The Glory Days of Callahan’s

Callahan went even further to introduce rock artists to the club, including the Stick Men, Kofi Baker, former Jethro Tull guitarist Martin Barre, Ginger Baker – Rock and Roll Hall Famer, and many more. Some musicians even had numerous shows there such as Guitarist Gary Hoey who played many of these trademark Christmas shows. What’s even more impressive is that several artists did live album recordings on the Callahan Music Hall stage. They include notables names such as Coco Montoya, Jimmy Thackery, Jim McCarty, and the Howling Diablos and Shaun Murphy. Corey Harris was able to record a PBS special in the fantastic hall.

Who could have thought that many years after the club was opened, it’s TVs would rarely be used? The attraction for guests quickly switched from drinks, sports, and food to watching great musical acts perform right in front of them. The club managed to sell out its audience capacity at every show. It was a great achievement and once made its owners proud.

There were some historic moments at the club. It was responsible for the reformation of the Detroit rock band the Rockets who were initially referred to as the Helldrivers. The Detroit Blues Society’s annual Blues Challenge competition was a regular attraction at Callahan’s Music Hall. The Royal Oak’s Funky D Records found another use of the club. They used it to celebrate new releases by their artists, including Jimmie Bones and Robert Bradley.

Now, Callahan’s Music Hall is closed but the memories live on. The club ran for a duration of ten and a half years churning out different music acts regularly. Many artists who played at the venue can recount how lovely it was to stand in front of the audience and perform passionately. These performers acknowledged Moss’s commitment to the production of good music. He was just as involved in the running of the place as much as anyone else. He was friendly to work with and made sure that everything was in the right place. The audience was also involved in the great atmosphere of the club. They were always eager and ready to listen to music. They would love the music, groove to it, and enjoy a great time.

Running the club for about 10 years was no small achievement and when Moss had to shut down everything, it was a difficult decision. His decision was not due to challenges with the club or issues with 11 Charter Communications, but as a result of lifestyle. According to him, he wanted to drop the reins and spend more time with his family. He was even looking forward to attending a few shows during his spare time. It would be a bit different from being an organizer but he would love it. After selling his famous building, Moss would still prefer to retain the Callahan name. He’s done with a regular schedule of promoting music – but not with promoting music. His love for music remains strong and it would be difficult for him to do anything else.

Mike Moss loves music too much for him to be too far away from it. But his days of drawing people into Callahan’s Music Hall to see various artists were over. The frequency of his promotional activities will be reduced. Many artists and people from the audience would hope that Moss steps back into the driver’s seat even if it’s one more time. After ten and a half years of delivering great music, there’s no better ending for the iconic club.

From Bar and Grille to Music Hall

Callahan’s Bar & Grille ended up becoming Callahan’s, Music Hall. Surprisingly, the hall ended up hosting about 1500 shows of different artists – both local and international. The artists who featured in the music hall played blues, rock, rock, and jazz. After a short period of time, the room gained a reputation for being one of the important places to play in the region. Musicians and people who visited the music hall had somewhat of an intimate relationship in the 200-man capacity building. It’s hard to imagine what kept drawing people to this venue, but it was a really special place.

As soon as they had acquired the building for the club, he had the idea to put a stage in it and get some local acts to thrill audiences. To guarantee a great experience, Moss made sure that the sound engineer did a near-perfect job. Everything started out with the Reefermen. They were a local band at the time. Soon after, the thirst for bigger musical acts hit him. Moss started making calls to different people in a bid to make things bigger. There were initial concerns about the size of the club but everything turned out perfect at the end. As expected, he had Blues and Roots at the back of his mind. He took a leap of faith and started out something unique.

Callahan began his national lineup of musicians at the hall in March 2008. The first of them was Tab Benoit, a Louisiana guitar slinger, who performed the first of many shows here. Benoit himself went on to feature in numerous shows outside the music hall. After experiencing much success, the roster at the club was made up of many musical talents, including Popa Chubby, Johnny Winter, Coco Montoya, Sonny Landreth, Larry McCray, Jimmie Vaughan, Walter Trout, Samantha Fish, etc. The list of star names is endless. One of the biggest performers at the club to date is Ronnie Earl. It was a profound success because Ronnie had retired and spent a fairly long time away from music.

When most artists initially hear about playing at the club at Auburn Hills. They found it difficult to understand what the fuss was all about – it seemed to just be another club near Detroit. However, their experience changed altogether when they got to the club. It was all set up appropriately. Soon, the club became a place where artists and fans came to enjoy some great music. There was fun at the venue despite how near-impossible it seemed at first.

The Birth of Callahan’s Bar & Grille

Music is the key to the soul, and many people around the world would agree to this. There are different types of music for everyone. What appeals to someone may tick you off.

Music is also unifying. This effect is evident in the sheer number of people that turn up for musical concerts to see their favorite artists. These people also trooped into Callahan’s Bar & Grille to watch their different artists perform up close. There’s an interesting history behind this place and how it turned out.

The Callahan’s Bar & Grille opened up during the Thanksgiving weekend of 2007. The surprising thing about this bar was that it was opened to attract people for food, drinks and watch sports the high TV sets. The bar was to be a place for people to integrate and watch their favorite athletes have a go.

Moss, the owner of the club, had previously spent time working at The Palace of Auburn Hills and Ticketmaster. His previous job allowed him to promote multiple events during his period at Eastern Michigan University. Callahan’s Bar & Grille came to him as an investment idea – it would be great to have a bar and grill. Moss grew up as a lover of live music. He has fond memories of other blues clubs such as the Soup Kitchen, Sully’s, George & Harry’s, and Moby Dick’s. This past experience of his influenced how he finally transformed the club into a one-stop location of music acts.