Matt Butler grew up in Manhattan, NYC a fan of punk and grunge music and then something happened. Something that was the sum of several subtle events which changed the course of not only Matt's career but his music as well. "I'm a singer songwriter who grew up in the city. I've always been in bands, I loved punk rock as a kid; I practically lived at CBGB and the alternative clubs. I listened to Black Flag, Fugazi, then later on Nirvana, Pearl Jam's "Ten" was my real first favorite record, then came my watershed moment; I heard the song "Back Streets" by Bruce Springsteen off of "Born To Run and it created a paradigm shift. I got more into writing songs and meaningful material that was important to me."
Another event was the changing of his own mindset. Butler began listening to more and more songwriters whose lyrics tend to "Paint pictures" or "Create mental images with their words." Artists such as Springsteen, Ryan Adams and even lesser heard Kris Kristofferson who is known more for his acting skills than his fine musical abilities. "Yeah, even though I was kind of a hard core guy growing up; I also kind of gravitated towards singer songwriters. Once I started writing my own music and putting my efforts there; my thought process began to change. I realized that I had outgrown garage bands, they weren't the right medium for my music any longer. There was nothing wrong with my bands or my band mates, I wanted to remove myself from the democratic dynamic that came along with being in a band. I wanted to make the decisions on when, where and how my music should be presented and it was becoming increasingly harder to do so in a band format."
These decisions have served Butler well; his music has been placed in multiple films and on such notable television programs such as "The Voice," "Pawn Stars," "NY Ink," "Ax Men," "Burn Notice" and he has also penned the main theme song to "American Pickers." Butler has co-written songs with members of The Killers, Kings Of Leon, Flogging Molly and Shinedown as well as been the face of a Converse ad campaign.
This Saturday, May 21, Butler will take to the stage in his hometown as he headlines a free show at the Rockwood Music Hall beginning at 9 p.m. Butler says that he is, "More interested in songs that tell stories" and that his soon to be released CD, titled "Reckless Son," does just that. "This is my debut as a solo artist," said an enthused Butler. "This title and the song by the same name are a summed up narrative really. It's kind of a loose concept album, it was intended to be this way; sort of my lifetime. As I was writing the tune, I found myself kind of directing it at my dad; it's kind of the role that I've always played. The disc, like my life, has taken a while to get to this point. I'm hoping for a July release of what I call a compilation of myself, it was time to put these songs, these stories down; I guess I just got tired of chasing my own tail (laughs)."
Butler lists Woodstock and Albany, NY as two of his favorite places to play, yet counts an appearance on"Radio Woodstock" and a certain night which saw him open for the great Garland Jeffreys among his fondest memories. This show in front of his hometown friends, family and fans looms as a large reminder of how far he's come and he's committed to making it his best. "First of all, this is a great, great venue," explained Butler as he reaffirmed and offered his vision on the upcoming show. "Even though the CD has some full band material on it; this is a solo performance of songs off of the record. I like to kid and say it's more like the old VH1 "Storytellers" version of my music; I'm more interested in storytelling songs."
The Rockwood Music Hall is located at 196 Allen Street on Manhattan's Lower East Side and Butler will be performing on Stage 1. To discover more about Matt Butler; please go to www.mattbutlerofficial.com.
Join us for McCarter at the Museum - renowned performing artists in one-night only events at the Princeton University Art Museum.
Jason Robert Brown is a four-time Tony Award-winning composer and lyricist of The Last Five Years, Parade, Songs for a New World, 13, The Bridges of Madison County, Honeymoon In Vegas and The Connector, has performed as a soloist or with his band in venues around the world, including sold-out shows at the London Palladium and Carnegie Hall. His albums as a singer-songwriter include Wearing Someone Else’s Clothes and How We React and How We Recover on Ghostlight, and Coming From Inside the House and Live In Concert with Stephen Sondheim on Concord.
With Special Guest Tony nominee Betsy Wolfe. Tony Award-nominated actress Betsy Wolfe is currently starring as Audrey in the acclaimed Off-Broadway production of Little Shop of Horrors, following her recent Broadway run as Madeline Ashton in the hit musical Death Becomes Her. She previously originated the title role in Joy, the new musical inspired by inventor Joy Mangano, and earned a 2023 Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for her celebrated performance as Anne Hathaway in & Juliet. Other Broadway credits include starring as Jenna in Waitress, Cordelia in the acclaimed revival of Falsettos, Bullets Over Broadway, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Everyday Rapture, and 110 in the Shade, as well as her critically acclaimed performance as Cathy in the Off-Broadway revival of The Last Five Years. Wolfe made her Metropolitan Opera debut in Die Fledermaus and has appeared as a guest artist with more than 65 symphony, pops, and philharmonic orchestras worldwide, including the New York Philharmonic and BBC Symphony Orchestra, with performances at Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center. Her screen credits include First One In, Estella Scrooge, CBS’s Instinct, and the film adaptation of The Last Five Years. Wolfe is also the co-founder of BroadwayEvolved, the acclaimed musical theatre training program she launched in 2018 to train and mentor the next generation of theatre artists.
A limited number of early access tickets for McCarter Director’s Circle members and members of the Museum’s Partner Circle are available, on sale Wednesday, September 16, 2026 at 12:00 PM. General public on sale begins Friday, September 18, 2026 at 12:00 PM.
Please be aware there is no public drop-off or parking at the Museum. For visitors with mobility needs, please contact the Museum at least three business days in advance of your visit to request special access to the Museum via Elm Drive. Call 609-258-3788 and select option 1 to speak to a visitor services staff member, or email Louise Barrett at [email protected].
