicher's got a beautiful voice. And they like struggle, a great following in a small sense of a community. But people like him who struggled to get to the mainstream, and a lot of its money and who you know, it's not even necessarily who's the most talented anymore. So music is a it's become such a business. I think back in the day, you know, when you and I first started listening to music, it was a lot less about the business, and more about the music. And so that's why I think you'll get 80s and 90s for me are just some of the best music out there. And I'll listen to that. Probably as much as I listen, anything, any of the new stuff that's out today.

Aaron Gobler: 24:40

I experienced with my, my young adult daughters as they were growing up and listening to stuff and I'm like, I just can't get into that stuff. And I'm thinking, you know, it's generational to. That's what our parents thought about our music and so on and so on. But it is rewarding when they start playing certain classic songs. Songs that I didn't even know how they were exposed to. And they like really love certain Beatles songs or a certain Stone's songs or other kinds. So there are certain breakthrough songs from what I was listening to that they really enjoy. Even though even if I can't necessarily appreciate some of the stuff they're listening to, that's more contemporary.

Matt Wolff: 25:18

Yeah, my mom is was a big doo wop in the 50s and 60s, and I kind of like good stuff with him good fast beat. So I'll listen to some of that, and can really appreciate it. You know, she likes some of the some of the newer stuff. I become way big into country. That's a whole nother story. Country music for me is a huge part of my life now. And next month, I have Tortuga Music Festival, which was the first time I ever saw ... really listened to country music. And it was because Sister Hazel was actually on that lineup, and they're on, they're playing Tortuga again this year. And Sister Hazel was on the lineup with Michael Franti, two days on the beach for $99. I'm like, I'll go see anybody for $99 for two days of music on the beach. And that was it. I was hooked. I mean, I've been to every day of eight years of Tortuga and country music I go to probably 20 shows a year and dominates my playlist now. And it's all because of Sister Hazel who actually put out a country-ish album themselves. So it's it's just interesting how, you know, time, timing is everything. And the way music kind of brings everything full circle for me. It's, it's just, it's such a huge part of my life. And I'm so blessed to be able to be in a place that gets great acts and have the ability to listen to a lot of great songs and have access to all these songs. Now. It's, it's, I wouldn't know what to do without it.

Aaron Gobler: 26:46

Yeah, I'm with you completely. I want to thank you again, Matt, for taking the time today and put to put your list together and talk with me. And it was a lot of fun. And I really got to learn more about you as a music lover.

Matt Wolff: 27:01

Yeah, it was I always love talking music. I think this is a great format to talk about songs that are meaningful to you. And if you ever changed the format, and there's another type of music show that you want to talk more about. I'm always down.

Aaron Gobler: 27:16

Awesome. I'll keep that in mind because I am thinking of other kinds of formats that will involve the interview but not be exactly this, but something similar. So I'll keep you in mind.

Matt Wolff: 27:28

Yeah, you're not seeing the end result here. I'm sharing it with everyone I know.

Aaron Gobler: 27:33

Awesome. That's awesome. And thank you again, Matt. And, to my listeners, if you want to be part of this show, start by going to our website Aaron's Radio dot show and clicking on the My Three Songs button on the homepage. You can also sign up for our mailing list so you'll know immediately when a new episode is available. You can also find Aaron's Radio Show on your favorite podcast service, but the podcast episodes only include interviews and no licensed music. Until next time, keep your ears and mind open and let more music into your world.

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