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Pecs, abs, pop and the violin
Gay Seattle-based string player grabbing attention with Perry, Beiber videos
Matthew Olson has drifted away from playing the violin a few times in his life and returned but when it happened most recently over the past year, he found something was different.
Olson, who has lived in the Seattle area since 2001 and grew up in various parts of the Midwest (mostly in Kansas City, Mo.), has dubbed himself the “Shirtless Violinist” launching his new guise with a trio of violin covers of current pop songs such as Katy Perry’s “Rise” (16,600 views since Aug. 29) Justin Bieber’s “Cold Water” (20,000 views since Sept. 8) and Lady Gaga’s “Perfect Illusion” (7,900 YouTube views since Sept. 15). Using the hashtag #ShirtOffMyBack, Olson encourages viewers to donate to charities in their areas, especially those that help with mental illness and addiction issues.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mVxJ_15byIM
They resonate most with him because his mother battles both. Olson was her caregiver for several years and recalls “some very dark periods of my life and very sad periods” where he considered giving up the violin. Music, he says, has been a salvation. He hopes it will be for others now with his videos.
“I’ve taken some time off from the violin at different times, tried pursuing some things in other directions,” he says. “Music really kept me sane as a child growing up and it got me through a lot of trauma.”
Olson began music lessons at age 3 and has two siblings who are also professionally trained violinists. They formerly performed around the world as the trio Two Hits and a Miss. Olson has performed as a soloist, chamber musician and in orchestras both in the U.S. and abroad. He was formerly concertmaster for the Kansas City Ballet Orchestra. He had offers with full scholarships to various conservatories but passed because of his mother’s needs. He still managed to study with a series of teachers he says were excellent and highly respected in the world of violin pedagogy.
The idea for the Shirtless Violinist project developed with his boyfriend of five months, Paul Castle. Though only together a short time, Olson says they have mutual passions for physical fitness and creative endeavors. Castle, a painter, has a genetic, degenerative retinal condition called Retinitis Pigmentosa — he has about a 15 percent field of central vision, which says is “just enough” to “pursue my passion in the visual arts field.” He shoots the Shirtless Violinist videos while Olson plays and together they hope to use shirtlessness as a way to draw attention to and raise awareness for homelessness, addiction and mental illness.
Olson gleans most of his income teaching but also does studio work in Seattle on film soundtracks, video game soundtracks and occasionally providing string work for touring acts that come to town such as Josh Groban or Andrea Bocelli.
“I’d seen the Piano Guys on YouTube and really loved how they combined beautiful music with stunning visuals,” Olson, who declines to give his age, says. “I’d always done all classical, but I was ready to branch off and do something creative … so I started covering these pop songs, something I’d never done before. … I feel like this is the right thing to do.”
Together with a shoestring budget, Castle and Olson filmed “Rise” the third week of August and had it posted by the end of the month. And for those who haven’t seen the videos, no, this isn’t just two guys filming with their iPhones in the backyard. Castle and Olson travel extensively for beautiful vistas and have filmed in Napa Valley, San Francisco and Mount Shasta in California; Crater Lake in Oregon; and Chuckanut Mountains and Whatcom Falls in Washington state, among others. Olson — always sans shirt — falls in lakes, plays with water pouring over him (obviously with prop instruments) strikes poses with planes and trains swooping overhead and all sorts of creative setups.
So far, they’ve taken anywhere from three days to two weeks to film and several days of post-production and editing. Olson comes up with the arrangements himself and adds rhythm under his violin lines. Castle and Olson are brimming with ideas for songs they’d like to do next. Olson says songs like Sia’s “Bird Set Free,” a gypsy-style classical piece called “Csardas” by Vittorio Monti and maybe even some pop hits from yesteryear as likely future projects.
Castle says the projects have given him renewed passion.
“Meeting Matthew, falling in love and discovering our mutual creative passions reignited in me a love for making videos,” he says. “When the Shirtless Violinist idea was born, I truly felt it was the universe calling out to me and giving me a chance to do the thing I’d always wanted to do, but stopped believing was possible. I believe … Matthew and I were meant to find each other and help galvanize our shared dreams. … We truly make a great team.”
And though it’s a new endeavor, Olson says it works for the same reasons music has always drawn him.
“I feel like music has the ability to go beyond words and connect directly with the emotions,” Olson says. “That’s why we’ll sometimes listen to a song on repeat — it connects directly to our emotions and bypasses our brain and language. I’ve always had the most sublime, beautiful experiences through music.”
Matthew Olson (Photo by Paul Castle)
FUN FACTS:
On arranging pop songs for violin: “If it has a lot of spoken lyrics, like a rap song, it won’t work. Or too many repeated notes in a row — that’s hard, too. Trying to find ones that have enough of a melody that it still sounds beautiful without the words, that’s the challenge.”
Songs that didn’t work: “We tried ‘Closer’ by the Chainsmokers, which is a great song, but just didn’t really work. Sometimes it becomes a fun challenge. I kind of love it when I’m just messing around and can’t just play it instantly. … But other times I can see that something might work but would really take a lot of time so it kind of goes in the B pile.”
Views so far: “About 200,000 counting Facebook and YouTube.”
Height: 6’3”
Weight: I don’t really weigh myself. I’d guess about 180. Caliper measurements are much better for giving you body mass index.
Fitness regimen: “Five-six days per week at the gym alternating upper and lower body but always some form of cardio, too.”
Diet: “We try to reduce sugar completely, no fruit because of all the sugars in fruit, no processed foods, high protein and stuff with good fats. We start the day with a green smoothie and then lunch and dinner are usually a little bit of Quinoa with sautéed veggies — lots and lots of veggies like mushrooms, cucumbers, maybe a bell pepper, broccoli, spinach, Swiss chard, and top that with some protein like fish, ground turkey or chicken breast. We get one cheat meal a week which is usually a double-scoop waffle cone, occasionally a burger and fries before the waffle cone.”
Naturally smooth? “No, I shave. Paul likes it.”
Ink? “None. I’m just not into it at all. I’d be sick of any tattoo after a year.”
Creepy fans? “No, I thought we would have trolls, but all the feedback has been really positive so far.”
Mostly gay audience? “It seems more gay men but some straight women too. I might guess 60-40 from the comments so far.”
An LGBT cause? “Sure, I would love to.”
Modeling? “No”
An ‘80s song you’d like to cover: “We talked about maybe doing Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller’ for Halloween but not sure.”
Where you donate: “I do stuff with our local food banks and we have clothing donation bins all over the city that makes it easy to give. I also like to do volunteer work.”
What’s next: “We’re in talks with producers to maybe do something on ‘America’s Got Talent’ for its 2017 season. There’s also a company in Los Angeles that has approached us about maybe doing some live streaming. I also want to start sprinkling in some classical stuff in the videos as well.”
Matthew Olson (Photo by Paul Castle)
a&e features
Memorial for groundbreaking bisexual activist set for May 2
Loraine Hutchins remembered as a ‘force of nature’
The Montgomery County Pride Center will host a celebration honoring the life and legacy of Loraine Hutchins, Ph.D., on May 2. People are invited to attend the onsite memorial or a livestream event. The on-site event will begin at 10 a.m. with a meet-and-greet mixer before moving into a memorial service around the theme “Loraine a Force of Nature!” at 11 a.m., a panel talk at 12 p.m., break out sessions for artists, academics, and activists to build on her legacy at 1 p.m. and a closing reception at 2 p.m.
Attendees are encouraged to register for the on-site memorial gathering or the livestreamed memorial. The goal of this event is also to collect stories and memories of Loraine. Attendees and others can share their stories at padlet.com.
An obituary for Hutchins was published in the Bladelast Nov. 24, where people can learn more about her activism in the bisexual community. A private service for friends and family was held in December but this memorial service is open to all.
Alongside her groundbreaking work organizing for U.S. bisexual rights and liberation including co-editing “Bi Any Other Name: BIsexual People Speak Out” (1991), she also integrated faith into her sexual education and advocacy work. Her 2001 doctoral dissertation, “Erotic Rites: A Cultural Analysis of Contemporary U.S. Sacred Sexuality Traditions and Trends,” offered a pointed queer and feminist analysis to sex-neutral and sex-positive spiritual traditions in the United States. Her thesis was also groundbreaking in exploring the intersections between sex workers and those in caregiving professionals, including spiritual ones.
In an oral history interview conducted by Michelle Mueller back in August 2023, Hutchins described herself as a “priestess without a congregation.” While she has occasionally had a sense of community and feels part of a group of loving people, she admitted that “I don’t feel like we have the shape or the purpose that we need.”
“I’ve often experienced being the Cassandra in the room, the Cassandra in the community. Somebody who’s kind of way out there ahead, thinking through the strategic action points that my community hasn’t gotten to yet, and getting a lot of resistance and hostile responses from people who are frightened by dissent and conflict and not ready for the changes we have to make to survive,” she said.
“For somebody who’s bisexual in an out political way and who’s been a spokesperson for the polyamory movement in an out political way, it’s very exposing. And it’s very important to me to be able to try to explain and help other people understand the connection between spirituality and sexuality,” she explained citing how even as a graduate student she was “exploring how to feel erotic and spiritual, and not feel them in conflict with each other in my own spiritual contemplative life and my own sensual body awareness of being alive in the world.”
“Every religion has a sense of sacred sexuality. It’s just they put a lot of boundaries and regulations on it, and if we have a spiritual practice that is totally affirming of women’s priesthood and of gay people, queer people’s ability to minister to everyone and to be ministered to be everyone, what does that do to the gender of God, or our understanding of how we practice our spirituality and our sexuality in community and privately?”
“There’s no easy answer,” she concludes, and she continued to grapple with these questions throughout her life, co-editing another seminal text, “Sexuality, Religion and the Sacred: Bisexual, Pansexual, and Polysexual Perspectives,” published in 2012. Her work blending spiritual and queer liberation remains groundbreaking to this day.
Rev. Eric Eldritch, a local community organizer and ordained Pagan minister with Circle Sanctuary who has worked for decades with the DC Center’s Center Faith to organize the Pride Interfaith Service, is eager to highlight this element of her legacy at the memorial service next month.
a&e features
Queery: Meet artist, performer John Levengood
Modern creative talks nightlife, coming out, and his personal queer heroes
John Levengood (he/him) describes himself as a modern creative with a wide‑ranging toolkit. He blends music, technology, civic duty, and a sharp sense of wit into a cohesive artistic identity. Known primarily as a recording artist and performer, he’s also a self‑taught music producer and software engineer who embodies a generation of creators who build their own lanes rather than wait for one to appear.
Levengood, 32, who is single and identifies as gay and queer, is best known as a recording artist who has performed at Pride festivals across the country, including the main stages of World Pride DC, Central Arkansas Pride, and Charlotte Pride.
“Locally in the DMV, I’m known for turning heads at nightlife venues with my eye-catching sense of style. When I go out, I don’t try to blend in. I hope I inspire people to be themselves and have the courage to stand out,” he says.
He’s also known for hosting karaoke at Freddie’s Beach Bar in Arlington, Va., on Thursday nights. “I like to create a space where people feel comfortable expressing themselves, building community, and showcasing their talents.”
He also creates social media content from my performances and do interviews at LGBTQ+ bars and theatres in the DMV. Follow the Arlington resident @johnlevengood.
How long have you been out and who was the hardest person to tell?
I have been fully out of the closet since 2019. My parents were the hardest people to tell because my family has always been my rock and at the time I couldn’t imagine a world without them. Their reactions were extremely positive and supportive so I had nothing to fear all along.
I remember sitting on the couch with my mom, dad, and sister in our hotel room in New Orleans during our winter vacation and being so nervous to tell them. After I finally mustered up the nerve and made the proclamation, I realized my dad had already fallen asleep on the couch. My mom promised to tell him when he woke up.
Who’s your LGBTQ hero?
My LGBTQ heroes are Harvey Milk for paving the way for gays in politics and Elton John for being a pioneer for the fabulous and authentic. My local heroes in the DMV are Howard Hicks, manager of Green Lantern, and Tony Rivenbark, manager of Freddie’s Beach Bar. Both of them are essential to creating spaces where I’ve felt welcome and safe since moving to the DMV.
What’s Washington’s best nightspot, past or present?
Trade tops the list for me because of the dance floor and outdoor space. It’s so nice to get a break from the music every once and a while to be able to have a conversation.
We live in challenging times. How do you cope?
I’m still figuring this out. What is working right now is writing music and spending time with family and friends. I’ve also been spending less time on social media going to the gym at least three times a week.
What streaming show are you binging?
After “Traitors” Season 4 ended, I was in a bit of a show hole, but “Stumble” has me in a laughing loop right now. The writing is so witty.
What do you wish you’d known at 18?
At 18, I wish I would have known how liberating it is to come out of the closet. It would have been nice to know some winning lottery numbers as well.
What are your friends messaging about in your most recent group chat?
We are planning our next trip to New York City. If you can believe it, I visited NYC for the first time in 2025 for Pride and I’ve been back every quarter since. Growing up in the country, I was subconsciously primed to be scared of the city. But my mind has been blown. I can’t wait to go back.
Why Washington?
It’s the closest metropolitan area to my family, but not too close. I love the museums, the diversity, the history, and the proximity to the beach and mountains. It’s also nice to live in a city with public transportation.
Aging RFK Stadium has come down, but the RFK grounds are still getting lit up. Welcome back to the stage Project GLOW, D.C.’s homegrown electronic festival, on May 30-31. Back for its fifth year on these musically inclined acres, Project GLOW returns with an even more diverse lineup, and one that continues to celebrate LGBTQ antecedents, attendees, and acts.
Project GLOW 2026 headliners include house and techno star Mau P, progressive house legend Eric Prydz, hard-techno favorite Sara Landry, and bass acts Excision b2b Sullivan King, among the lineup of trance, bass, house, techno, dubstep, and others for the fifth anniversary year.
President & CEO Pete Kalamoutsos — born and raised in D.C. — founded Club GLOW in 1999. In 2020, GLOW entered into a partnership with global entertainment company Insomniac Events to produce live events like Project GLOW, which kicked off in 2022.
As in past years, Project GLOW not only makes space, but is intentionally inclusive of the LGBTQ community, one of its most dedicated fan bases. The festival’s LGBTQ-focused Secret Garden stage blooms again — a more intimate dance area that stands on the strength of DJs and musicians who draw from the LGBTQ community. D.C.’s LGBTQ nightlife mastermind Ed Bailey is the creative mind behind Secret Garden again. He joined Project GLOW in 2023.
“Kalamoustos says that “he’s proud of his partnership with Ed Bailey, along with Capital Pride and [nightlife producer] Jake Resnikow. It’s amazing to collaborate with Bailey at the Secret Garden stage, especially after the curated lineup we worked on at Pride last year.”
The Secret Garden will be a bit different from other stages: Eternal (“At the Eternal stage, time stands still. Lose yourself in the dance of past, present, and future, surrendering to the eternal rhythm of the universe”) and Pulse (“Feel the rhythm of the beat pulse through your veins as the heartbeat of the crowd synchronizes into one. Here, every moment vibrates with life as it guides you through a new dimension of euphoria”). The Secret Garden stage is in the round, surrounded by 16 shipping containers. The containers play canvas to muralists from around the world, who are coming in to paint them in a vibrant garden-style vibe. “We gave this stage some extra love with this layout,” K says, “ we finally cracked the code.”
K says that this will be the biggest lineup yet for the Secret Garden, featuring Nicole Moudaber b2b Chasewest, Riordan b2b Bullet Tooth, Ranger Trucco, Cassian, Eli & Fur, Cosmic Gate and Hayla. The stage is also the largest yet, featuring an expanded dance floor and 360-degree viewing.
Across all stages, K says that his goal for the fifth anniversary is “More art and fan interactive experience, more like a festival, strive to be like a Tomorrowland, as budget grows to add more experience.” Last year’s Project GLOW alone drew 40,000 attendees over two days.
K, however, was not satisfied with one festival this spring. GLOW recently announced a “pop-up” one-day event. Teaming up with Black Book Records, GLOW is set to throw a first-of-its-kind dance-music takeover of Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., headlined by electronic music star Chris Lake. Set for April 18, this euphoric block party will feature bass and vibes blocks from the White House. Organizers expect as many as 10,000 fans to attend. Beyond music, there will be food, activations, and plenty of other activities taking place around 6th St and Pennsylvania Ave NW – a location familiar to many in the LGBTQ community, as this sits squarely inside the blocks of the Capital Pride party that takes place in DC every June.
Over the past two decades, Club GLOW has produced thousands of events, from club nights to large-scale festivals including Project GLOW, Moonrise Festival, and more. Club GLOW also operates Echostage.
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