Matt Nathanson performs at Belly Up, with support from KT Tunstall

For nearly 30 years, singer-songwriter Matt Nathanson has been engaging audiences with his heartfelt lyrics, infectious melodies and dynamic stage presence. On Wednesday, he brings his “Wheel of Song” to Belly Up.

The tour is aptly named, as he actually does has a gigantic, vertical wheel that he spins on stage, filled with tunes from all of his studio albums. He spins it about six or seven times during the show.

“I have 15 records, (so) it allows me to play songs from the back catalogue that I might not play for whatever reason,” he said. “People have been coming to my shows for a long time, and they’re often like, ‘Well, you didn’t play my favorite song, which is the obscure, weird song off of a record from, you know, 20 years ago, and so this kind of frees me up and frees me from blame, and it also makes it a fun way to give folks older songs and weirder songs. It’s a fun way to mix it up.”

He’ll also play songs from his latest album, “king of (un)simple,” written during the pandemic lockdowns.

“They were heavily influenced by the changes in the world,” he said about the tracks, adding that he named the album “king of (un)simple” because “it’s not straightforward being a human being, and I feel like everybody wants things to be cut-and-dried, and, so, ‘king of (un)simple’ is just sort of taking ownership of the fact that my brain is not a straight shot.”

Yet, his career has been somewhat of a “straight shot,” earning his multi-platinum hit “Come on Get Higher” and two RIAA Gold-Certified singles, “Faster” and “Run (featuring Sugarland).”

From his early days performing in coffee shops to headlining major venues, he has built his reputation on authenticity, storytelling, and an undeniable connection with his fans. His strength lies in his storytelling, which resonates with an emotional honesty that listeners relate to, whether the lyrics are about love, heartbreak, or self-discovery.

“To me, the most important thing in a song is vulnerability and trying to be as honest as I can be in them,” he said.

Throughout his career, he has been known to cover songs — and even albums — that inspire him, such as Def Leppard’s “Pyromania.” Nathanson’s “Pyromattia” soared to No. 1 on the iTunes Alternative chart, with Def Leppard’s Joe Elliott calling it “an amazing reinterpretation” with “heart and soul.” He also covered U2’s “Achtung Baby” as a tribute to his all-time favorite album.

“I’m just a huge nerd for music, and so it’s fun to be able to do reinterpretations of my favorite (music). I just wanted to celebrate the greatness of their music,” he said. “Writing your own songs is kind of a taxing, you know, journeying through yourself. To be able to just celebrate other people’s bad-assness — if that’s a word — it’s a joy to be able to do it.”

Whether he’s recording a new album or performing live, he keeps it fun for himself because he believes “usually, when it’s fun for me, it’s fun for the audience.”

This tour includes Grammy-nominated, Scottish musician KT Tunstall, who made a name for herself with her 2004 multi-platinum debut, “Eye to the Telescope,” which spawned the global hits “Black Horse and the Cherry Tree” and “Suddenly I See.” The songs, along with her pioneering looping skills, established her as a dynamic songwriter and performer who balances introspective folk with propulsive rock.

During the show, he said they may do some songs together.

“I’m not sure — we’ve been doing some songs together, so maybe we will, but she supports at the front, and then sometimes she comes up and sings on some songs. It’s kind of a free-for-all,” he said. “She’s just great human and super musical. It’s kind of impossible not to love her. She’s violently talented and super cool, so it’s awesome.”

But whether they perform together or not, a Nathanson show is always an intimate and fulfilling experience.