The term “game” is regularly slung around, usually referring to the ability to flirt with the opposite gender.  “Joe has no game,” a friend would say after seeing a counterpart stutter, stammer and blush around an attractive female.

Like most guys, singer/songwriter Mat Kearney is a little slow on the pickup lines, but his friendly persistence eventually led to his marriage to Annie Sims.  When they first met, Kearney was caught in the awkward situation of choosing a gift at Anthropologie for his sister-in-law—seeing a cute woman nearby, Kearney cleverly asked her for advice on a dress.  He’s in the clear, right?  Wrong.  According to Celebuzz!, Sims saw right through the trap and brusquely said the dress was ugly and moved on.

Now, after a little dedication—and perhaps a little improvement in his “game”—Kearney and Sims are married.  The hit single off his August 2011 album Young Love, “Hey Mama”—colored by his introduction to Sims—topped the iTunes single chart over Adele.  As part of his tour, Kearney travels to Buffalo for a 7:00 p.m. Friday show at Town Ballroom.  Tickets are $16 in advance or $19 at the door. 

The spelling of Kearney’s first name raises an interesting story.  On the artist’s birth certificate, the nurse mistakenly only wrote down one “t”—Kearney’s mother penned in an extra red “t” for the typical “Matt.”  When Matt learned about this in eighth grade, however, he chose to return to only one “t.”  Fascinating stuff. 

A Christian artist, Kearney shouldn’t be confused as a fire-and-brimstone musician or a gospel singer.  The Oregon-raised talent simply presents regular human experiences—finding love, maturation and dealing with heartbreak—in a positive light, conveying a sense of hope along the way.  We can all use a little hope.