By K. Michelle Moran He’s endured his share of ups and downs as a musician, and now singer, songwriter and guitarist Brandon Calhoon of Ferndale hopes to help other Detroit rockers meet, mingle and make great music. With fellow singer/songwriter Frankie D’Angelo of Ferndale, Calhoon hosts Rhythm & Booze, a monthly jam night at 313.jac/Jacoby’s in Detroit. On April 20 — the next scheduled Rhythm & Booze — bands and songwriters are invited to come to the club and perform. Since organizers supply a drum kit and PA, all participants need to bring are their guitars, their songs and their desire to play. Calhoon — who moved back to Michigan last year — was one of only 15 finalists chosen to compete for a chance to become INXS’s new lead singer on the reality TV show “Rockstar: INXS,” which taped in 2005 — exactly a year after the former Radio frontman moved to Hermosa Beach, Calif., to pursue his rock aspirations. He ended up performing at legendary Hollywood clubs like the Roxy and Whiskey-a-Go-Go, but found himself “falling farther and farther away from my goals and music.” “I knew I wanted to play music, but I really wasn’t doing anything about it, and I was just enjoying living in California, enjoying the sun so much and the palm trees and the nightlife,” Calhoon said. “I kind of lost myself.” Tired of spinning his wheels in the sand, Calhoon said he packed his car one day and left, without even saying goodbye to his California friends. After moving into a friend’s house in Pensacola, Fla., and playing gigs around the South, Calhoon realized it was time to come back home. A Michigan native who lived in Royal Oak and Berkley before moving to California, Calhoon grew up in the small town of Beaverton, about 30 miles west of Midland. His father was a Vietnam veteran, and his mother was a nurse. He got his first guitar as a Christmas gift when he was 13. Although he earned a degree in industrial technology from Central Michigan University, music played a key role throughout college, when he performed with various bands around campus. As a kid, he tried to emulate legendary AC/DC rocker Angus Young. The blue-collar background he embraces with pride has left an indelible imprint on his music, which is steeped in blues and rock. His longing to be creative in a place where music, as he put it, has genuine “heart and soul,” was one of the factors that drove him back to Detroit. Calhoon is pouring his time now into gigging and becoming a better songwriter. He’d like to see Rhythm & Booze become the kind of forum where musicians like him can hone their chops. After only a couple of months, 313.jac/Jacoby’s Music Promoter Sue Summers of Detroit said Rhythm & Booze “is becoming a good showcase for up-and-coming singer/songwriters in the city.” She added that the April 20 show will double as an after-party for the Detroit Music Awards. D’Angelo — who spent about seven years in Chicago performing with the pop/rock band The Gelheads — agreed. He and Calhoon came up with the concept for Rhythm & Booze after seeing similar events in Chicago and Los Angeles. “It was a great place to meet up and get talent together,” said D’Angelo, of Ferndale. “We’re just trying to get it to stick and catch on with musicians [in Detroit]. I think it’s a great networking [opportunity] as well.” Calhoon hopes Rhythm & Booze turns into an evening where rock flourishes, with all of its sweaty, spirited insouciance intact. “I want it to be a fearless thing,” he said. “Get up there and jam and have a good time and meet other musicians… Who cares if there’s a little train wreck or whatever?” Rhythm & Booze takes place at 10 p.m. April 20 at 313.jac/Jacoby’s, 624 Brush, in downtown Detroit. Cover is $5, 21 and over. For directions, call (313) 962-7067. To register or for more information, visit www.myspace.com/rhythmbooze. For more about Brandon Calhoon, visit www.myspace.com/brandoncalhoon. You can reach K. Michelle Moran at kmoran@candgnews.com or at (586) 498-1047. |
