Rest in peace, Odd Soul: Remembering Matt Klose 1984

The Arts STL, and the St. Louis independent music scene as a whole, lost a major dude recently with the death of musician, photographer, and The Arts STL contributor Matt Klose on May 14^th at the age of 41. I never had the pleasure of knowing Matt Klose personally, but I have admired his work for our website since he started contributing last year. Whether interviewing Urge frontman and expert hotdog slinger Steve Ewing or exhaustively documenting Music at the Intersection, Matt brought a creativity and passion to his work that was infectious and uplifted us all.

Matt was a tireless promoter of local music, dedicating himself to documenting St. Louis’s countless musicians and artists. He was no clout chaser, and there was no act “too local” to be worthy of his talented eye as a photographer. He brought the same drive to his own band, Oddsoul and the Sound, a shambling indie folk project with witty and incisive lyrics. Like many of the best creative works, his music reflects a philosophy of “Fuck it, I don’t care if this sounds perfect. I have a song in my soul and I need to get it out. Let’s jam.”

I do not know the circumstances of Matt’s death, but it is not necessary for me to know them to celebrate his life, which enriched me and so many others through its creative spark. As a tribute to Matt, his friends and family would like for all of us to donate a moment of our time and, if possible, money to mental health awareness causes. It is a tragic fact in this world that the souls that burn the brightest are often in danger of being extinguished far too early. If you are interested in paying tribute to Matt, or another loved one who experienced this all-too-common struggle, please consider signing up for a charity walk with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. I try to attend the walk at Creve Coeur Lake every year as a tribute to my aunt, Amy von Nordheim, another poetic soul who made a terminal decision during a moment of extreme darkness. Paradoxically, it is sometimes hard for us to recognize the symptoms of this mindset in people that we spend nearly every day with. Let’s use this as an opportunity to take a pause from our own daily grind, and reach out to those who may need a simple reminder that we love them, need them, and accept them, no matter the state they’re in.

Rest in peace, Matt, from one odd soul to another. Let’s all do our part to turn out for our Matt’s final gig; Lord knows he turned out for everyone else’s.

Saturday, June 7: memorial service and gathering in honor of Matt Klose at Soulard Preservation Hall (1921 S. 9th St.). The event runs 2:00-5:00; the first hour is a memorial service, the rest is open gathering time.

Sunday, June 8: tribute concert from 6:00-9:00pm at the Golden Record (2718 Cherokee St.) including stories, music, art, and friends of Matt performing covers of his music. Concert is free to attend, and they will be taking donations for mental health causes.

If you are not able to attend either of these events, take a few minutes out of your day to listen to Matt’s music, which is available on Spotify. | David von Nordheim

Please enjoy a selection of Matt’s photos for our site in the gallery below. Click to enlarge.