Comedian Matteo Lane will leave crowds howling during tour stop in Lexington

Queer lingo of the day: I use the word“werq” a lot. My best friends are drag queens and we all started hanging out about 10 years ago, and ever since then that word has creeped into my every day vocabulary. And it can be used as a lot of different meanings. Verb, noun, adjective etc. — Matteo Lane

Werq – An expression used when praising someone for doing something cunty or for looking fierce

“Girl, I ain’t nevah seen nobody twirl as fierce as you in a pair of size 11 stilettos! You’re serving! You bettah werq!!!”

Gay comedian, self-proclaimed Liza Minnelli fanatic and impersonator, and heartthrob selfie queen, Matteo Lane, performs several times between Dec. 3 and Dec. 5 in Lexington, at Comedy Off Broadway. (Grab tickets here)

Lane is a New York-based comedian whose stand-up special can be seen on Netflix’s The Comedy Lineup. He has performed stand up on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Late Night with Seth Myers, Comedy Central’s Adam Devine’s House Party, This Week at the Comedy Cellar and The Comedy Jam, as well as HBO’s Crashing. Fluent in five languages and with a singing range of six octaves, Lane lived in Italy as an oil painter and opera singer before starting his comedy career.

“I’m coming to Lexington Kentucky to send a simple message,” Lane said. “Mariah Carey is great.”

One thing to note about Matteo Lane — he loves some Mariah Carey. When scrolling through YouTube videos of him, you will find tons of Mariah impersonations partnered with Liza and Britney Spears. Needless to say, but Lane knows what resonates with his very gay audience.

“It is my first time in Kentucky,” he said. “I have some friends coming to visit as well, which is great because I don’t make plans. They do. Otherwise I would sit in my hotel all day watching the Great British Bake off.”

Like many Queer people, Lane has felt the inequalities slammed down on the community, but pushes through and has become a visible activist with an amazingly large platform.

“Being part of the LGBTQ+ community makes me feel very proud,” he said. “I’m proud to be gay, and apart of such a beautiful family.” 

“What does it mean knowing my presence creates even more LGBTQ+ visibility,” he repeated the question. “It makes me sound like Mary Poppins… ‘when the wind changes, he comes’ and to be honest, I will be arriving in Kentucky with a carpet bag and umbrella. So buck up.”