Solo Performances From The Sunset Lounge

Check out my YouTube channel here to watch performances of some of my favourite songs to play solo. Recorded during the pandemic with an intimate audience at the beautiful Fort Garry Hotel in Winnipeg. Watch a sample below!

This is one of my last performances at the reknowed hotel, after having played there regularly for four years. Sadly there is no longer entertainment — it was widely known for hosting the best musicians and variety of music for decades — and I'm so grateful to have been included on their roster (thanks Michele)

Piano Kings – Altona Sunflower Festival

On July 22nd, Piano Kings reunited for our first show in over 2 years! We had a blast performing outdoors on a hot and humid evening for the wonderful people of Altona, MB. The all-ages crowd sang along to such hits as Piano Man, Crocodile Rock and Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting. It was a memorable evening and we hope to be back again, thank you Altona! And a special thanks to Mike Szekely (Elton), Perry Hopkins (drums), Tom Dutiame (bass) and Kevin Tilberg (guitar).

Check out the performances here on my channel!

The Killer Keys – Live at the Jimmy (1928 Eatery & Pub)

On October 22, 2021 The Killer Keys (feat. Piano Matty B and Kyle Mac) debuted at 1928 Eatery and Pub aka 'The Jimmy' (in the St. James Hotel) with enormous success!

This is Winnipeg's ONLY dueling pianos – and the only LIVE STREAMING dueling pianos around — and it happens every Friday (and some Saturday) nights. Show starts at 10pm but get there early as it gets pretty crazy!

Thanks for all the support Winnipeg!

Solo Private Events

I've had the honour to perform again for the Manitoba Home Buyer's Association annual Spring Reception in 2022. After a long wait due to the pandemic, it was such a thrill to be back on stage at the beautiful Club Regent Event Centre. Thank you to the MHBA for a very special evening in an amazing setting.

James Cohen & The Prairie Roots Rockers – with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra

On September 25, 2021 I had the great privelege of performing with James Cohen, Bruce Jacobsen, Lloyd Peterson and Steve Martens – accompanied by the WSO.

My joining the band is both riveting and bittersweet, since the passing of previous keyboardist and well known Winnipeg musician, Jerry Atwell. Humbled to be a part of this project, my debut with them was in a spectactular setting, and I'm entirely grateful for this opportunity and experience!

Check out one of our performances here (These Long Nights):

Classical Performances At Home

During the isolation of this pandemic I've found myself diving head-first back into my classical piano repertoire and loving it more than ever! Re-learning some of my favourites (properly) and discovering some new challenging classic masterpieces, I'm recording these performances on my grand piano at my home and posting them here on my Youtube channel.

The Killer Keys Dueling Pianos - Facebook Live Stream

Myself and the extraordinary Piano Matty B. have re-branded our dual-piano show, now called The Killer Keys, the world's first online dueling pianos show! Given the Covid-19 situation, we hope to bring more live streams to your living room this fall. Enjoy "everyone-knows-em" songs, era-based medleys and laying down our own twist to the best-known epic anthems of all time. Reque$ts are always encouraged!

Click here to watch our debut on Facebook Live

Stay informed on upcoming shows by following us:
@thekillerkeys –  @pianomattyb – @pianokylemac

Check out some recent audio highlights:

Hip-Hop Mash Up (Live at Rudy's - Oct 2019)

Piano Man (Live at Rudy's - Nov 2019)

Time Machine - An Original Composition

I'm very proud to share a deeply meaningful song which I composed, recorded and put together this video for — my own personal 'message in a bottle'. Please view and subscribe to my channel! Comments are always welcome and appreciated.

Andante Moderno - A Classical Composition

Frederic Chopin has always been one of my greatest musical influences. His timeless, romantic, melodic style inspired me to create my own classically-influenced instrumental short piano piece. This is dedicated to my father, whom always wanted me to become a classical pianist (sorry Dad!). Enjoy!

Private Events

Looking for a quieter solution for your venue or event, but don't want the volume or expense of a full band? Consider my 'One-Man Show'. Just my piano, voice and some cool background vibes...perfect for a lounge atmosphere! Watch my promo video below:

Past Highlights

The Sunset Terrace & Bar at the Fort Garry Hotel

I'm incredibly grateful to have performed my solo shows at the beautiful Fort Garry Hotel! The Covid-19 pandemic has devastated musicians everywhere – and there are few places still providing live entertainment. Fortunately, with social distancing in place, this amazing ballroom is now operating in compliance with the government's capacity restrictions. The response and enthusiasm has been incredible — thank you so much!

Live Streaming Party

Experience your own personal interactive live streaming party with me, live from my home! I play a wide variety of songs for all tastes and play your requests via online chat! Here's a full-length performance I recently did for Mondetta Clothing:

The Piano Kings

• PIANO KINGS - A tribute inspired by Elton John and Billy Joel — myself and the talented Mike Szekely performed some private and corporate events with this unique duo and also as a full band. Check out some highlights below:

All Request Dueling Pianos

Featuring the incomparable and reknowned multi-instrumentalist Leonard 'Lewsh' Shaw, we had a blast performing in various venues and events throughout the city in

Ultimate Escape: Journey Tribute Band

Ultimate Escape performed at Countryfest 2016 and it was an unforgettable night! The midnight billing was the perfect slot to keep the crowd rocking for a solid hour and a half of Journey classics. The fans were hungry for more so we came back with an encore...

Watch: Any Way You Want It

Performed by Ultimate Escape - Countryfest 2016

My Story

I’m very proud to be a part of the Winnipeg music community. This prairie city in the middle of nowhere has some of the most talented artists and performers in the continent — and I’ve had the privilege of playing with many of them.

Since I was a kid I’ve had a natural affinity to be on stage. As a teenager I put aside my classical training (although I still continue my love for romantic classical piano) to teach myself contemporary piano-based rock music, due mostly to the desire to both sing and play simultaneously. Inspired by piano greats like Elton John and Billy Joel, it was an easy transition ... now all I needed was a stage!

In 1999, the rare opportunity came to me when a dueling piano bar called Alley Catz opened. I auditioned and I guess it went well because I was hired immediately and on stage by the following weekend. An unusual concept for a non-tourist destination, Alley Catz relied on its regulars to keep the party going, and it did. The place was jam packed with fans ... those ‘fifteen minutes’ turned into five years and was the best training I could have ever asked for. I soaked up all styles of music like a sponge, because I was playing with amazing musicians who had 20 to 30 years of experience ... that kind of musical knowledge you simply can’t buy.

From the piano bar to the A-list nightclub circuit, I’ve played with countless world class players bred right here in Winnipeg – including local legends Burton Cummings, Leonard ‘Lewsh’ Shaw, Ken ‘Spider’ Sinneave (Loverboy), Curtis Newton, Pat Wright, Phil Deschambault, Chris Sutherland (Kim Mitchell, Doc Walker) to shamelessly name drop. I’ve also had the privilege of experiencing an array of media exposure, including several television and newspaper appearances and performing the national anthem at the 2006 Grey Cup Championship with Danny Kramer (to a sold out crowd of 32,000).

During this time I also became part of an original project called ‘Vanderveen’ with three musicians who just happened to work at Alley Catz at the time ... Phil (along with his brother Roland) Deschambault (The Jonah Stone) and Matt Budoloski (Leaderhouse) had teamed up to write a handful of songs, which proved a ‘stroke of genius’ as we all were very excited to begin recording. We cut an amazing sophomore album with Grammy-nominated producer Brandon Friesen, shot a video in Montreal for the single ‘Weekend Full Of Weekends’, achieved extensive nation-wide airplay and showcased at a handful of Canada’s music festivals. We played a handful of live shows and quickly gained a loyal following – but unfortunately, none of us could tour the album at the time. A few of us took the opportunity to play more Top 40 coverband shows under the title ‘Other People’s Music’ (to actually make some money) and eventually Vanderveen fizzled out.

The years following had me playing in the A-list club circuit in many bands. I’ve played with rock, blues & even country groups as a singer/keyboardist and was the manager/musical director of the house band at a downtown hotspot called Blush Ultraclub in 2008-2009. I’ve also done countless studio/session projects, a highlight working with Mark Costanzo, most well known for his Canadian pop group LEN (‘Steal My Sunshine’) who was co-producing with Phil Deschambault (Ash Koley) at the time. Listen to the demo track ‘Everything’s Gonna Be Alright’ on this page.

Career Highlights

• Current: The Killer Keys dueling pianos at 1928 Eatery & Pub Click here for schedule
• 2016-Present: Keyboardist/vocalist in the Journey tribute band 'Ultimate Escape', feat. Paul McNair (lead vox), Meg Dolovich (bass/vox), Derrick Gottfried (guitars/vox), Steve Broadhurst (drums)
• 2017-2021: Solo piano/vocals at the Fort Garry Hotel Palm Lounge/Sunset Bar & Terrace'
• October 2019: Dueling Pianos with The Pianimals feat. Kyle Mac & Matt Bud, Friday nights at Rudy's
• July 2018-August 2019: One-Man Show at Rudy's
• Winter 2017: All Request Dueling Pianos at Fionn Maccools Grant Park
• Summer 2017: All Request Dueling Pianos at Rudy's Eat & Drink
• 2017-Present: Piano Kings Tribute To Elton John and Billy Joel (with Mike Szekely)
• 2016-2018: All-Request Thursday Nights Dueling Pianos at Le Garage Cafe.
• 2011-2013: Performed at casinos and private parties in 'Piano Catz' with Mike Lawson (keys, vocals) and Greg Black (drums)
• Feb 2012: Rehearsal accompanist for Canada Sings 2 (Global TV) show
• December 2010: Reunion performance with former Alley Catz players Brian Paul, Mike Lawson, Harri Vallittu
• September 2009: Recorded album studio tracks (keyboards/vocals) for Marc Costanzo (of '90s pop group LEN)
• December 2008-December 2009: Band Leader/Singer/Keyboardist for house band at Blush Ultraclub, Winnipeg
• July 2007: Performed with original Harlequin members Glen Willows & Gary Golden (Pony Corral, Winnipeg)
• 2004-2007: Lead singer/keyboardist for Top 40 band 'Other People's Music'
• Fall 2006: Performed National Anthem with Danny Kramer at CFL Grey Cup Championship Final Game (CanadInns Stadium)
• 2005: Co-lead singer/keyboardist in country rock band "Hellbillies"
• December 2004: Performed and recorded with Vanderveen members in Balmoral Hall live stage production of "Hoopla", with original music by Vanderveen lead singer Matt Budoloski
• October 2004: Vanderveen shoots video for single "Weekend Full of Weekends" in Montreal
• July 2004: Vanderveen showcases at NXNE Music Festival in Toronto
• Fall 2004: Vanderveen receives nation-wide airplay and critical acclaim for our single "Weekend Full Of Weekends"
• May-June 2004: Recorded debut "Red Album" with Vanderveen with Brandon Friesen (Producer) at Studio 11
• December 2002: Formed original band "Vanderveen" with Phil Deschambault (Ash Koley), Matt Budoloski (Blackout City Kids), Roland Deschambault & Tim Sutton
• November 2002: Performed with Garry Peterson, Bill Wallace & Donnie McDougall at Pony Corral
• Summer 2002: Keyboardist for Curtis Newton (Pony Corral, Downtown Winnipeg)
• Spring 2002: Performed with the ABBA Tribute group 'SuperTrooper'
• July 2000: Appeared on "Breakfast Television" for pre-Elton John concert celebration
• August 13, 2000: Performed with Burton Cummings and friends at Alley Catz
• November 1999: Performed at Breezes Resort in Runaway Bay, Jamaica
• August 1999-September 2003: House gig at the legendary Alley Catz Piano Bar, Winnipeg
• 1994: Runner-up in Orange Crush Talent Search (Performed EJ's Candle in The Wind)