Episode Transcript
Speaker 0 00:00:00 Good morning, Fort McMurray, wood, Buffalo, and the rest of the world. You've tuned into the Mac city morning show. I'm your host, Elliot Pierre. And we're going to start the show off the same way as we start every show off with a moment of gratitude. I know you can be doing a million other things with your time. So the fact that you choose to spend it with us truly does mean the world to me. So thank you on that note, Tanner hit him with the intro.
Speaker 0 00:00:29 All right. We're back. As you can see, we're not on the side of the Mac city morning show. We are at rib Fest. So big shout out to Dennis and all the sponsors for making this happen and inviting us as you also know, I do not introduce my guests. I let them do that themselves. So on that note, sir, can you, uh, introduce yourself to the people at home?
Speaker 2 00:00:45 Yeah, absolutely. So my name is Greg rider. I'm originally from Waterdown Ontario and, uh, I am a singer songwriter here playing a rip Fest and, uh, direct support for board. Benford's
Speaker 0 00:00:55 Right. There you go, man. Well, they don't know this, but I know this, we already recorded about 10 minutes of this show, but we forgot to plug into microphone. So you have thanks for being patient with us. We'll do appreciate it. Now I'm going to ask you a lot of the same questions because they don't know, but your story is like awe inspiring. Like it's really cool how you really got started and what you've been doing for the last six years. So I'm just going to start off with asking re-asking how did this start for you?
Speaker 2 00:01:21 Yeah, so, uh, you know, when I went to, uh, when I went to high school, obviously I had no idea what I want to do with my life. I was very kind of lost and confused and kind of searching for many different things. I, I always love to watch kind of TSN and I went to school at TSN sports broadcaster thought. That's where I was going in my life. Uh, went to college for it, went to Toronto, did an internship and, uh, on the way home from an internship, one day I, uh, I got into a car crash. Right. And, uh, I walked away on harmed from the crash. Yeah. My car was a complete write-off, but, um, you know, it was a huge life turning point for me. It was a, it was a point in my life where I just stopped and I thought about my life up to this point.
Speaker 2 00:01:58 Right. Am I truly happy with where I'm going in my life? Right. A hundred percent sold on sports broadcasting. Yeah. And I said to myself, if I died, how would I be remembered? Right. And I remember I started thinking about this eulogy and I, and I said to myself, like people would remember me as the guy that loved to drink, love to party. Didn't really know what he wanted to do with his life. Kind of confused. And I want to change that. And I said, what do I truly love? I love being on stage. I love entertaining people. I love making people smile and laugh. And my first love was public speaking. Okay. I always love to be up on stage speaking. And I love when the lights come down on me and it's my chance to shine. And, um, you know, I always had this vision kind of growing up of this big state lights coming down on thousands of fans out and watching me, I had no idea what I was going to do on that stage.
Speaker 2 00:02:48 If I was doing speaking, like motivational speaking, if I was doing music, if I was doing comedy, if I was doing like a play. Yeah. I always just, I was wanting to chase that. I was too scared to chase that and cause my parents, you know, they kind of wanted to be, get a sales job and be happy. And, and, and I'm just like, you know what, there's this vision that I see every single time I lay in bed. Yeah. And I can't shake it. Yeah. So I got to go chase it. And I finally got the nerve at about 22 years old to move away from my hometown. I moved to Montreal, Quebec. Yeah. And I played my first live show in front of about 10 people. Yeah. And I remember there was a small clap at the end. It was like, they never forgot every lyric. Yeah. But it was a pity. It was definitely a pity clap. But I was like, I love that. I just love the feeling of like sitting up on stage playing music. And I'm like, I gotta figure out how I can get better at that. And I just started on this whole journey of becoming a musician and getting better. So
Speaker 0 00:03:45 Part of what you were telling me before was you actually then went to Nashville for a little bit.
Speaker 2 00:03:48 So a story in itself. Why,
Speaker 0 00:03:50 Why did you feel you have to go to Nashville?
Speaker 2 00:03:53 Yeah. So when I, I did music for, so I finally came back about 23 years old, 24 and I was in my hometown. Yeah. I was, I actually had some confidence because I was playing so much in Montreal. I'd play on street corners. I planned subway stations. I'd play anywhere I could. Yeah. So when I came back to my hometown, like Waterdown, I was like, cam ready? Yeah. And I started kind of doing some more acoustic shows, but you know, there was this still, this one part of me was like, I'm still not there yet. I'm still not where I'm not learning enough. I'm not, I'm not really diving in. Yeah. So I accepted a job bartending in the Cayman islands. Oh, wow.
Speaker 0 00:04:29 Okay.
Speaker 2 00:04:30 All right. So I got this random opportunity and I said to myself, I'm going there with a plan. I'm not going to their bartend. I'm going to pick up my bartending job. But I think I'm going to, I'm going to get gigs all around the island. Okay. So I started playing shows around the islands and I was getting known as the country guy. Yeah. And this girl walks out to me one day and she's like, excuse me, what are you doing here? Yeah. I'm like, what do you mean? I'm like, I'm in beach shorts and sandals. Like I'm living the dream. Yeah. It's like, I'm sorry, but you're too good to be on an island. No way. It's like, you need to, you need to go to a big city for music. And I said, where I go to LA or Nashville? I was like, no, no, no, I'm not good enough.
Speaker 2 00:05:06 There's no way, like, I didn't believe in myself enough. Right. And she's like, no, you're good enough. Yeah. And so I went into and Nashville for 10 days. Yeah. And I started just kind of every tourist trap I started looking around kind of, and I befriended his bartender and uh, she let me play a song on stage and said, if you're good enough. Yeah. You can do an hour. I'll give you your first gig in Nashville. Yeah. So I run four nights of being there. I booked a show that was walking back to my hotel one night and I said, what just happened? Did I just book a show in Nashville? I canceled my flight back to the Cayman islands and I stayed there for a year and a half. Wow.
Speaker 0 00:05:44 Yeah.
Speaker 2 00:05:44 Wow. Six months later, I was full-time music, six times a week playing downtown Nashville, touring around the states. And uh, you know, then COVID hit. I kind of like, I backed away from it before COVID hit. Okay. But my band left me. Yeah. I just felt the universe was telling me that I had to go back to Canada for a bit. Okay. I got an opportunity to actually travel across Canada and I spoke at 95 high schools across Canada. Oh wow. I, my story. Yeah. About whole big story, about hope and resiliency. Never really knowing what I wanted to do, but yeah. Always seeing this vision of becoming a musician and chasing that at the end of the, at the end of the day, I have no fear of failure. I'm not afraid to fail biggest spirits of fear of regret. Right. If I grow up one day and I look back on my life and I say, man, I almost was a singer. Yeah.
Speaker 0 00:06:35 Yeah. That would kill me.
Speaker 2 00:06:36 Yeah. So I have to chase this and continue chasing it until, until I can't take it anymore. That's awesome then.
Speaker 0 00:06:42 Great story. Thank you. This is a great story, man. My favorite part about this show is like, when people come on, I know nobody. Yeah. So they come on, I just get to have a genuine chat with them. Yeah. And yeah, you have a all inspiring story, man. This is cool. So now that you're here and COVID restrictions are kind of lifted kind of not, I don't know, like what's the game plan now for the rest of like the next few months for you?
Speaker 2 00:07:05 Yeah. Well obviously, yeah, they get all changed this morning, you know, when it woke up in the, in the restrictions. So that's definitely going to put a little bit of a tight kind of tighter lease on some shows coming up. But, um, you know, I, I didn't really have anything crazy plan like this. We're going to come out tonight. We have a lot of pent-up energy. We have, uh, if this might be the show for a little while, like yeah, we're going to bring everything we've got. And you know, I, I actually wrote a song. Um, uh, I wrote the humble Bronco song. Okay. So that's kind of the, one of the reasons that I'm out here is, uh, I wrote a song called 16 sticks. Okay. And it was a song that I wrote and um, you know, I'm actually doing the home opener for the humble Broncos on September 20th. And
Speaker 0 00:07:42 I heard about this, Dennis was telling me about that
Speaker 2 00:07:45 Show. I'm doing so I'm, I'm, I'm pretty sure that's still on, but yeah. That's going to be, uh, a truly emotional gig and yeah, I'm really inspired and excited to be there, but I have no idea that's going to get canceled now. Right. It's kind of up in the air. So there's a lot of things that are gonna be up in the air.
Speaker 0 00:07:59 Yeah. Okay. Well man, we're at the end of the show now for the most part, unless Tanner, do you think they'll hear you? Okay. We're going to try and do the Mac city minute. It's a segment that Tanner has. He's going to ask you five questions. Best of luck to you, everybody at home. Hopefully you can hear counter
Speaker 2 00:08:15 Y what is your dream venue to play at? My dream venue to play out would have to be, um, it has to be an American. I'm going to go big. I'm going to say red rocks. I think that it's an amazing venue. Question. Number two. What is your favorite style of riff style of rib? Is there a style of rib ribs? Yeah. There's Kentucky fried. There's Kansas dial Oklahoma style, Michigan style, Alabama style. You know what? I didn't know any of that. I would have to probably go. I'm going to go Alabama. Alabama's finest. And there we go. Uh, question number three. What do you forming? Marie does better than anywhere else or Mick Murray does an amazing job. I don't know where these people come from, but it's truly some of the most supportive and kind people. Format is quickly becoming. One of my, my biggest fan base is in Canada. Uh, this, the people I've met here are truly incredible people. And I can't wait to come back every time. Question number four. What is your favorite part of playing a Fort Mac event favorites? I would have to say just, uh, bringing it tonight. I think that there's gonna be some crazy energy, a lot of pens of energy. It's gonna be a big show. I'm just happy to play live music and bring the full band with me. And your final question. What is one pre-show ritual? You have a shot at Jameson.
Speaker 0 00:09:36 That's the only thing I drink. Double Jamison's meat.
Speaker 2 00:09:41 Love it. That's all he needs. I want that warms up the vocals. It gets a nice little, yeah, let's go.
Speaker 0 00:09:47 There you go. Awesome. Well, man, thank you very much for coming on the show. Really appreciate it. At the end of the show. It's your time to shine. You can do a shameless plug or a shout out. Yep. So you got the mic, you got the camera. It's all yours.
Speaker 2 00:09:58 Awesome. Well, again, my name is Greg rider. You can find me at Greg rider music on Instagram, Tech-Talk Facebook. And, uh, I will be on at seven 30. It's obviously passed by the time. So hopefully you were there watching my live band show and uh, follow along because I'm definitely gonna be doing some tours across Canada. One time, one day soon. And very soon, I hopefully, if the restrictions keep lift,
Speaker 0 00:10:21 There we go. All right. Before McMurry wood, Buffalo, and the rest of the world. Thank you for tuning in. Listen, we're outside. It's a live event. If the sound's a little bit off, I do apologize, but uh, you get the vibe that you were here. So hopefully you're having a nice day and we'll see you tomorrow. Peace
Speaker 3 00:10:39 Y daily or Wade, and another morning show later by us.
Speaker 1 00:10:48 You
Speaker 4 00:10:57 Talk about quenching your ugly thirsty.
