Matthew Sydney describes his music as romantic, funny, and inspirational, and he isn't wrong. The composer, actor, and visual artist performs not just songs but puts on a whole show for the audience.
He adds, "Props to Piper High School in Sunrise and to the Metropolitan
Community Church and Compass of Fort Lauderdale for doing right by me!
If it weren't for them, I might have been another teenage suicide
statistic." Openly gay always and active in the GLBT community, he
found the area diverse and accepting. "I was shocked when I was in
college and started meeting people who grew up in other parts of the
country where people are still way behind the times." He believes that
the whole community, gay or straight, should support its youngsters
and give them respect, gay or straight.
"The only way being gay has influenced my
music is that when I wrote my first love song, I had to decide if I was
going to be honest and refer to my love interest as he or lie and sell out
and use the pronoun she." Since then, he's found that people of all
sexual orientations appreciate his talents -- oftentimes, the straight dudes more than the gay. "Maybe because I was listening
to Metallica and Nirvana when the other kids were listening to Madonna
and Mariah," he muses. "I'd rather watch kickboxing than RuPaul's Drag Race. I'm
just that kind of guy."
himself in terms of putting up a straight front. "It's my duty
to the next generation to be honest as an artist. It would
be hypocritical of me to write songs about women and ask a girl to be my date at public functions only to come out after I've achieved mainstream success." No offense, Ricky, but Sydney's keeping it real.
A "variety show" format at his shows allows Sydney to showcase other
artists' talents, his own music, and put on a special event for the
crowd. He incorporates storytelling and banter, wears
costumes, and plays with props.
"Props might vary from beach balls and sparklers in July to red candles
and black tablecloths in October. I always create an atmosphere for my
guests." He wants everyone to have a good time and feel involved.
Apparently, there was even a debacle with an electric hula skirt he was
given by Lady Gaga's designers.
At his upcoming album-release
party at Mara in Lake Worth, he'll be performing both an acoustic and
electric set, demonstrating all the sounds on the new album, The Game. The busy man also hosts an open mic at the venue each Wednesday from 8 to 11 p.m. All music all the time, Matthew Sydney is the host of his own show.
The
CD-release party takes place 8 to 11 p.m Saturday, February 25, at Mara, 1132 N. Dixie Highway,
Lake Worth. Admission is $10 and includes a
complimentary copy of my new album. He'll also be performing with Felicia Rose, Sophie Sputnik, and J.J. Crowne, winner of
indiemusicdigest.com's 2011 best album of the year.
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