Caleb de Casper will bring his infusion of Gothic, dance, pop music to Salisbury’s third annual gay and lesbian pride event Saturday.
“I don’t know anyone else who sounds anything like this,” he said.
The Catawba College junior will take the stage, along with the Foxy Jail Vixens, shortly after 2 p.m.
“The live show incorporates Alice Cooper-type special effects,” Caleb said. “It’s extreme, but I just like to have fun with it.
“My shows usually incorporate rock elements along with dance tracks, but I also like to play acoustically and get people interested in the technical and classical aspects of music.”
Caleb, who plays keys and provides the primary vocals, said he began taking piano lessons when he was 7 years old.
“Ever since I was extremely young I just had this inclination toward classical music,” he said. “For people who love music, it’s intoxicating.”
As a teenager, Caleb said he went through a period of darkness because he was different.
“To overcome those feelings of darkness, I channeled it through my music,” he said.
Caleb said he also found solace in the music of others.
“I used to put on headphones when I was a teenager and lock myself in the bathroom and sing to myself in the mirror because that was the only way I could express this feeling of isolation,” he said. “If people can do that with my music and it keeps them from being negative or harmful to themselves, that’s what I want more than anything.”
Caleb said he hopes people will connect with his sound.
“When you don’t fit in anywhere else in this world, whether it’s because you’re gay, you’re bisexual, you’re transgender, you’re weird, people call you fat, people call you ugly,” he said. “Whatever it is to cause you to feel like you don’t fit in, I want to have a home for you.”
Caleb, who is studying in the music business program at Catawba, said he draws inspiration from a number of musicians including Annie Lennox, David Bowie, Alice Cooper, Lady Gaga and Prince.
“I’m just so influenced by artists who have struggled and been through things,” he said. “I want to channel their creativity.”
Caleb said he’s excited to perform during PrideFest 2013.
“It’s great to be able to play for an event like this to show people that we’re all the same,” he said.
Following his performance, Caleb plans to march down Innes Street with a rainbow flag in support of the LGBT community. LGBT stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender.
“Anyone who wants to is welcome to walk with me to publicly demonstrate their support for the gay community,” he said.