X-Factor Garbageman Chris Rene Cleans House at The Phoenix

X-Factor alum, singer Chris Rene of Santa Cruz came to The Phoenix Friday night for his very first concert since coming in third in the American edition talent show created by Simon Cowell.

Rene hit nearly instant television fame when he appeared on the X-Factor, where he stood out as a troubled trash hauler from Santa Cruz turning his life around. He has been clean and sober for nine-and-one-half months. In January, he signed with Epic Records.

Check out video of the X-Factor episode where Chris Rene first auditioned, on the right. 

“Wow. Look at you!” Rene told the crowd who had gathered to see him. “I see little kids. I see a lot of teens, adults and even older. I didn’t do this. God did.”

The grandson of jazz musician Leon Rene, Chris Rene is comfortable on stage and possesses strong musicality. A protégé of hip-hop impresario L.A. Reid, his voice was lovely when he sat at a keyboard several times throughout the short show.

The Chris Rene of X-Factor was the same Chris Rene who appeared on stage at The Phoenix, which lacks million dollar production values and perfect sound system. What The the former opera house lacks technically, it compensates in smoke and heart. So does Mr. Rene.

I got the feeling, a lot of suits were watching or waiting for reports on how the show went. The crowd responded most strongly to Rene’s song “Young Homie,” which he said drops February 28.

His performance on Friday was strong but uneven. There was no build up and release, no begging for more. Near the end of the show the smoke machine went crazy creating a near white out just as a young woman jumped on stage, hugging the singer. She may or may not have been nude from the waist up.  In less than an hour Rene had run out of material but kept playing the keyboard because he was having too much fun and didn’t want the night to end. 

“Petaluma, thanks for being part of this. This is where it is beginning. Let’s stay in touch. Let’s Twitter.”

CORRECTION: Leon Rene is Chris Rene's grandfather, a famous composer of R&B and rock in the 40s and 50s. Patch regrets the error.

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