Matt Suave is an openly queer DJ who celebrates Chicago’s house music history through his tunes and talent. He’s currently Denver-based but spent over nine years living in the Windy City, which has influenced his life’s work and sound.
The term house music originally comes from the Chicago gay club The Warehouse, where another popular queer DJ named Frankie Knuckles used to spin regularly. Listeners can hear that source of artistic inspiration in Suave’s new song “My House.” The music video for the track features the queer collective Playhaus, co-founded by Matt, who hosts regular events throughout the year.
The talented mixmaster is booked and busy during Pride month, but for him, LGBTQ+ centered events happen year-round. One of these events, VeryPride! at Outset on June 19, brought him back to Chicago, where he sat down in Wicker Park to chat about his new single.
JN: (Jerry Nunn) Let’s start with your roots. Were you born in Denver?
MS: (Matt Suave) No, I was born in Austin, Texas. I moved to Denver when I was 10 years old.
JN: I just got back from San Antonio’s Pride on the River Walk.
MS: It’s a busy month for Pride celebrations. I did WeHo Pride earlier this month, Chicago today and DC tomorrow.
JN: I went to Breckenridge in 2024 for Pride. What do you think of that part of Denver?
MS: I grew up not too far and I like to go there in the summer.
JN: How did you get involved with the VeryPride! party this evening in Chicago?
MS: VeryThat! is a party thrown by my friends Dusty Carpenter and Kareka Mamadou.
JN: Yvie Oddly will be at Pride Fest this weekend.
MS: I saw that, but I am leaving tomorrow, sadly. I wish I could stay.
JN: How did Yvie land in your “My House” video?
MS: I met Yvie before RuPaul’s Drag Race and she crashed at my place one night after a gig. We have stayed friends ever since and then she went on to win Drag Race on season 11. I had her play my house parties several times and she is a staple of the Denver community.
JN: I interviewed Yvie for the book All About Yvie: Into the Oddity and I will never forget that laugh.
MS: That laugh is kooky.
JN: Who are the other drag queens in the “My House” music video?
MS: They are local Denver queens from some of the same houses such as Felony Misdemeanor, Anne-Michelle Misdemeanor and Freya Misdemeanor. There is Kelela C. Staxx, Brenda T. Staxx and one from Yvie’s house, Geo Conjure Oddly.
All of the queens are regulars at PlayHaus events.
JN: How did Playhaus get its start?
MS: I used to live in Chicago and one night I went out to see Derrick Carter play at the event Queen! He inspired me to be a DJ and create events like that.
JN: I attended a Wilton Manors Pride event where Derrick played and there were so many young people dancing to his classic house music tunes.
MS: Yes, a whole new generation is dancing to house music. When I moved back to Denver, I noticed that the scene was lacking this. We had queer bars and some underground parties, but there was no in between. I met up with two friends and we started Playhaus.
For our first party, we were hoping for a hundred people and then had 1,000 people attend.
JN: Sounds like you needed security and first aid.
MS: Yes, we did. It’s a lot of work and logistics to throw the parties these days.
JN: When did Playhaus begin?
MS: It will be four years this October.
JN: Congrats on that. What house was “My House” filmed in?
MS: My friend had a house that was quirky and cool. It was perfect for the music video. We filmed it on a Monday night and we got everyone tipsy. It was fun.
The house was a mess afterwards, but we cleaned up until it was like it was before.
JN: After watching it, I wondered if the fun atmosphere was faked.
MS: No, it was a party. Some videos they will call cut and people will stand around for half an hour. We just kept having fun and partying.
JN: The Yvie Oddly tongue was at the party…
MS: The Yvie tongue came out! [laughs]
JN: Were you going for a disco house sound for the song?
MS: Yes, that is what my soul is. There are powerful vocals with a funky piano to a dusty groove. That is what the inside of my head sounds like. It’s why it is called “My House” because it is the sound I want to make.
JN: Do you have a favorite queer musician?
MS: I am a huge fan of Honey Dijon. She has come so far and she is doing so well. She is from Chicago. The way she runs a show with people voguing and dancing shows the control she has over the dancefloor. It’s so inspiring to me and I am obsessed with her. She’s a fashion icon, too.
She’s playing my PlayHaus party in Denver next weekend and I get to open up for her.
JN: Do you have a background in singing?
MS: Yes. I play the piano and use it in a lot of my tracks. I went to school for opera at the University of Denver for four years. I lived in Vienna and sang opera there.
I love singing, but when I got out of college, it wasn’t what I wanted to do for the rest of my life as a career. I decided to turn my music skills into something else as a DJ.
JN: She’s a nice person on top of all of that.
MS: I am excited to meet her.
JN: How long did it take for “My House” to be created?
MS: Some songs I can make in two weeks now, but “My House” was the first track I put effort into. For years, I had put in loops.
I was my own worst enemy, so it took a while to finish it. I doubted myself and thought maybe no one would like it. “My House” was the first song to push through that barrier. It took a year to finish and I had another job at the time.
It is done now and it’s out in the world.
JN: What would you like to do next musically?
MS: I have an EP planned. There will be five or six tracks. There will be a few more singles and the next song will be a piano house track.
JN: Is there a genre of your music that you would like to explore but haven’t yet?
MS: I love my disco house, but I play a lot of gay parties where I go harder as a DJ, so I would like to make music with heavy hitters.
JN: Have you ever thrown a cake at the audience like Steve Aoki?
MS: Not yet, but I need to find out what my gimmick is going to be.
JN: What advice would you give a DJ just starting out?
MS: I would tell them not to just play mainstream music, as many people play right now. Sure, play some of it because the crowd wants to hear that, but find a unique sound and tracks that no one else is playing. They should try to stand out, go off the beaten path and curate their own party.
When I started PlayHaus, I was able to create the space that I wanted for myself and others.
JN: Have you used your vocals for your sets?
MS: I have sung in parts over the melodies at times on the mic, but I am too self-conscious to use my voice for a full track yet. Maybe one day I will sing opera on a track.
JN: When did you come out of the closet?
MS: I came out at 14 years old. It was very early on. I had a crush on a boy at school, so I hit on him and the next day he told everyone at school that I was gay. I was forced out, although no one believed it, because I was always playing sports. I decided to tell them that I am gay and the surprise was that no one really cared. I was very fortunate.
JN: What does Pride mean to you?
MS: For me, it is more like eight months in a row. There are Prides in March and Prides in October, so I am always touring.
I am always brought back to the moment that I saw on TV when they legalized gay marriage. I felt an immense joy and happiness within me. I cried at the airport because I was out in public.
That is what Pride is about to me. It’s about feeling seen and knowing that I don’t have to hide. It’s a reminder to love ourselves and a month to celebrate that. It’s a chance to dance to all of that as well.
Stay tuned for his personal website, now in the works, but until then, follow his adventures on Instagram @matt.suave.