Music Out Loud, a concert featuring lesbian musicians Crys Matthews and Summer Osborne, promises to bring a joyful noise to the Unitarian Universalist Church of Delaware County in Media on March 4.
The show is open to the public; tickets are available at the door or at www.eventbrite.com.
The Music Out Loud concerts began roughly nine years ago, according to Gabriell Sacks, who helped to organize and promote this year’s show. The series, she explained, is just one component of the UUCDC’s overall mission of outreach to marginalized or oppressed communities.
“It was started as a way to provide a safe place for LGBTQ people to come and listen to performers and, particularly, gay performers, in the suburbs,” Sacks said.
Since Music Out Loud was founded, it has brought a diverse lineup of LGBTQ performers to the UUCDC, including women’s music icon Tret Fure, gay singer-songwriter Joshua Thomas and transgender artist Coyote Joe Stevens.
This year’s Music Out Loud concert is co-sponsored by Interweave, the UUCDC’s LGBTQ and allies group, and the Rainbow Women’s Group, its lesbian support and social group.
Sacks stepped in when a longtime organizer had to bow out. With help from her partner, Sharon Fichthorn, and others from the congregation, she made sure the show would go on.
Sacks, a first-time concert promoter, approached the task pragmatically. “What I ended up doing was going on the website of the National Women’s Music Festival and just pretty much listening to all the performers,” she said.
After doing her research, Sacks contacted Matthews, who had recently done a tour of Unitarian Universalist churches with fellow musician Osborne. The pair was delighted to be asked to perform at the UUCDC.
As it turns out, playing music in church is nothing new for Matthews, whose mother is an African Methodist Episcopal preacher.
“They’re actually some of my favorite shows to play,” Matthews said of Unitarian churches. She likes these because the audiences are attentive, they aim for inclusivity and they take social justice seriously. “Those are a lot of the principles that I hold dear and try to put into my music as well.”
In concert, Matthews plays acoustic guitar and sings. She’s released five recordings, including the 2011 album “Backroads and Driveways” and the 2015 EP “The Izzle Ballads, Vol. II.” She writes a lot of love songs, as well as songs about daily life. Although her music has clear affinities with folk, she points out she’s not a typical folkie.
“Genre-wise, it’s very hard for me to fit into one little box,” Matthews said when asked about her music. “I like to describe it as a new type of Americana. It’s a blend of blues with a little bit of jazz influence.”
In concert, she often whistles a lot too. “I don’t want to let my classically trained clarinet embouchure completely go to waste,” she said, laughing.
Although Music Out Loud is a showcase for LGBTQ artists, Matthews won’t approach it differently from any other concert. “If you’re doing your job right as a songwriter, almost anything that you write should be relatively universal,” she said.
Lately, however, Matthews’ songwriting has taken a political turn. The upcoming concert offers an opportunity for her to share this material with a receptive audience. “I know I’m going to be playing to a group of people who are relatively ‘awake,’ so I can actually play some of my political music,” she said.
“Battle Hymn for an Army of Lovers,” written after the presidential election, is an example. The title refers to Rita Mae Brown’s poem “Sappho’s Reply,” and it quotes Nelson Mandela and Michelle Obama, among others. Despite the distressing circumstances that inspired the song, its message is hopeful: “I was born full of love and hope and, when I die, that’s how I’ll depart.”
According to Matthews, attendees will hear plenty of inspiring music at Music Out Loud. Her fellow performer, Osborne, is noteworthy for her joyful stage presence. “Her perspective and outlook on life is so positive, and she tries to be so healing, and that just comes through in her music so deeply,” Matthews said.
Osborne, who plays keyboards, is also a wonderful singer. “I like to call her the lovechild of Elton John and Adele,” Matthews said. “She’s got this crazy, crazy, powerful, strong voice.”
For her part, organizer Sacks would be delighted if denizens of the Gayborhood ventured out to the suburbs for Music Out Loud.
“I hope people come out, hear great music, support their LGBTQ community and get to know each other,” she said.
For information about the concert, visit www.uucdc.org. To learn more about the performers, visit www.crysmatthews.com and www.summerosborne.com.