Some girls have got it all. Cailin (pronounced KAY-LEAN) Callahan, is a young, southern New Jersey girl who knows her way around a surfboard, and more importantly, her way around a guitar.
The solo artist, who has been compared to Tracy Chapman and Natalie Merchant, performs Thursday, Aug. 20, at Coffee. Dot. Comedy, in her hometown of Sea Isle City. The show begins at 7 p.m.
"I picked up a guitar when I left high school to go to home schooling, and I've always played multiple instruments," Callahan says. "Something really clicked with me with the guitar, though, and within six months I was writing my own songs. It's all been pretty organic since then."
Callahan, who has braved the stages of southern New Jersey and beyond, remembers her first show, which wasn't in the comfort of her own hometown.
"The first place I ever performed was called Soul Session in Linden, NJ," she says. "All the other performers did spoken word and hip-hop, while I was in my hippie dress with my guitar, singing the one and only song I'd ever written. But that's one thing that I love about New Jersey -- all its weirdness."
Weird or not, New Jersey loves Callahan's music, too. She's been performing in the area steadily throughout the summer.
Callahan separates her cover tunes and her original music, depending on where she is playing.
"I have shows, and then I have gigs," Callahan reveals. "Gigs are at bars, and I play covers there, though I also sneak a couple originals in. I cover everything from Peggy Lee, Phil Phillips and Louis Armstrong to Social Distortion, Jewel and Tom Petty. My shows are when an audience comes just to see me, just to listen. That's when I'll play songs off my latest record, 'Next Time.'"
What can you expect from her live show? Callahan never plays the same show twice, so come with no expectations at all.
"The songs are played a bit different every time," she says. "Sometimes, I have added musicians with me, and sometimes I don't. I never rehearse with Sven or Christian (her friends who will sometimes back her, instrumentally); we just fly by the seat of our pants. I write a ton of music -- some that I play once, and some songs that really stick.
"I'm always trying out new tunes on an audience, even if the songs are only a few hours old."
However old the songs may be, it'll be worth your while to see Callahan live, Thursday evening, at Coffee.Dot.Comedy, located at 29 JFK Blvd. in Sea Isle City. Call 609-263-JAVA.
Who Is She: A local girl with tremendous musical talent. Callahan is a bit folky, a bit low-key Indie-rock, but definitely all her own. Callahan usually plays solo, but sometimes recruits her friends, Sven Peltonen, a percussionist, and Christian Mahr, a guitarist, to accompany her at shows.
Musical Influences: "That changes monthly," Callahan says. "I am definitely inspired by Iron and Wine, as they stay true to their music, but put something totally fresh and new into every record."
Originals: Callahan's latest record, "Next Time," was released in March.
"I'm really proud of the records," she says. "Especially because I had never planned on making anything of music. I had only starting playing and writing original music two years before the release."
Callahan says she hopes to get into the studio this October with Peltonen and Mahr to record another album.
Web sites: www.myspace.com/cailincallahan; www.youtube.com/cailincallahan;www.cailincallahan.blogspot.com.
"I keep a blog; I'm actually obsessed with keeping my blog," Callahan says. "It began as a surf blog, then turned into a travel blog, and has also become a food and music blog."
Go See Her: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 20, at Coffee.Dot.Comedy in Sea Isle City. The show costs $7. Catch her there again next Thursday, August 27. Same time, same cost. Also look for Callahan on September 3 when she performs at Busch's, located at 8700 Landis Ave. in Sea Isle City. That performance is free and begins at 9:30 p.m. Call Busch's at 609-263-8626.
--Story By Rebecca Grites;
whoo!!
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