Solo rock artist Matt Wertz is set to perform at 9 p.m., Saturday, March 29th in the Maintenance Shop with pop-rock band My Red & Blue as an opener.

Matt Wertz is a singer-songwriter hailing from Liberty, Miss. With several records under his belt, he has shared the stage with artists including Ben Folds, Jars of Clay and Gavin Degraw.

“It’s singer-songwriter pop music,” Wertz said. “[Growing up], we were kind of a family where a lot of times we would sing together. Sometimes that was in church, sometimes that was at home. Singing was very much a part of what happened around the house.

“When I became a teenager, I was looking for a way to express myself, and music was there. I think it was a natural outlet for me to want to do that. Early on, I was exposed to Michael Jackson. Everything from the songs, to the performances and everything, I think that kind of stuck with me. I don’t think I could have imagined that I would be on stage performing in front of people. It’s kind of a dream come true to get to do that.”

While Wertz grew up in a musical household, he originally wanted to be a shoe designer. It was not until his freshman year of college that he seriously considered pursuing a career in music.

“Recording the first album, I had a band in college,” Wertz said. “My junior year of college we spent our spring break and we stayed around. I went to the University of Illinois in Champaign, so we kind of hung back. It was nice because my bandmates and I were able to have the town to ourselves because everybody was out of town.”

While recording the first album, Wertz had to overcome a learning curve as he went through the process for the first time.

“The first recording was all a great time. It was very fun, exciting and exhilarating, and challenging how we had no idea what we were getting into. We were very limited budget wise, and so we didn’t have the kind of resources to work on it until it was perfect. We pretty much had to stop when we ran out of money. Thankfully, you get better over the years, and you also have access to folks who are really professional and talented. The recording process has gotten easier,” Wertz said.

The solo musician has played on-stage with iconic singer-songwriter Ben Folds, an artist he cites as a highly skilled performer.

“Ben Folds is one of the best performers I think I’ve ever gotten to watch.” Wertz said. “Just being able to observe his thing kind of put me to school. We did a show together at Truman State University, which is in Kirksville, Missouri. Anytime that you can be exposed to someone who’s truly great at what they do, it raises the bar, and forces you to get better. I was grateful for the experience.”

Wertz shares a friendship with mainstream pop artist Ryan Tedder, a songwriter and producer who is best known as the lead singer for the pop-rock band OneRepublic.

“Ryan Tedder is a friend of mine, and I’ve just been totally amazed by his rise over the last few years. He’s got probably one of the best work ethics in pop music today. He’s just constantly working. He deserves everything he’s gotten,” Wertz said.

“Heatwave,” Wertz’s most recent record, was released in August 2013.

“I wrote Heatwave between the years of 2011 and 2013, and the year I started recording it was in 2012, and I finished it up in the summer of 2013,”  Wertz said, “It was largely influenced by the singer-songwriters of the late 1980s like Bryan Adams, Richard Marx, Don Henley and Steve Winwood — some of those guys. I liked the way those albums sounded, so we just kind of borrowed some of those sounds; the guitar sounds, a lot of drum machines, sounds like that.”

Matt Wertz is familiar with the Maintenance Shop and is enthusiastic about some of the benefits a smaller venue can offer.

“I’ve played the Maintenance Shop several times before and have really enjoyed it,” Wertz said. “I like playing in smaller venues. I like playing in any venue that feels full and packed. It’s nice, there’s an intimacy that comes from that that’s hard to achieve in a bigger place.”

Fans of singer-songwriter music or music in general can expect an open and involving show from Matt Wertz and shouldn’t be surprised to find some catchy tunes.

“[Anyone who’s never heard me before] can expect to feel like they can get to know me throughout the course of the night,” Wertz said. “I’m a pretty transparent person, and a pretty goofy guy. They can probably expect to have some songs stuck in their head after they leave. I try to write songs that are hooky. They can just expect to have a good time. It’s a fun show, and I seem to have some really great bands. Just all around good, clean fun.”

Tickets are available at the M-Shop box office or at midwestix.com. They are $20 for students,and $15 for the public, with $2 upcharge the day of the show.