Calhoun plays ‘unapologetic pop-rock’

When Ryan Calhoun heard his first Jimi Hendrix song as a kid, he was hooked.

"I remember thinking 'Man, I want to play guitar like that,' " Calhoun says.

But when the 27-year-old performs, audiences are more likely to hear him play Oasis or Green Day than a Hendrix tune.

"I call it 'unapologetic pop-rock,' " he says of his style. "That's the unofficial category I've put myself in."

Calhoun, who commutes from Los Angeles once a week to play his gig, does both original music and cover songs, moving from the guitar to the piano depending on his mood and style of the song. Some of his original music can be found on iTunes.

Born and raised in L.A., Calhoun spent his high school years on the East Coast. That's when he decided on a career in music, having been influenced by his father, a jazz trumpeter, and his singing sister. The guitarist from his sister's band taught Calhoun how to play.

"It seems like I've been playing music my whole life," Calhoun says. "I was always listening to music at a young age, shuffling through my sister's CD collection, stuff from Jimi Hendrix, Billy Idol, Eric Clapton."

Calhoun performs from 8:30 to 11 p.m. Saturdays in the Lobby Bar at Green Valley Ranch.