Arts & Entertainment

West Hempstead Teen Wins Gig With Incubus

Matt Orlando,19, performs with band's lead guitarist.

Few people get the chance to meet their idols, but one West Hempstead teen not only got up-close with the band he adores but also strummed alongside its lead guitarist.

Matt Orlando, 19, will probably never forget the summer of 2011, when he got to spend some quality time with the American rock band Incubus, as they performed in both Los Angeles and New York.

Orlando, a film studies major at Hofstra University's Honors College and a musician himself, won two contests sponsored by the band. The first was a guitar contest, a promotion for Incubus' latest album, "If Not Now, When?" The prize was the opportunity to play with lead guitarist, Mike Einziger, in Los Angeles and concert tickets.

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Matt, who has been playing guitar for nine years, recorded and edited a video in which he played the instrument and described his musical experience. During the film, he also expressed his desire to play with Incubus. He had seen the band perform many times and even had been backstage, but only in his wildest dreams had he jammed along with the group.

Earlier this month, Incubus made that dream a reality. Orlando received an email one Wednesday in early July informing him that he had won the contest and by Friday, he was aboard a plane bound for Los Angeles.

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During his whirlwind week in LA, the teen was interviewed for Incubus' Web site, saw the band perform at several closed concerts and in what will probably be the most memorable moment for the star-struck fan, strummed along with the group's lead guitarist.

"This was a dream come true for him," his father, Steve Orlando, said. "These are his 'Beatles'."

Any disappointment about the week going by too fast, was most likely mitigated when, while in LA, Orlando learned that he won a second contest sponsored by the band.

This time it was Orlando's photography talent that earned him another encounter with the band. He received first prize in their still photography contest titled “I Love NY Tour," which came with two tickets to a closed concert at the NY Skyline. Orlando was also told that due to the superior quality of his photograph, he would also receive four front row seats at a closed Incubus concert at the David Letterman Theater. When the band appeared on the Late Show with David Letterman, they also brought Orlando along, who was able to sit with the sound technician during the taping.

By the end of the two weeks, the band members had become more than idols as a friendship began to form. Orlando is now on a first name basis with the group.

So what's next for the young artist and Incubus fan?

Right now, Orlando is working on his own album. We'll be sure to let you know when it hits stores and he makes it big. Perhaps, then he can return the favor and make a dream come true for one of his fans.


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