BREAKING

Lifestyle

Full Circle – Just Some Kids From The Neighborhood

Article By: Rob Keller

Originally Published In The June 2013 Issue Of Cycle Source Magazine

CSM-JUNE2013-1.pg28_Page_1_Image_0001

As a young boy, I grew up not knowing the difference between rich or poor. I just grew up. I was surrounded by family and friends that helped mold my life. I went to church and I learned the difference between right and wrong with the help of a coal miner’s belt that hurt real bad as it made contact with my hamstring more times than my butt! I was also exposed to live music at a very early age. From the time I was born, my mother would invite all of the local musicians to our home every Tuesday night to play music and sing. I started playing the guitar at the age of four. I thought that is what everyone did: play music and sing. I spent most of my childhood weekends sitting in a bar playing my guitar and honing my skills with my mother and her friends.

I also was very athletic and loved to play sports and ride my bicycle. My dad brought home a mini bike for me and my sister to ride. I was only five years old when I got the addiction for the two-wheel way of life. I knew how lucky I was to be so young and enjoy life so much. I started my first band at twelve and have been playing the local club scene ever since. I took my first motorcycle trip across the country alone the summer that I graduated from high school. I have been blessed to be able to do what I love for many years. About eleven years ago, I was asked to fill in as a guitar player for a local band that had fired one of their members. I went to a rehearsal on a Thursday evening and that is where I met Chris Callen for the first time. As I walked into the rehearsal there was a long-hair, skinny kid singing Train’s “Drops of Jupiter” and playing the bass guitar. I could tell from the first time that I saw him play that he was very talented. We didn’t talk much because we had a lot of songs to learn and we pulled off two shows together in the two days that followed. They had some other shows booked and I told them that I would fill in for them as long as my schedule would allow.

When Chris and I finally had a chance to talk, I realized that our paths had crossed many times before and I didn’t even know it. He told me that he was the editor and owner of a local motorcycle magazine called Cycle Source. I had been reading this free magazine that was released on newsprint for a few years. My cousin had told me about this guy and that I should contact him because of my involvement with the local motorcycle community. I never did look him up, but fate had brought us together. Music is our bond and motorcycles are our passion. Somehow we had found a balance between playing music and taking a local free magazine to the national newsstand. Chris had to stop playing live shows about eight years ago so he could put in the work that it took to make the magazine what it is today. I continued to play, but knew it was hard for Chris to give up this part of his life. One of Chris’s dreams had come true because it was a huge honor for him to be part of the national motorcycle community. As he worked his ass off making connections and searching for the feature bikes to shoot, he had a ruthless schedule that required every ounce of energy as he had to put out a new magazine every thirty days. Chris will be the first one to tell you that he couldn’t do it alone, but I knew that it was slowly killing him. I have never watched someone work so hard for so little and never quit!

CSM-JUNE2013-1.pg29_Page_1_Image_0004

Many times we talked about the fact that he was overweight and out of shape. Smoking cigarettes like a mad man and drinking coffee by the gallon for years at a time was really taking its toll. That brings us to the Chris that I know today. He has made a commitment to put his health at the top of his to-do list. For the first time in 8 years, Chris has gotten himself back in shape, is playing his bass, and is also painting. He recently hooked up with his old friend Paul Peterson who in my opinion has saved his life. You see, Paul is a very unique person. He is a physical trainer that just happens to be one of the most talented guitar player/songwriters that I have ever met. These two men have been working together as a team. They have another dream to chase, and it is good to dream! You may have seen the pictures of Chris playing his bass on stage at The Broken Spoke and at Willie’s Tropical Tattoo bike show in Daytona and asked yourself, “What is he doing now?” To me, things have just come full circle for him. The band is now a part of his life that he gave up for the sake of Cycle Source. Now he has the opportunity to get back a part of his soul that you may have never seen. After all is said and done, the only thing that we have to look back on is in our memory. We have been so blessed in this life to do what we love. Chris, you are my brother and will always be. We have come a long way together chasing our dreams. Having the opportunity to ride side by side and see this beautiful earth that we live on as we tramped on two-wheels is a dream come true. Having the opportunity to play our music on stage for all of those that know us as the Cycle Source crew– well that is just too cool!

Editor’s Note: Thanks for that Rob, and to the many people that helped Rob and I both make our dreams come true: Heather and The Broken Spoke, Willie’s Tropical, the guys in both Big House Pete and The Shiners, and last but not least, Curt Green and his sister Kim from Bare Bones Leather who made me that sweet strap for my bass to wish me luck. He’s a badass working leather man and a true brother for this amazing gift. For anyone who has been wondering why a magazine editor is playing in a band, all I can tell you is 16 years ago there were others who wondered why this kid who played bass was trying to start a magazine about bikes … It’s still the same! Labels are a drag, get a helmet, kiss my ass, and rock the f**k out!

Related Posts

1 of 129