My story starts in Lowell, Massachusetts, but really kicks off when my family moved to Minneapolis at the ripe old age of one. By twelve, Chicago’s suburbs became home, specifically Lake Forest, due to my father's career. I started with piano as a youngster, thanks to my Mom. I then moved to the sax in middle school. Always obsessed with sports, music sort of went by the wayside in my teen years. High school led me to Middlebury College in Vermont, where I caught the music bug again from my buddy Clint Bierman. He's the one who re-ignited my passion in our first band together (Buck-O-Five) and the next (Ushers of Jonesville), Clint was my biggest musical cheerleader.

Never a drummer, I decided to dive in headfirst, teaching myself by watching anyone who'd let me. I started with the bongos, then moved to like a set of toms, and then the full kit. Five days after graduation from Middlebury, I took a leap in my life, buying The Pizza Cellar (then Neil & Otto's Pizza), the local pizza joint where I’d worked. It wasn’t exactly rock and roll, but it was mine. While I was slinging pizzas, Clint moved to Colorado, forming The Grift. I was deep in the pizza trenches, jamming with other people here and there, but it wasn't the same as being in a band. One cool thing that happened in the pizza years—I won a brand new car (PT Cruiser). I'd be happy to tell you the story sometime.

Then, in 2002, Clint returned to Vermont, with Jeff Vallone, and I was tapped as The Grift's drummer. We rocked as a power trio until the amazing Peter Day joined the band in 2003. Suddenly, I was juggling full-time band life with late nights at the restaurant, all thanks to my legendary friend Scotty C taking over the helm at the restaurant. It was a wild ride.

2006 changed everything. My daughter was born, and I knew I couldn’t keep up the crazy pace. I made the heartbreaking decision to leave the band, focusing on family and the restaurant. Then, an unexpected turn: running an online cufflink business for my (then) father-in-law. Talk about a pivot, but what a learning experience that I use every day.

In 2009, I sold the restaurant and moved back to Chicago to be closer to my ex's family. But life threw another curveball: a divorce and the loss of the family business. I was adrift, but someone suggested sales. So, I walked into a Honda dealership in Libertyville, IL, and (not) surprisingly, I thrived. I became "Anders" (my middle name) to stand out from the other Neils at the dealership, and it stuck. It was another learning experience, and it really was a ton of fun. I met a lot of cool people and made a bunch of money. People buy cars!

Chicago brought me Anne, the love of my life. We met playing softball, got married in 2013, and I found a new gig in the craft coffee world with Tradecraft Coffee & Tea. But music was always calling, with The Grift guys remaining the closest of friends. The other love of my life, my daughter, moved in with us in Chicago when her mother left for California. I decided to make her my full-time focus and I started working in the emerging gig economy, doing one of the things I love the most, driving. I quickly saw the amazing potential of work-on-demand. I also tried my hand at playing poker professionally, quickly realizing that this path was not a good choice for me. Way too stressful. I was able to win a bad beat jackpot in my journey, though—something I had always dreamed of doing at a poker table. Most rooms have a bad beat jackpot, mine was a nice five-figure score. Sensing a theme here? I often feel like one of the luckiest guys I know for many reasons.

In the fall of 2019, we decided to chase the sun and move to California so my daughter could be close to her whole family. We sold our house, bought an RV, and we were ready to set sail for California in March of 2020 with an epic tour of the U.S. planned. Even though the world changed in the spring of 2020, we were still able to take our (slightly pandemic-altered) road trip, documenting it on the Matthews RV Adventures Blog. California meant a fresh start, and that's how Anders Entertainment Group came to life with the simple act of making The Grift's website better during our trip. I knew nothing about web design, but in usual fashion, I have pieced together the knowledge to offer some value, and now I have created over a dozen websites and a handful of web stores. Let me make one for you! I can make a great online store for any brand!

The Grift’s reunion shows also reignited my musical performance fire. I'm now playing the drums and piano as much as possible, most recently with a band called Wookie Garcia in San Diego. I was thrilled that they let me work on an album with them at Studio 606 in LA, an experience I won't soon forget—and that album got nominated for a San Diego Music Award! And my most recent fun stroke of luck was an appearance on The Price is Right game show. I was called to “come on down,” I won the bid, and then won my game of Tic Tac Toe. I won an outdoor kitchen and an outdoor television, so funny. I am truly so thankful for my fun luck and all of the amazing people and experiences this life has brought. I'm living and working on my dream in San Diego, California, embracing the entrepreneurial life. Please hit me up if you've got a cool project in mind, because I'm always ready for the next adventure, and I'd love to be a part of yours!