The singer may feel ‘anonymous’ in The Music City, but he’s still a star back home in West Michigan, performing Saturday in Kalamazoo’s District Square concert series.
Nashville Cat: Singer Matt Giraud made the move to Nashville but still relishes his hometown roots.
By Andrew Domino
LocalSpins.com
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Kalamazoo’s own “American Idol,” Matt Giraud moved to Nashville 11 months ago, but he still considers West Michigan home.
“I miss some of the small towns,” Giraud said. “I miss the 75-degree sunny days.”
Giraud is escaping the heat in Nashville and returning to the comfortable Kalamazoo weather — and his familiar West Michigan fans.
The pianist is on the bill at 8 p.m. Saturday as part of the Summer Concert Series at District Square in downtown Kalamazoo’s Entertainment District.
Opening for Giraud is West Michigan pop trio We Know Jackson and country singer Shelby Lentz. (Doors open at 6 p.m., and the concert begins at 8 p.m. Tickets are $16 for general admission and $35 for a reserved dinner.)
The Entertainment District is a familiar place to play for Giraud, who performed there before his 2008 audition for “American Idol.” Giraud made it to the top five on “Idol” and parlayed that fame into appearances on talk shows and live tours.
He moved to Nashville in 2013 to re-energize his songwriting and singing efforts.
Though he’s proud of his time on “American Idol” and is still in touch with some of his fellow contestants, Giraud said he’s happier as be part of a vibrant music scene than basking in the national spotlight.
NASHVILLE ANONYMITY BUT LOTS OF LIVE SHOWS, TOO
“I’m an anonymous person in Nashville,” he said. “It’s, ‘I saw you play here,’ instead of, ‘I saw you on TV.’ (‘American Idol’) brought me here as a writer and performer; if it gets you in the door, it’s worth it.”
Giraud has a steady stream of live dates on his calendar, performing around the country. In September, he’s playing a private event in Mexico. For February, he plans several concerts backed by an orchestra, a return to one of his favorite kinds of on-stage performance.
Matt Giraud
“There’s a high level of professionalism; they treat you like an opera singer,” Giraud said.
He’s also been working on his songwriting. He’s in talks with several publishers to get his music in front of other artists, mainly with pop-country songs. He also has about two records’ worth of songs that he’d like to put on his own album. He’s “actively hustling” to find a compatible producer.
“I’m trying to write more meaningful songs,” Giraud said.
For example, he recently wrote “First Time” about a young man’s first kiss, and has covered the young love theme in several other new songs.
While country music may be where the money is in Nashville, Giraud said he prefers working in pop and R&B.
“I have pop and R&B for myself,” he said. “When you’re playing at a piano bar, people want to hear Journey and Billy Joel, but sometimes I play originals, and people like it. If it goes over well in a piano bar, you know you’ve got something.”
SELL-OUT EXPECTED, MORE DISTRICT SQUARE SHOWS ON TAP
Giraud said he plans to play some originals at his District Square show, where a sell-out crowd is expected.
The District Square stage.
“You’ll hear some new songs,” he said. “You’ll hear a little Justin Timberlake, a little Bruno Mars.”
Nichole Ranieri, special events coordinator for the Kalamazoo Entertainment District, said another popular show is scheduled for Aug. 16, with the Spazmatics, a self-proclaimed group of “nerds that rock.”
“They’re an ’80s cover band from Chicago who dress like nerds and rock the show,” Ranieri said.
District Square, part of the Entertainment District restaurant complex on West Michigan Avenue, is located behind country music-themed Wild Bull Saloon and Monaco Bay, the piano bar where Giraud performed before auditioning for “American Idol.” The venue holds 1,000-1,200 people. Concerts have been held there for the past eight years, Ranieri said, including indie and blues shows.
“A lot of people had no idea the space even existed in Kalamazoo,” Ranieri said.
Get information about the concert series, ticket prices and more details at the Entertainment District website.
Email John Sinkevics at john@localspins.com.
Copyright 2014, Spins on Music
