Frank Calzada & Friends’ Tiny Stacks performance was electric. Frank Calzada, the group’s frontman, took the stage at the Electra C. Doren branch of Dayton Metro Library as his rhythm section–two percussionists and a bassist–laid down an infectious Latin groove. As he picked up his guitar, a black Fender Stratocaster that matched his outfit, he addressed the audience gathered around in a space normally designated as the library’s “story corner.”
“People ask me, ‘Frank, what sound is this? What are you guys going for?’” he said. “And it took me a while, but I describe our sound as ‘psicodélico,’ which means ‘psychedelic’ in Spanish.” With that, Calzada launched into a blazing guitar solo that set the tone for the next 50 minutes of music.
While the term “psicodélico” captures the essence of Frank & Friends’ music, it’s easy to see why the band often fields questions about how they describe their sound. During their Tiny Stacks performance, the band traversed a range of rock styles, from electrified 12-bar blues on “Baby Boy Blues” to a Doors-esque two-chord vamp on “Stone Wave” and a series of hard-rocking songs in the second half of the set. The songs also oscillated between English and Spanish, sometimes with lyrics in both languages in a single song, as in “Muchas Mariposas,” the title track from Calzada’s latest solo EP.
Calzada’s ability to effortlessly tap a variety of influences–and rip an impressive guitar solo–may be a result of his family background. Midway through the show, the singer paused to introduce his next song, “Buenas Noches.” “I come from a very musical family,” he said. “My mom taught me how to play guitar. Her father taught her how to play guitar. My sister does a lot of theater and opera and is a great singer. My brother plays in a band around town. My dad was a DJ in the ‘90s for a brief second. So music just runs in the family.”
He explained that “Buenas Noches” was actually written by his grandfather, who taught his mom how to play guitar. “He had a passion for creating art and literature and music,” he said. “When he passed away, we inherited some of his stuff, and one of those things was a songbook with over 70 songs that he wrote in his lifetime.” Among the songs was “Buenas Noches,” a lullaby that Calzada set to music and released on his 2022 album Sueños. “This one goes out to my grandfather,” he said. “Rest in peace Fernando. Buenas noches.”
Musicians:
Frank Calzada: vocals, guitar
Nelson Floric: bass
Jared Bruns: drums
Billy Gruber: auxiliary percussion
Tiny Stacks is a collaboration between Dayton Metro Library and WYSO and is made possible with support from Friends of the Dayton Metro Library.
