Matt Stewart, Trumpet Player in Streetlight Manifesto, Dies at 41

Matt Stewart, the longtime trumpet player in the ska punk band Streetlight Manifesto, died at the age of 41 on Sunday (Sept. 10), the band has confirmed. The group said he died of natural causes.

Tributes to the late musician have started pouring in, as BrooklynVegan showed. Stewart had been in Streetlight Manifesto, the Tomas Kalnoky-led act founded in early-2000s New Jersey, for the past 16 years. And from the tributes, it’s clear that Stewart had a positive impact on many in the scene.

See the band’s full post below.

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“Today, Sunday, September 10th, 2023, at around 3:30pm, our friend, trumpet player, and long time Streetlight family member Matthew Brandon Stewart passed away from natural causes,” Streetlight Manifesto said on Instagram. “He was surrounded by family and friends. He was 41 years old.”

They continued, “Some of you know Matt strictly from our records or live shows, as a trumpet player whose talent was undeniable; raw, powerful and alive. His playing cut through when it needed to cut through, sang when it was necessary to sing and sat perfectly in the mix when that was what was asked of it. Today you lost a musical powerhouse.”

They added, “Others of you know Matt a little better, as many of you have interacted with him directly, be it online or after … a show. He was always roaming around, outside of clubs, backstage…”

R.I.P. Matt Stewart of Streetlight Manifesto

The band said Stewart “often had a stranger with him. Whether it was a fan, excited to meet him, a local crew member shooting the shit with a friendly musician or a random homeless dude, sharing a smoke. He was never rude to anyone he met and was quick to make new acquaintances.”

They explained, “Today you lost a friendly, wandering spirit, as likely to talk your ear off about jazz as he was to put your name on the guest list.”

Stewart appears on Streetlight Manifesto’s three latest albums — 2013’s The Hands That Thieve, 2010’s 99 Songs of Revolution: Vol 1, and 2007’s Somewhere in the Between. He joined the band in 2007, supplanting Delano Bonner, who had replaced the act’s original trumpeter, Jamie Egan.

Loudwire sends its condolences out to Stewart’s family, friends and bandmates. See some more tributes to Stewart underneath the post.

Streetlight Manifesto Remember Trumpet Player Matt Stewart – Sept. 10, 2023

Other Tributes to Matt Stewart