Emerging Country Artist Performs Around Syracuse
If you’re into country music, there’s a new(ish) emerging artist popping up around Central New York that you should know.
20-year-old Steven Cali from Cato, New York, sounds a little like Drake White and a little like Chris Stapleton. He’s gifted with that same deep, raspy voice that hits all the right notes.
Cali began singing about ten years ago but didn’t really start performing locally until 15. Eight months ago he signed with his management team at Grassroots Music Foundation. Since then, he’s performed over 100 shows. That’s about three shows a week on top of his job as a turkey farmer, duties as a father, and renovations for a house he and his fiancee purchased a few months ago.
“I try not to get wrapped up in being famous,” Cali said. “What I’m really trying to push for is to be one of the best bands in New York for now and once we can do that, we can move on to bigger things.”
In September, Cali made the trip to Nashville, Tennessee that so many aspiring artists do. With six shows in three days, it was a memorable and successful first trip to the music city to say the least. He played at some of the most famous venues in Nashville, including Tacky Turtle, Texas Troubadour Theatre, Tootsies, Honky Tonk Central, and The Stage.
Many of the bars have a few floors with a different band on each and typically the best band of the night plays at the highest floor. Cali made it to the third floor and highest floor at Tootsies in those three days.
Willie Nelson, Patsy Cline, Miranda Lambert, and Brooks & Dunn are only a few country music stars that once played at these same places.
Cali taught himself how to play guitar from watching YouTube videos when he was about 13 years old. He plays by ear, not by chords.
One thing that sometimes is a challenge for Cali is the song writing process. “‘Shoulda Seen You Were Gonna Go’ is one of my songs, that song took me 15 minutes to write but ‘Bet Your Ass’ was a two week process of an hour a day whenever I thought of something, I’d sketch it down and get it done,” he said.
Cali plays frequently at his hometown Cato Hotel but has made appearances at different bars around Syracuse and even at Turning Stone Resort and Casino. Recently, he performed in front of a room full of children and their families at Golisano Children’s Hospital in Syracuse.
Cali’s first paid gig was a wedding, singing as the couple walked down the aisle. “You want to talk about shaking, I was nervous,” Cali said.
Currently, Cali’s favorite song to play is Tracy Lawrence’s “Paint Me a Birmingham.” Though he performs many covers, he’s currently recording an EP at Silver City Studios in Sherrill, New York.
Check out Cali’s upcoming events and covers on his Facebook page and his original song on YouTube.
To hear the interview with Cali, listen to this podcast episode.
