AMM Spotlight: Lady Gaga Opening Act, Breedlove

Arts Management Magazine: How did you connect with Lady Gaga?
Breedlove: I’ve been friends with Gaga since 2006, when we were performing at shows in NYC for like 15 people. She’s attended my shows over the years and watched me grow as a songwriter and performer. In the Spring of 2014 she attended a show of ours and came up to me afterwards and said “I think you’re ready to open for me.” Six months later I was on a plane to Stockholm to open on the European leg of the artRAVE tour.

“Lady Gaga said, ‘I think you’re ready to open for me.'”

AMM: Tell us about the HBO special.
BL: The HBO special was a fun day, she wanted her friends to be in the opening segment where she was casually stopping in a bodega to buy coffee before she drove to Madison Square Garden to perform her final of 5 sold out shows there. I was told to hang out in this bodega, and I hadn’t seen her for like 6 months, and I’m in there looking around for like a half hour. Suddenly without warning she walks in, looking incredible as always, followed by a camera. What you saw is her coming in for coffee, not knowing I was in there, and me not knowing she was walking in, and our authentic excitement to see each other. I love how real she’s always kept it, she’s not afraid for people to know who she is and see who her friends are, and share the spotlight with the interesting people she’s curated over the years. It tells a very authentic story and gives her fan base a lot to latch onto.

AMM: Are there any parallels between you and Gaga?
BL: I think our music has some parallels, the theatrical vocals and writing styles are pretty similar but it comes off very different because I’m a man. My sense of humor can be a lot more obvious in my music which throws some people off because they don’t know how to categorize me. Am I joking or do I actually believe this shit? Even I don’t know sometimes. I guess that’s all part of the fun.

Having just appeared as the opening act for Lady Gaga’s artRAVE Tour, Breedlove is an American singer, songwriter, and performance personality. Breedlove appeared in Gaga’s HBO special and in her video promotions for the VMA’s that same year. He became the Chief Ambassador for her Born This Way Foundation on the American leg of the associated Born This Way Ball. Breedlove’s music is currently available on iTunes.