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With such a varied resume
of prominence and a solid catalogue of material, it’s no wonder
why Chalfant has re-entered concert promoters’ menu this season
bringing a set list full of crowd pleasers from his past two decades
of creativity and beyond. Though the show heavily consists of The Storm’s
two albums, additional cuts are culled from the Two Fires and solo eras,
along with moments of tribute to Chalfant’s collaborators. “If
you’re a fan of melodic thunder, this is the ultimate night in
rock and roll heaven,” he insists. “Watch your dark clouds
roll away as The Storm bolts into focus!” |
With
an unmistakable voice, an uncanny knack for songwriting, and an unbelievable
history, Kevin Chalfant is continuing his musical quest the old fashioned
way- he’s packing up his bus with the touring incarnation of The
Storm and hitting the concert circuit one city at a time. It’s
a whirlwind trek that was first revived in the summer of 2002, taking
the group all across America with the iconic likes of Ted Nugent, Joan
Jett, Survivor’s Jim Peterik, the Gregg Rolie Band, Kip Winger,
Ronnie Spector, and Alan Parsons. And speaking of time with Parsons,
Chalfant was even asked to join the Live Project as the lead vocalist
for a round of summer 2003 dates. “It’s been great getting
back on the road again and reconnecting with fans,” shares the
long haired, versatile vocalist. “Music has always been my life’s
love and performing in front of a live audience is what it’s all
about.”
Longtime
fans will recall that Chalfant’s been no stranger to touring over
the years as the initial incarnation of The Storm criss-crossed the
country with Bryan Adams, Peter Frampton, Eddie Money, and Tom Cochrane
in the early 90s. Along with Journey’s Ross Valory, Steve Smith
and Gregg Rolie (also a Santana founder) plus Le Mans’ Josh Ramos,
the super-group became the first act signed to Interscope Records and
its self-titled debut rocketed to #3 on the Billboard charts spawning
the BMI Award winning hit singles “I’ve Got a Lot to Learn
About Love” and “Show Me the Way.” The 1996 follow-up
record Eye of the Storm earned additional commercial and critical acclaim
including a pair of Frontiers Awards in Europe for “Best Overall
CD” and “Best AOR Album of the Year.” “It was
a culmination of years of hard work and the master key that unlocked
a lot of doors,” recalls Chalfant, whose previous musical pedigree
included 707 (“Megaforce,” “I Could Be Good For You”),
The Vu, and Steel Breeze. “The Storm’s first run really
paved the way for my career and has since allowed me to explore a whole
range of other projects.” 
From
then until now, such experiences have included writing credits on Cher’s
international best selling CD Love Hurts, the formation of Chalfant’s
very own Clique Records (the home of his 1997 solo debut record Running
With the Wind) and the rekindled relationship with The Storm’s
Ramos under the moniker Two Fires. For 1999’s self-titled release
and 2002’s Ignition, Two Fires teamed up with legendary Grammy
Award winning songwriter Jim Peterik to pen the singles “Rivers
of Destiny” and “The Sum of Our Hearts,” along with
back to back performances at the annual Gods Festival in England. Such
writing and travel time together also led Chalfant to be invited to
join Peterik’s recurring World Stage concert project, featuring
a cavalcade of star power (.38 Special’s Don Barnes, Night Ranger’s
Kelly Keaggy, R.E.O. Speedwagon’s Kevin Cronin, Lynyrd Skynard’s
Johnny Van Zandt, and Blackhawk members). “I’ve had the
honor of collaborating with so many incredible musicians and every time
we get together it’s like a big family reunion,” notes Chalfant.
“And man, that is one talented family!”