Quirky folk star with Corvallis ties first to take stage at new venue

CORVALLIS - "I try not to take myself too seriously," said Matt the Electrician.

The Austin, Texas, musician, whose real name is Matt Sever, has been described as "the voice of Paul Simon wrapped around the heart of Tom Waits." He took the time to answer a few questions via cell phone Wednesday while en route between gigs in Tucson and Phoenix, Ariz., with guitarist Scrappy Jud Newcomb, whom he shares a number of tour dates with this month.

Sever will headline the very first show at the Troubadour Music Center and Repair Shop's new location, at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 19, in the newly remodeled space at 521 S.W. Second St. Fellow Austin musicians Jess Klein and Ben Mallot will open the show.

A former Corvallis resident, Sever was happy to play a show for The Troubadour.

"I still go up there quite a bit and I've known Kent (Kent Buys, owner of the Troubadour Music Center) for at least three years or so," Sever said.

Sever lived in Corvallis for about a year after college in 1995. His parents moved to Corvallis in 1991 and younger siblings attended Corvallis High School, so he returns for most holidays, with his wife, Kathie, and kids, Ramona and Arlo.

"I've played a lot of different little spots in Corvallis over the years, and when I lived there I ran a weekly open mic at a place called Java Rama that was across from OSU," Sever said.

Sever's fame has jumped in leaps and bounds since his open mic days. Earning him large following in the U.S. and abroad.

"I'm HUGE in Japan," Sever said with a chuckle. "There is a niche market for what I do over there."

Sever picked up his nickname from showing up to gigs direct from his job as an electrician, back when he still had a day job.

A huge part of Sever's appeal in the quirky, catchy lyrics - sometimes autobiographical, sometimes political - that he pairs with his guitar and banjo ukulele.

Sever has always been drawn to natural storytellers such as Arlo Guthrie, but doubted his gift when he was younger.

"I think, honestly, I don't know that I was very good at telling stories, in fact if anything I think most of my friends would say that my stories just never ended - like I would tell really long annoying, boring stories that never really went anywhere," he laughed. "The nice thing about songs is that it is a better way to force people to listen to your stories."

Sever constantly flexes his songwriting muscles.

"I do a song writing game in Austin every week with a friend of mine. We have a weekly show where we let the audience give us a title every week. So they'll just yell out anything, it could be like 'shoes and socks' or it could be 'walnuts and wine.' Then we have a week to write the song using that as the title."

The challenges have produced all sorts of songs from the farcical "Don't You Know Obama" set to the tune of "Hey There Delila" by the Plain White Ts to a song about Ketchikan, Alaska, called "Bridge to Nowhere" that will appear on his next CD, "Animal Boy," his sixth album due this fall.

Editor's note: Look for a story by Entertainer reporter Brandon Goldner on the Troubadour's new location in next week's Entertainer.

CHECK IT OUT

WHO/WHAT: Matt the Electrician, Jess Klein and Ben Mallott in concert.

WHEN: 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, Aug. 19.

WHERE: Troubadour Music Center, 521 S.W. Second St., Corvallis.

COST: $10.

INFO: matttheelectrician.com.