“Kevin Wood Has Found His Way 'Out of the Closet' and Into SoCal Hearts
"The minute that I got my first album in my hand I left town," Kevin Wood explained. The 28-year-old Long Beach resident originally from Cody, Wyoming was not running from anything. Instead, he was a man on a mission to make his way and share his talent with the nation. First, Wood landed on the national tour of the Broadway musical RENT. Wood was a "swing" in the cast, which means he was an understudy for six different roles including Roger and Mark. After a long and winding road, four long years later he is back singing his own tune with his sophomore album Finding Me.
The independent singer/songwriter and piano man who released Haven't Had Enough in 2002 experienced the ups and downs of being on tour, which sparked an amazing amount of growth. The knowledge he gained while on his journey allowed him to understand countless things about relationships he built and lost along the way. "I have found that most important things in life are our friendships and relationships - saying goodbye and hello to them," Wood said. The wisdom and appreciation he gained in the school of life for those valuable relationships is clear. The title track of the album "Finding Me" is a heartfelt tribute to his best friend, who helped him discover himself.
"This album picks up from where my last album left off," Wood explained. Having written all of the songs on the album, they each have a special meaning to him. "They're all my babies," he quipped. Wood noted that the most autobiographical is titled "Stand Firm," a song about his own "coming out" in small town Wyoming as a high school senior. "It was very hard to put that particular song on the album because essentially it is a song about my 'coming out," he said. Wood knows first-hand the struggles that many young queers face - especially those in Middle America. "Growing up being called names that I didn't even know the meaning of was not easy," he explained.
Wood did not let any hurdles come in his way. "Living in Wyoming I felt like I knew it was never going to happen. I've learned that all you can do is make it happen for yourself," he said. To do just that Wood moved to Southern California with only $100 in his pocket. It is evident that htis Midwest boy was determined to, "Make It In L.A." - the second song on his new CD is appropriately titled just that. Now living within 25 miles of Hollywood he admits it can feel the same way. "Living here has made me realize that making it is much more personal than just money, it's being happy with yourself. Playing my music and performing makes me happiest."
Wood can be seen performing at various locations throughout Long Beach and Southern California. Both Finding Me and Haven't Had Enough along with upcoming performance schedule can be found on his Web site. He will be at the Library Coffeehouse (3418 E. Broadway, Long Beach) on Friday, Oct. 8 and celebrating the release of Finding Me, on Saturday, Oct. 14 at DiPiazza's Lounge and Niteclub (5205 E. Pacific Coast Highway, Long Beach).”

- Editor - Dot Newsmagazine, Long Beach, CA