| Matt and his Hat throughout our first Hillberry Music Competition. 10/13/2019 |
Matt is thought for his Hat. Matt’s Hat. It’s a factor.
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| Matt having a birthday beer on the deck at one among our favourite breweries. 9/19/2023 |
Over the previous fifteen years, the Hat has mainly grow to be an extension of Matt. If we’re out of the home (at a live performance, a pal’s home, or on a hike) he’s most likely sporting it*.
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| That is the primary recognized photograph of Matt’s Hat. It was taken on the 10,000 Lakes Competition. Once I confirmed it to Matt he was a bit awestruck, saying it “seems SO delicate!!” 7/23/2008 |
On the dancefloor, I might say he rocks the Hat 99% of the time. People who do not know/recall Matt’s name–especially within the dwell music scene–still keep in mind and acknowledge him due to that Hat. I take advantage of Mat’s Hat as a landmark to seek out him in crowds–and in concert photos.
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| Matt and his brother on the 1,000th Kitchen Dwellers live performance. Photograph credit score to Adam. August 2023 |
Again in 2015, David and Michelle even made a Fb “Public Determine” web page for Matt’s Hat. Matt is not on social media…however his Hat is! Pals and acquaintances would snap pics of him out and about and the publish the sighting to the Matt’s Hat web page. At first, the web page was a secret from Matt which led to a whole lot of enjoyable photograph shenanigans. The web page is not very lively as of late now that the key is out.
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| This image from a small brewery live performance was uploaded to the Matt’s Hat web page in April 2018. It’s price noting how sharp the purple mushroom patch on Matt’s Hat nonetheless seemed when in comparison with the photograph (5 down) taken simply this 12 months. Photograph credit score to Casey P. |
Matt has a lifelong appreciation for hats. As a younger boy he wore baseball caps like his dad. In his teenagers he switched to fedora and panama fashion hats. He wore an assortment of hats throughout our first years collectively.
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| Matt (in a jaunty hat) and Adam on the Gates of the Mountains in 1998. Photograph credit score to Sharon. |
Matt purchased the tan, corduroy hat that may grow to be Matt’s Hat at a thrift store in late June or early July 2008. It was a reasonably random whim. Matt wasn’t trying to discover one-hat-to-rule-them-all, so to talk. He quickly added a fab purple mushroom patch to his new hat….after which a Steal Your Face patch…and so forth till the Hat was full. Then got here the pins. 🙂 And thus it turned the Hat. Matt’s Hat.
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| Matt and his Hat on a Mesa Verde NP cliff dwelling tour. September 2017 |
I could not start to inform you all of the superb music Matt has danced to in that Hat. From its earliest days on the 10,000 Lakes Competition to repeated Furthur runs at Red Rocks and Broomfield. To NashPhil and Hillberry. From huge names in big venues like Roger Waters, Elton John, and the Rolling Stones to fantastic local bands on the small, neighborhood joints, or that point Cornmeal played a free community concert.
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| Publish-concert smiles for miles when the String Cheese Incident got here to our hometown this summer season. Photograph credit score unknown. August 2023 |
I additionally could not recount all of the superb wonders of nature Matt has skilled whereas sporting it. From the stroll by way of Fern Canyon to the glory of Glacier NP, the hoodoos in Bryce Canyon, and the larches in autumn. The petrified forest and Grand Prismatic in Yellowstone NP, the towering Tetons, and the autumn colors in Rocky Mountain NP. From the beach to the desert to the forest to the prairie. Matt’s Hat was imbued with all of that in a method that jogs my memory of my poem, “Each Sacred Coat.”
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| Matt within the low nation at Demise Valley Nationwide Park. January 2019. |
Because the years took a toll on the hat, I mended it. And mended it. And mended it once more. The hat advanced in colour and texture because it absorbed all these sacred coats.
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| The layer upon layer upon layer of patching is seen on the inside of Matt’s Hat. 10/16/2023 |
At one level, I truly replaced the entire top with new corduroy. Patching it once more wasn’t going to chop it.
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| See that finger poking by way of there?!?! The material is simply plain worn out! 10/16/2023 |
Matt was involved over its apparent impending demise so I started attempting to duplicate The Hat in seriousness final 12 months. I made three draft hats, none of which fairly suited goal.
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| My first accomplished try at making a brand new hat for Matt. It turned out to be a swell sunhat…simply not as a alternative for Matt’s Hat. I used to be utilizing the Simplicity S9509 sample. 2/28/2022 |
After which Jen Ok. confirmed up this summer season with an almost similar alternative for Matt’s Hat (although yellow corduroy as a substitute of tan). She owned one which Matt had expressed a whole lot of curiosity in when he noticed her sporting it. Sufficient time had handed that Matt and I fully forgot about it…however not Jen Ok! She purchased him one! Even delivered it to the home and the whole lot! It was so considerate and excellent. Matt was glad to have such a eager substitute for his Hat and I used to be glad to surrender on drafting a sample for one.
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| Matt’s authentic Hat and the brand new Matt’s Hat. The evaluate and distinction of the Steal Your Face patches–old and new–is simply astonishing to me. Sorta like my ol’ Treehugger Wallet. 10/16/2023 |
Matt began breaking within the new Hat, testing it out. It was a superb alternative, however nonetheless…change is tough, you understand? It was totally different and it took a while. He wore it to some native reveals. He determined it wanted patches to ensure that him to actually get a correct really feel for it. So, at his request, I eliminated the Railroad Earth patch from his OG Matt’s Hat and put it on the brand new Matt’s Hat. I additionally purchased him a brand new Steal Your Face patch for his birthday. He wore it to some extra reveals, together with Goose at the Kettlehouse Ampitheater.
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| Matt and his Hat throughout our most up-to-date Hillberry Music Competition. 10/7/2023 |
I feel that Matt went all in on the Hat after the Pinky and the Floyd present in late September. A man we solely know from the dance ground came visiting to introduce himself through the set break. He talked about that he sees Matt out dancing all the time and that he cannot miss Matt due to his Hat. In fact, as they had been speaking Matt was sporting the new Hat! So, we figured that it handed the take a look at. No trying again.
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| Matt sporting a mustache made out of corn silks–and Matt’s Hat, after all! 10/21/2023 |
Our shut family and friends seen the change, after all. Virtually universally they needed to know what Matt had deliberate for the unique Matt’s Hat. Everybody appeared united within the need that it’s preserved someway. In a shadow field or one thing. It struck me as very candy. Presently, the OG Hat is on show downstairs close to the bar. No shadow field but, however we will see.
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| Matt’s Hat on the high of the Beartooth Cross. Photograph credit score to Bek (or perhaps Lacie). 9/3/2018 |
Matt in the end took three patches (Railroad Earth, a Deady bear peace signal, and an orange deady bear) off the unique Hat for continued use. I lobbied in opposition to this as a result of they had been so dirty from years of wear and tear and publicity. Matt did not need his Hat to feel and appear all model new although. He handwashed the previous patches and I sewed them on the brand new Hat. He was on to one thing, too. It’s a beautiful approach to preserve continuity and connection between the 2 generations of Hat. It is fairly cool. I’m happy with the way it all fell into place.
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| If something the OG Hat seems even worse now that a number of the patches have been transplanted to the brand new Hat. And that is saying one thing! It was sorta wild to see what colour that hat was as soon as upon a time. 10/16/2023 |
And “similar to that” Matt has a brand new Hat. 🙂
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| A collage of AI-generated photographs of Matt’s Hat that our buddy, Derek, despatched to us upon studying that there was a brand new Matt’s Hat. So, so bizarre….and but… they made me smile. 11/9/2023 |
*Matt has a stocking cap for wintery climate. He has a sunhat for when it’s scorching. He would not put on it to work.
