Christian Kane Takes Over Portland

Christian Kane might be best known for his acting - from recurring character Lindsey McDonald on Angel to his current stint as Eliot Spencer on Leverage - but he's also an accomplished singer, songwriter, and musician.

Many might not know that Christian arrived in Los Angeles in the mid-'90s from his hometown of Norman, Oklahoma and worked as an assistant at an entertainment company where he delivered scripts in exchange for the company submitting him for projects. He landed his first singing and acting job in the television series Fame LA. It was also about then that he met his songwriting partner, Steve Carlson, and they founded the band, Kane.

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 now out of print, the band 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. Steve has released five albums on his own and as The Steve Carlson Band, and he often performs at the Hotel Café in Hollywood. He is currently playing shows in London in support of his new release, Days Late.

The Leverage phenomenon began in 2008 when the show premiered on TNT. With its second season, production moved to Portland Oregon. Christian took advantage of the city's Entertainment District by booking shows at Dante's, a former brothel which has hosted such acts as Bo Diddley, Lemmy of Motorhead, and The Killers. Reunited with Steve Carlson, the duo was joined by Jason Southard, Ryan Baker and Portland's own Will Amend. The group spent the summer rocking capacity crowds.

Now in its third season of filming, Leverage has returned to Portland. After spending a weekend at Con-Con, the first ever Leverage convention, Christian and the other members of Kane made a triumphant return to Dante's. There were people from all over the world in attendance - and not just for the convention. More than one person at the sold-out show had come just for the concert.

The night started with the fabulous Brian Nutter who plays guitar in Keith Urban's touring band. He opened his set by joking "and now here's a bunch of songs you don't know". But familiar or not, the crowd responded favorably. He had also made an appearance at the final Kane show of 2009.

Then, introduced by cast mate Timothy Hutton, Christian and the boys took over the stage. They immediately owned the room and blasted fan favorites such as Blaze and One More Shot along with songs from Christian's newly released 5-song ep including Whiskey In Mind and The House Rules. The performance was casual but solid and every member of the band had fans in attendance.

Christian is an excellent front-man. His talent is obvious as soon as he takes the microphone. He has a very strong stage presence and plays to the whole room. Steve and lead guitarist, Jason Southard, don't just stand on stage and play, which they do well, they also interact with the crowd. Will and Ryan aren't quite as outgoing, but both can be seen mingling with fans before each show.

The March 21^st set was dedicated to Jason's father, who recently passed away. Talking about him, Christian became very emotional and had to walk away for several minutes to compose himself. Steve took over the mic and then Jason talked about his dad.

Kane will be playing shows throughout the spring and summer. Scheduled so far are April 17 and May 22, both at Dante's. Tickets are available online through TicketsWest for only $10 plus fees or at the Dante's box office. There may be some available at the door the night of the shows, but if you're traveling, be sure to get them in advance.

If you like country and Southern rock music, do yourself a favor and give Kane a try. See you in Portland!