The other half of the Odd House’s dream team, Matty Dwyer is partner and husband to Scottie Dwyer, and today Matty is crowned Dazzler of the Day thanks to his own brand of sparkle and pizzazz. A self-described dream builder and world changer, Matty has brought his bit of magic to downtown Troy, where their Odd House storefront offers queer-centric supplies, apparel, decor, candles, ritual elements, tarot cards and engaging intuitive readings. A potent part of Troy’s vibrant downtown scene, Odd House is also a place of refuge and sanctuary for anyone who feels left out or different, and part of this stems directly from Matty’s own spirit and smiling outlook. Currently Matty and the store are gearing up for a special Troy Night Out on October 30, 2026: designated as The Haunting, it looks to be a spectacular event featuring ghost tours, live music, drag performances and over 40 local vendors from 5 to 9 PM along lower River Street.
A native of Leominster, Massachusetts, Erik P. Carter was trained in virology to prepare him for his day job in vaccine research, but outside of that important endeavor he also manages to explore figurative oil painting in exquisite fashion. Citing Caravaggio and Francis Bacon as inspirations, Carter’s work is gorgeously Baroque and sumptuously moody, with light and shadow playing a dramatic duet. Since 2019 he’s had several exhibitions (mostly in Boston and Philadelphia) in which he intertwines themes of religious history and homoerotic beauty for a combustible and captivating collection of work. There is something poignant and lonely about his art – a quiet stillness that simultaneously exists with an intensity that finds its tension in the sinewy muscles of human flesh, and the ever-approaching possibility of destruction. If it seems we favor artists for Dazzler of the Day, it is not in your imagination. Check out his website here for a powerful view of his work.
Continuing our growing line-up of LGBTQ+ country music superstars, Justin Green earns his first crowning as Dazzler of the Day thanks to some incredible songs like ‘Coyote’ and ‘Reno’ and ‘Front Page News.’ His style of country music is rooted in the tradition of storytelling that strikes the most emotional and powerful chord of the many genres his music encompasses. A self-taught musician, Green’s authenticity is what sets him apart from other artists, compellingly driving some of his greatest work. Check out his website here for merchandise, performance dates, and booking information.
A Southern Spectacle in just about every way, singer-songwriter Adam Mac completes The Cowgays triumvirate (see also Brooke Eden and Chris Housman) and deservedly is crowned Dazzler of the Day thanks to a musical prowess and a powerful queer voice that is beautifully pushing the boundaries of what some of us think of as country music. That challenge is apparent both in who is singing the songs and how his brand of country-funk-pop defies the categorization too many want to place on our musical artists. Check out his website here for further evidence of his sparkle and spectacle.
Born in Japan and raised in Oklahoma, singer-songwriter Zach Bryan has released several country music albums and EPs, including his most recent #1 smash ‘With Heaven On Top’, which he is currently performing on tour. For his voice, his music, and his courage to never stand down, Bryan easily earns this Dazzler of the Day crowning. Check out his website here for upcoming tour dates, music and merchandise.
Former Hunk of the Day, former boyfriend to Madonna, and current male model Jesus Luz earns his first Dazzler of the Day simply by maintaining those eyes and that body. Sometimes what’s simple is what is dazzling.
Chris Housman is crowned Dazzler of the Day thanks to a country music career of unprecedented courage and commitment. His latest album ‘Dodge City’ references his childhood visits to the ‘Cowboy Capital of the World’ while expanding the genre to include those of us who fancy fellow cowboys. Standing in the truth of who he is as an openly LGBTQ+ community member, Housman offers some driving music (see and hear the brilliantly bullish ‘Cowman’ and its crotch-grabbing video) and a few indelible images to turn the notion of country music on its hot head. He’s currently on tour if you want to see him live – check out his website here for more info and upcoming tour dates.
Dovetailing beautifully with this Fall of the Cowboy, Brian Falduto gets crowned Dazzler of the Day thanks to his country music with a queer twist. His latest song ‘Free Coffee’ is most definitely a song for the season, and his ‘Same Old Country Song’ sets the stage for the very gay cowboy stories about to unfurl here. Falduto is set to release a new EP – ‘I Could Be Happy’ – later this fall, and keen-eyed observers may remember his younger turn in ‘School of Rock’. As a certified life coach, he marries social wisdom with country pop, weaving an indelible image and sound together that fits perfectly into our Fall of the Cowboy. Check out Brian’s website here.
This Dazzler of the Day comes to us from across the pond, where his passion for pottery has resulted in playing a part in The Great Pottery Throw Down and work for the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, a coffee cup launch for Future Self Coffee/Alfie Deyes, and social media campaigns for a number of companies. This is Adam Johnson, also known as Adam Ceramic, who has made an obsession with pottery and clay into a life-art. With a love for all creative outlets, his pottery work incorporates all avenues and art forms, but the most profound effect his clay love affair came when he was hit by a car in 2007 – a life-altering event that required a year and half of recovery and rehabilitation. It was clay that provided an opportunity for mindfulness and healing, a story he recounts powerfully here. Clay helped bring him through that difficult time, while launching him into a career that is still on the rise.
Alexandra Eala just became the highest ranking Filipino singles tennis player in the WTA Tour, easily nabbing her this Dazzler of the Day honor. Represent the homeland! Her tennis star has been on the rise for the past few years, and she looks to bring more attention to the sport in the Philippines. Thanks to her style and panache, it’s already happening. (Bonus: she prefers matcha over coffee, as if we didn’t already have enough in common.)
There’s nothing I like better than a decent diatribe of a little lovely alliteration, which makes Dazzler of the Day Daddy Dyl a natural exercise in dazzling destiny. An artist celebrating unabashedly queer work and leaning into nudes and a natural state of being, Daddy Dyl offers work that is provocative, evocative, and beautifully decorative. As easy on the eyes as it is occasionally challenging to the brain, this is artwork aimed to celebrate the queer experience – with all its requisite passion, joy, connection and humanity. More impressive is the artist’s boldness to pose with some of his works, echoing their themes and confidence, and baring his body and soul on multiple levels – a gloriously defiant stance in an age that wants to shut so many of us into silence and darkness. Check out the Daddy Dyl website here for further evidence of Daddy Dyl’s brilliance.
Far more than those sparkling blue eyes and that magical method of hand motions when sprinkling powders and potions over candle work, the first thing one notices when they meet Scottie Dwyer is a sense of warmth and calm that envelops his immediate atmosphere. It’s one of the gifts that gives his readings such potent and meaningful import, as well as imparting his grateful clients with a reason to return. Along with his husband Matthew, Scottie is founder and proprietor of Odd House, where you can find all sorts of wondrous queer-centric ritual supplies and alternative apparel. The Dwyers have recently opened Odd House right on River Street in Troy, NY on a charming stretch that is happily bustling with weekend traffic and giddy visitors spilling over from the weekly Farmer’s Market. Giving back to the city they call home and becoming part of Troy’s fascinating fabric of generous souls, the Dwyers find sustenance and inspiration in their community.
Known also as Kemetic Mender, a name he uses honoring the neopagan practices of centuries-old Egyptian beliefs, Scottie embraces an inner divine feminine energy he gets from working with ancient Egyptian goddesses. He does Tarot card and crystal ball readings at Odd House, where he sits with anyone interested in connecting with loved ones who have passed in an effort to help them heal things and work their way through the next stages of life. He believes that a shifting mindset that leads to realizing your own self-worth is one of the key take-aways his readings provide, allowing people to find their spirit teams and receive messages on what best to work on to help remove anything blocking us from accessing our energy. Clients have referred to working with Scottie as something akin to getting a hug from the universe; he provides a connection to the idea that there is always more at work than we may realize, and paying attention and focusing on what we may have only sensed or barely perceived is a way to advance our own spiritual life and work, while embracing our own sense of self. For all these extraordinary reasons, Scottie Dwyer is our Dazzler of the Day.
Shape-shifter and chameleon Lee Pace transforms into a warlock for the much-hyped sequel ‘Practical Magic 2’ and while we have yet to see what part he plays in this witchy story, it’s another hairpin turn in a career of versatile roles. From an Elven king in ‘The Hobbit’ trilogy to the villainous Ronan in ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ on the big screen through memorable performances in series like ‘Foundation’ and ‘Halt and Catch Fire’, Pace has consistently delivered mesmerizing work in wildly-disparate characters. Even bit parts in such brilliant fare as ‘A Single Man’ and ‘Infamous’ stand out thanks to his scene-stealing gumption. He earns this Dazzler of the Day thanks to sheer force of his talent – and he’s not bad to look at either.
Injecting a bit of fashionable brilliance into this feature, Brad Goreski is today’s Dazzler of the Day. Rightly renowned for his impeccable styling prowess and exquisite taste, Goreski has been honing his talents in Hollywood for years. This crowning is only the latest in a cavalcade of admiration and accomplishments.
