Christian Kane Rules Portland

On a warm April evening, people began to gather outside of Dante's, a bar in the Entertainment District of Portland, Oregon. The sign hanging on the door noted that the club would be opening following sound check, shortly after 8pm. There was a party atmosphere on the sidewalk outside the iconic club as more and more people arrived. And they weren't just from the local area. There were fans from all over the United States, not to mention a few from other countries.

But it wasn't even 6:00 yet - who could inspire fans to get in line more than two hours before the doors opened? More than one curious passerby paused to ask that very question.

The band with such loyal followers is known as Kane and is fronted by Christian Kane, currently one of the stars of the hit TNT show, Leverage. Founded in 1998 by Christian and fellow guitarist, Steve Carlson, Kane became an LA marvel, getting airplay from country radio and playing to sold out crowds in such hot spots as The Viper Room and The Mint. Christian and Steve also started making regular trips to Nashville where they collaborated with some of the best songwriters in the industry.

Though out of print, they released a self-titled CD in 2000. One of their songs appears on the soundtrack of the Ashton Kutcher movie, Just Married, and a live album, recorded in London, came out in 2004. Christian recently released a five song ep with a little help from his friends and Steve has a catalog of six solo albums. He often performs at the Hotel Café in Hollywood and recently returned from several sold-out shows in London.

Leverage has returned to Portland to film its third season, and once again Christian is bringing the band together to play monthly concerts in the city that prides itself on being weird. The first performance of the year was to a sold-out crowd in March, capping off a weekend where fans of the show gathered for a convention at the Governor Hotel.

Anticipation for the second concert grew the closer it got to 8:00. Old friends and new acquaintances passed the time chatting - sharing stories of how they discovered the band and past concerts they'd attended.

The doors finally opened around 8:30 and the crowd made its way inside. A large group immediately lined the front of the stage while others opted for the few tables scattered about and at the two bars in the room. The party that started on the sidewalk continued inside. Drinks were flowing and the room had an air of electricity while the last few minutes of the wait passed.

First up was Oregon duo, Cloverdayle. Chad Hamar's acoustic guitar work was the perfect accompaniment to Rachel Hamar's blazing vocals. Chosen as the local "Next Big Star" by Kenny Chesney in 2008, they shared the stage with him on his Poets and Pirates show at the Clark County Amphitheater. They have also opened for Lady Antebellum, Josh Turner, Jason Aldean, and Tim McGraw among others.

Rachel had complete control of the stage and the crowd reacted enthusiastically as she and Chad expertly worked through their set. No doubt Cloverdayle ended the night with a few more fans than they started with.

As much as the masses enjoyed the opening act, it was clear who the capacity crowd had come to see. When lead guitarist Jason Southard made a brief appearance on stage to put out the set lists, he was greeted with a round of applause. Steve rushed across the stage to make a last-minute adjustment to some equipment, grinning shyly as he was greeted in a similar way.

The guys took their leave, the lights went down and a few minutes later Christian Kane walked on stage alone, receiving a passionate ovation. He picked up his guitar and stood at the microphone to say he was going to sing a song about himself. From that moment until the final goodbye, Kane was the only thing that existed - not only in the room, but in the world.

There's no denying Christian's talent, and the entire band stands up to his example. Drummer Ryan Baker and bassist Portland's own Will Amend aren't as outgoing as the others, but Kane aficionados make them feel just as welcome.

Christian told the audience that they were just winging it, but the performance was tight and professional while at the same time seeming spontaneous and full of life. He also gave a shout-out to the Leverage crew who had come out to see the band. In addition to production workers, Timothy Hutton and Gina Bellman were in attendance to cheer on their co-star.

Time flies when you're having fun, as the saying goes, and the night ended much too soon for most people's tastes. But the performance was chock-full of music. The band performed older songs and favorites like One More Shot and Middle American Saturday Night, but fans also sang along with newer songs American Made, Whiskey in Mind and The House Rules (which can be downloaded for free on Christian's website).

If you're a fan of country music - or Southern rock, which may be more applicable - and can get to Portland, Kane is definitely worth checking out. The next show is on May 22^nd and more are likely to be scheduled before filming for Leverage wraps. Tickets are available at Dante's box office or online at TicketsWest.