Click here for photos of the Wake Up People Blowout, featuring Josh Rouse and Matt Wertz.

A short guy with a crazy old man hat that has a red pom-pom. Corduroy pants and white Vans-type tennis shoes. A suit jacket, complemented by great glasses that sport green plastic frames. A collared shirt, tie and a green sweater vest.

That’s what you notice when you first see Josh Rouse.

The somewhat blending in (or out, depending how you look at it) musician from New York toured Aquinas College last Friday, opening up the festivities for the Wake Up People Blowout, presented by Campus Life.

Known for his indie-acoustic rock style of music, Rouse recently released his sixth solo album, entitled “Country Mouse, City House.” The album name alone describes Rouse’s somewhat vibrant lifestyle for a guy that seems extremely laid back, and that trend continues throughout songs such as “Sweetie” and “Hollywood Bass Player.”

Rouse had a relatively routine start for any musician — he began playing in college bands when he was in high school, and once he reached his twenties, he knew that music was for him, which motivated him to keep working. He valet parked cars for extra money.

And soon, he finally was able to start recording. That was 1998.

Now, with a few more albums behind him, he’s opened for big-time musicians such as John Mayer, Guster and Gavin DeGraw. He’s only just recently been married, with his wife occasionally traveling with him. He cooks a lot of spaghetti, and says his favorite food is Korean — especially their soups.

The 35-year-old loves the hard work and persistence that has paid off for his career, but hates not having much of a routine.

Despite a successful career so far, Rouse doesn’t have too many of those crazy fans (although one did follow him around on a cruise and talk to him for what seemed to be forever). Maybe that’s a signal alone to his relaxed attitude both on the stage and off.

His inspiration? Well, it goes back to his latest album. “A lot of different things…people, places.” That might be why he’s the perfect country mouse — living in a city house.

__
Opinion Editor Cheyna Roczkowski contributed to this article.