Mat Kearney Compares Being the Opening Act to a First Date: "Your Goal Is to Get a Peck"

On Being the Opening Act
"I love opening for people," Kearney said. "It's like the first date. You're introduced to a new audience, and I love the challenge of winning them over, vying for their affections." When you start out, he noted, you hustle and don't know who you are yet. You stand in front of people with your guitar and attempt to "make people understand what you're trying to do." He lamented, though not in a #humblebrag manner, "that goes away as you establish your career, but every time you open for someone, you have to remember how to do that again.

"Your goal is like to get a peck at the end of the night, that's a win. With a headlining tour, it's like you're best friends, and you have a rapport."

Hippy Jesus
His song "Down" takes a look at people dealing with difficult life circumstances. It did well on Christian radio stations and charts. "Sometimes it's surprising to me, because I don't really write for that world, but I love talking about my faith in a raw way," Kearney honestly admitted. He idolizes Johnny Cash and U2, both known for voicing their spiritual beliefs. To him, Cash and Bono are "real dudes who didn't shy away from talking about their faith and how they saw the world."

Kearney grew up with hippy parents in Oregon, who became Christians in the seventies. So though he considers himself a Christian, he's not aligned with the "angry religion that you could maybe associate with it." We joked that he was more into hippy Jesus than angry Jesus. He laughed then said, "I think Jesus' main message was redemption and grace, a concept that us flawed humans are loved. That resonates with me." 

Duck Tales
Kearney played soccer in college, grew up in a family of three boys, and his dad was a scratch golfer. So, needless to say, sports were a huge part of their lives. Sports players often show up at his concerts, and he ends up supporting them, "I don't know, you met 'em, you root for them," he said. Last week was his time at the US Open where he cheered for Novak Djokovic, with whom he shared the Tonight Show stage.

"The ultimate for me being a kid growing up in Eugene, Oregon, was the coach of the Oregon Ducks, Chip Kelly, came to a show. And he's like, where I come from, he's like God. He's like Obama of Eugene, Oregon." He admitted, "I don't fan out over musicians, but when he walked in, I was like kind of fanning out. I really didn't know what to say."

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