Alt-rock singer/songwriter Ben Kahone of Kahone Concept discusses his unique live shows, debut LP, and wanting to open for the Savannah Bananas
Ben Kahone has been working harder than ever recently. The alt-rock singer released his fantastic debut LP The Greatest Hits last year, in which he recorded a song every month for a year. His band, Kahone Concept, has played all over Pittsburgh, from the Three Rivers Arts Fest to the Lawrenceville Art Crawl.
Over a phone interview, I talked with Kahone about his entertaining live shows, debut LP, and wanting to open for the Savanna Bananas.
Band members include Caleb Kopta (Drums), Dan Hansen (Bass), Christian Laliberte (Percussion), Jake Barber (Sax), and Adam Valen (manager).
Releasing Music/Live Shows
Josh: You’ve been busy with your music lately.
Ben: I write and produce everything. My favorite thing is producing, and then playing my live shows. Some of my best friends all play instruments, and they get on stage with me. These guys kind of get the vision now. At first it was really hard to convince people. It’s like, ‘OK, we’re gonna get on stage, and then there’s gonna be a hot dog come out and he’s gonna fight this guy’, and people are like, ‘What, dude?’ Now they get it.
J: I’ve watched clips of your shows. Looks really fun.
B: What helped shape the live show is being kind of a cluster of randomness. I’m starting to see a lot of parallels between the Savannah Bananas and us. We’re basically the music form of that.
J: You should play the next Savannah Bananas game!
B: I think that’d be a great idea. I really do think it’d be a good collab.
J: What’s your live show like? You mentioned the hot dog.
B: I try to make each show different. That way new people enjoy it, but there’s a reason to come back because you’ll see something that you’re never gonna see again. Whenever we have an upcoming show, I’ll look at the song and I’ll figure out how I can incorporate it, and then I’ll write a script. Everyone in the band gets a script. I kind of write out the show. Kind of TV style.
J: That’s really interesting.
B: It’s a lot of fun. It’s a lot of work. Our goal as a band isn’t to be the coolest person in the room, because a lot of people go wrong when they get on stage and it’s like, ‘OK, how can I look cool? How can I create a vibe?’. Our goal is for everyone in that room to have fun and have a good time. I’m probably never gonna be the guy. I don’t have the dance moves, but what I can do is make sure that we’re the goofiest looking bunch up there having the most fun.
J: Seems like you’re having fun and the rest of the band is having a great time on stage.
B: Thanks, man. Yeah, that’s one of the most important things. Because if you don’t enjoy yourself, what’s the point?
Recording Debut LP, The Greatest Hits
J: Congrats on your debut LP, The Greatest Hits
B: Thanks. That was 12 of the biggest and best challenges I think I’ve done. I’m so glad I did it.
J: What was it like recording that?
B: I love producing and I love recording. I’ve always self-recorded. If I want it to happen, I gotta be the person to make it happen. Part of what the album was about was not trying to perfect everything. Let the idea of perfection go and put that towards a new idea.
J: That definitely frees up some creative ideas.
B: So with the album, I’m like, ‘All right, I’m gonna write and produce a song every month.’ Each month the songs got a little more easy to record. I have 12 songs to show for it. What was really exciting and what I’m proud of most was committing to each month, putting out the song, but also kind of, forcing myself to be vulnerable in a way.
J: That’s a unique idea.
B: Thanks man. I appreciate that. I’m really excited to put out more. I’m always writing—that part never stops. I write folk songs, country songs, metal songs. I love to write everything, but not everything can be a Kahone Concept song.
Songs From the Album
J: “Kung Fu Kahone” has a really cool horn arrangement and awesome guitar lead. It’s a danceable rock song.
B: The story behind that kind of shapes the vibe for the whole album. A couple of years ago, one of my best friends was getting married. He’s like, ‘There’s a band we like to see every Sunday at the Rumba Cafe in Columbus, Ohio.’ He’s like, ’Dude, it’s a bunch of old guys. They get on stage and they’re just so good.’ I was blown away. That’s where Kung Fu Kahone came out.
J: Another song that jumped out at me was “I Like You But Don’t Talk.” Do you play that one live?
B: I love playing that one live. You’re reading my mind here. This is great. When I play it live at the very end, I play “Sweet Child O’ Mine”, the lick under it. I only do it live.
What’s Next
J: What’s next?
B: I’ll record as much stuff as I possibly can. And try to share with everyone. I mean, I have my day job, my full time job. I have a family so I gotta make sure I fulfill my duties as a husband and a dad now. So, I gotta figure out how to balance all of it. Put on more shows, try to find the best show we can put on. Hang out with my friends and make music and just try to make the most of it. They said YOLO back in the day, but it’s true. You really only get one shot at this stuff.
You can find Kahone Concept’s latest releases and singles on www.kahoneconcept.com and follow along with them on Instagram.
Check out the September band of the month here!
This content was provided by a local, independent contributor to Made in PGH, a lifestyle blog.
