By Gary Wien
originally published: 08/22/2017
Iain Matthews first gained attention in the late 1960s as a founding member and vocalist for the influential British folk band Fairport Convention on their first three albums. He went on to create Matthews’ Southern Comfort, whose cover of Joni Mitchell’s “Woodstock” topped the charts in the UK in 1971. In addition to a lengthy solo career, he’s also released several albums with Plainsong. In a strange twist, he has brought back both Matthews’ Southern Comfort and Plainsong at various times throughout the years.
On September 8, Matthews returns to The Strand Theater in Lakewood to perform with Jim Fogarty in a special “backstage pass” setup. These shows place the artists and the audience on stage together. The Strand turns into something of an intimate listening room. Matthews said he plans to play songs from throughout his career including ones that might appear on the upcoming album by Matthews’ Southern Comfort, Like A Radio, which is due out in 2018.
“I try to cover as much ground as possible, but ultimately only scratch the surface,” explained Matthews. “There will be old songs, but new songs too. I’ve played in all kinds of configurations and the Strand is a unique but workable one, featuring direct contact with your audience. Ray Coles is gracious enough to keep having me back.”
His last album was called The Art of Obscurity, a thinly veiled statement to the music world that Matthews was not only still around but continuing to produce great music. Like A Radio continues that message.
“Being on the outer curve of music and working without a net is an art,” continued Matthews. “I love what I do and as long as that’s the case I will continue to be that obscure guy from the 60s. For me it’s not about the numbers. It’s more a testament that I’m still here and feeling the muse. New recordings are musical calling cards, reminding people who you are now and where they can find you.”
Matthews will never be just an obscure guy from the 60s. In fact, Fairport Convention is often thought of as one of the most important bands in English folk rock history. Even though he was only with the band from 1967–1969, he was part of the pivotal creation of the group. Looking back at that period of time, he says they were just “five kids having fun with the daily grind” - none of them had any idea about the importance of what the band meant to the folk scene or what they would mean to history.
“My entire career has been a series of fortunate encounters,” said Matthews who was very surprised when he topped the UK charts. “Any kind of success in this business takes me by surprise. ‘Woodstock’ was the first and most exciting. It’s still opening new doors to this day.”
Matthews only came close to reaching the top of the charts one other time when his solo track “Shake It” nearly cracked the top ten in America in 1979. Other songs of his to make the Billboard Top 100 include “Mare, Take Me Home” and “Tell Me Why” by Matthews’ Southern Comfort and solo singles “Da Doo Ron Ron (When He Walked Me Home)” and “Give Me An Inch.” A small sample of commercial success, but hit songs were never his focus.
“I don’t function in hit terms,” he explained. “For me it’s about evolving, both as songwriter, a player and as a human being. Hits are stepping stones. Every time a song becomes popular, one can add 10 years onto a career. I’ve been more fortunate than most.”
Instead of focusing on his songs, he has tried getting the most of the bands he’s been with — reuniting both Matthews’ Southern Comfort and Plainsong years after their original runs. When asked why he decided to bring those bands back he said, “Mostly because we didn’t get it right the first time and I believe in completing circles. With Matthews’ Southern Comfort, I’ve resisted being a heritage act for 40 years and now it’s time to dig that furrow. We’ve recently finished a new album, Like a Radio, and later this year we’ll begin taking it to the streets.”
“If nothing else, it’s fun to keep changing horses,” he added. “Keeps it all fresh and vital.”
He recently found himself revisiting his career (over 50 years in the music business) when someone suggested that he create “memento boxes” for sale. He wound up assembling a half dozen boxes or so, each crafted for a specific time period with photographs, newspaper and magazine clippings, show tickets, and other memorabilia from show tickets to concert posters.
“It began as a joke really,” recalled Matthews. “I made one for a kind benefactor and liked the result. I had a couple more requests and it just lifted off from there. It’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but if you’re looking for something made by these hands from my personal archives, I’m your man. Just name your era.”
Iain Matthews will perform with Jim Fogarty at The Strand (400 Clifton Avenue, Lakewood, NJ) on Friday, September 8, 2017 at 7:30pm. Tickets are $19.
About the author:
Gary Wien has been covering the arts since 2001 and has had work published with Jersey Arts, Upstage Magazine, Elmore Magazine, Princeton Magazine, Backstreets and other publications. He is a three-time winner of the Asbury Music Award for Top Music Journalist and the author of
Beyond the Palace (the first book on the history of rock and roll in Asbury Park) and
Are You Listening? The Top 100 Albums of 2001-2010 by New Jersey Artists. In addition, he runs New Jersey Stage and the online radio station
The Penguin Rocks. His personal website is at
lightyscorner.com. He can be contacted at
[email protected].
Singer/songwriter Evening In The Round
Saturday, November 07, 2026 @ 7:30pm
Lizzie Rose Music Room
217 E. Main Street, Tuckerton, NJSomething Special a round robin evening of music featuring a group of the finest singer/songwriter from our local area who come together for this one of a kind show not be missed
Freestyle Takeover 3
Saturday, November 07, 2026 @ 7:00pm
Carteret Performing Arts & Events Center
46 Washington Ave, Carteret, NJStarring Cynthia, The Jets, George Lamond, Johnny O, Nyasia, Denine and hosted by Dom G! Freaturing Dare Goes Da DJzz. After-Party available for additional fee. (Must purchase a show ticket to buy the After Party ticket)
The Righteous Brothers: Lovin’ Feelin’ Farewell Tour
Sunday, November 08, 2026 @ 3:00pm
Mayo Performing Arts Center (MPAC)
100 South Street, Morristown, NJBlue-eyed soul pioneers The Righteous Brothers are back! With a string of #1 clas-sics, including the most played song in radio history,
You’ve Lost
That Lovin’ Fee/in’, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame duo of Bill Medley and Bobby Hatfield topped the charts in four decades. After Bobby’s death in 2003, Bill Medley con-tinued to perform to sold-out crowds around the world, but fans and friends pleaded with him to keep The Righteous Brothers alive.
Beat: Belew/vai/levin/bozzio Performing The Music Of King Crimson
Monday, November 09, 2026 @ 8:00pm
NJPAC - Prudential Hall
1 Center Street, Newark, NJFollowing more than 100 acclaimed performances across North and South America, Europe, and Japan, BEAT returns this fall for the last North American tour. Former King Crimson members Adrian Belew and Tony Levin are joined by guitar virtuoso Steve Vai and legendary drummer Terry Bozzio to perform the music of the three landmark 1980s King Crimson albums—Discipline, Beat, and Three of a Perfect Pair.
Joe Russo's Almost Dead
Thursday, November 12, 2026 @ 7:30pm
State Theatre New Jersey
15 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick, NJJoe Russo's Almost Dead is Marco Benevento, Dave Dreiwitz, Tom Hamilton, Scott Metzger and Joe Russo. We're a Grateful Dead cover band.
EVENT PREVIEWS
Rick Steves Joins New Jersey Symphony for a Symphonic Journey Through Europe
(MORRISTOWN, NJ) -- Guidebook author and public television host Rick Steves joins New Jersey Symphony November 7–8, 2026 for Rick Steves' Europe: A Symphonic Journey, a concert that pairs Europe's most stirring Romantic-era anthems with high-definition travel footage and Steves' insights into European history.
Albert Music Hall to Celebrate Pinelands Folklore with Annual Jersey Devil Show on Saturday
(WARETOWN, NJ) -- Halloween may have come and gone, but the Jersey Devil is always lurking in the Pines! On Saturday, November 7, 2026, Albert Music Hall will celebrate one of New Jersey's most enduring legends with its annual Jersey Devil Show, an evening combining live music, storytelling, and the rich folklore of the New Jersey Pinelands.
The Newton Theatre presents Puss N Boots featuring Norah Jones, Sasha Dobson, and Catherine Popper
(NEWTON, NJ) -- The Newton Theatre presents Puss N Boots featuring Norah Jones, Sasha Dobson, and Catherine Popper on Sunday, November 8, 2026 at 7:00pm.
Grunin Center's "Jazz on a Sunday Afternoon" Celebrates 100 Years of Louis Armstrong's Hot Five Recordings
(TOMS RIVER, NJ) -- The Jay and Linda Grunin Center for the Arts' "Jazz on a Sunday Afternoon" series brings a century of jazz history to the stage this fall with a celebration of Louis Armstrong's groundbreaking Hot Five recordings, featuring trumpeter Andrew Stephens on Sunday, November 8, 2026 at 3:00pm.
U.K. Folk Trio, The Longest Johns, to Perform at The Vogel
(RED BANK, NJ) -- U.K. folk trio The Longest Johns will perform at the Vogel on Sunday, November 8, 2026. They are are known the world over for their rollicking harmonies and raucous energy, blowing new wind into the sails of traditional sea shanties and work songs. They are on a U.S. tour to support their latest release End of the Earth. Showtime is 7:00pm.
State Theatre New Jersey and Relix present Joe Russo's Almost Dead
(NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ) -- State Theatre New Jersey and Relix present Joe Russo's Almost Dead on Thursday, November 12, 2026 at 7:30pm. The band was formed in Brooklyn, NY in 2013. While they are a Grateful Dead cover band, they are known more for interpreting songs by the Dead rather than attempting to replicate the band's work.
NJPAC presents Gregory Porter with special guests Madeleine Peyroux and Catherine Russell
(NEWARK, NJ) -- With a voice that can fill a concert hall and make every listener feel personally embraced, Gregory Porter has become one of the most beloved artists in contemporary jazz. On Friday, November 13, 2026 at 8:00pm, the two-time GRAMMY® winner returns to the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) with special guests Madeleine Peyroux and Catherine Russell for an evening of soulful expression, exquisite storytelling and remarkable vocal artistry, presented as part of the TD James Moody Jazz Festival.
Forte Piano Music Company presents Exquisite Contrasts: Haydn & Schubert Piano Trios
(PARAMUS, NJ) -- The Forte Piano Music Company presents a Piano Trio Concert - "Exquisite Contrasts" - Haydn & Schubert on Sunday, November 15, 2026 at 2:30pm. This program brings together two landmarks of the piano trio repertoire, revealing the evolution of the genre from the Classical era to early Romanticism.
Mahwah Museum Hosts "Les Paul from Start to Finish" with Jim Wysocki
(MAHWAH, NJ) -- Come to the Mahwah Museum on Sunday, November 15, 2026 for a discussion of a 29-year friendship, rare memorabilia, and the story behind Les Paul's home with Mahwah Mayor Jim Wysocki from his nearly three-decade friendship with legendary musician and inventor Les Paul. The event begins at 2:00pm.
Princeton Folk Music Society presents Kate Taylor
(PRINCETON, NJ) — The Princeton Folk Music Society presents Kate Taylor on Friday, November 20, 2026 in an evening of upbeat and bubbling song filled with enthusiasm and love. The concert takes place at Christ Congregation Church in Princeton. Showtime is 8:00pm. A livestream option is available as well.
