Wade Vandervort/Special to the Weekly
Cameron Calloway and Halsey Harkins perform together during a benefit concert at Velveteen Rabbit in Downtown Las Vegas, Thursday, October 5th, 2017. All proceeds were donated to the victims of the Oct. 1 mass shooting.
Tuesday, May 5, 2020 | 2 a.m.
Cameron Calloway was born in Long Beach, California, but grew up in Las Vegas and says his exposure to Vegas entertainment has been a special influence on his own music.
“Getting a chance to see the different types of performers here, anything from Cirque du Soleil to Matt Goss to Frankie Moreno, and then seeing the nightlife and all of that, [Vegas] has such a cool appeal,” he says in the latest episode of the Sun on the Strip podcast. “Just walking through casinos and seeing different people at lounges and bars performing really well, just owning the stage, that has definitely been influential in me finding myself.
“My favorite part of Las Vegas is how it’s a big melting pot and I appreciate that. Seeing different kinds of culture here makes me want to tune in more and continue to find myself as a person and a performer.”
Calloway has been building his profile in the local music scene for years and has grown into one of the most prominent young voices in R&B, soul and pop music in Las Vegas. He’s performed at different kinds of venues on the Strip and downtown and focused more recently on touring and expanding his audience in different cities across the country.
Calloway just released “China Blue,” a dreamy single with a lush sound and relaxed tempo.
“It was inspired by a few different things but also just all the emotions that make us human,” he says. “I wanted to make something that feels like a dream because I love fantasy films and magical films and movies, but I also wanted to show a sense of maturity with my music compared to some of the earlier songs I put out a few years ago.”
The memorable track is his first new song in a few years and shows Calloway moving freely in new musical directions. He sounds like he’s ready to explore.
“I’ve been reflecting the past few years and honestly just being a little stressed in the sense of not knowing where I wanted to go musically and not knowing who I am as a person and an artist, and that was difficult. I thought I had a grasp on everything and I’m realizing now that I didn’t.”
Listen to this and more on the Sun on the Strip, also available at Apple Podcasts.
