‘The Voice’ alum to co-headline NACC’s ‘Art of Beer’ event

Preview by Joshua Maloni

GM/Managing Editor

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More than anything else, Cami Clune is a storyteller.

That this label takes top billing is saying something, as that “anything else” includes singer, actor, fixture at Buffalo Sabres games, and semifinalist on “The Voice.”

The 25-year-old Amherst native began dancing at age 4, acting at 11, and by the time she hit her teens, she had won a musical competition and joined a band.

“I think that I always had a love for the arts in general, since I was a kid,” Clune said in an interview this week. “They tried to put me in sports – my parents – and I just didn't have any talent for that (laughs).”

“I just love storytelling, and I think I incorporate a lot of that into my music” and videos, including the standout “Summer Fantasy,” Clune said. “That's a big part of what I'm trying to do is tell stories. I love that I can take my songs and almost be my own actress in my own music video and tell the story that I'm trying to tell.”

As a child, “I was actually very into filmmaking,” Clune said. “I would make a lot of YouTube videos. … I loved editing and just creating things. Then when I got into theater, it was just like that's all I wanted to do. I really wanted to be on Broadway.”

Music entered the mix, as “My dad plays music, and we had almost like a karaoke bar in our garage. They called it ‘Club Clune,’ ” she said. “I grew up around music all the time” and “I realized that I wanted to do it for a living.”

Cami Clune

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Clune – pronounced, as she shares on Instagram, “like George Clooney” – was selected to audition for NBC’s hit series, “The Voice,” as part of season 19 in 2020. Though there was no audience (thank you, COVID), she received plenty of encouraging feedback from the superstar coaches.

Gwen Stefani said, “Wow, your voice is like an angel. It’s so beautiful. Your tone is so pure. My jaw is on the floor watching you.”

Kelly Clarkson noted, “You have this beautiful way of telling a story. You sound like an angel.”

John Legend emphasized, “That performance was mesmerizing. Your voice has this wonderful warm tone. No one else is sounding like you on ‘The Voice’ so far this season, and I would love to help you navigate all the way to the finale."

Blake Shelton added, "You are literally a star standing there.”

Clune, who describes her sound as “a mix of pop and rock with a little bit of country,” primarily worked with Legend and Clarkson. She made it all the way to the semifinals.

“I'm definitely so grateful for the opportunity, and I met a lot of really cool people, and obviously got a lot of good opportunities from it,” she said.

Clune rightly acknowledged, “It is a TV show, and it is almost kind of like a reality show. So, it's not always about who's the best singer – and that's totally fine. Like I said, it brought me a lot of opportunities.”

Following her time on “The Voice,” Clune released “old at 20,” which reflected on pressures to succeed before a certain age, and Clune’s unique “Voice” experience.

“I feel like anybody that you talk to has, like, a love/hate relationship with it, because it was such a good experience – but it's also so taxing,” she said of the show. “Coming down from it, too, you're being treated as almost like a celebrity. And then to come home and kind of come off of that is difficult. …

“I think there's definitely a misconception that, once you get on one of these shows, you're just going to make it. I think that was true back when ‘American Idol’ was first starting, and we had Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood. But things are so different now with the music industry, where basically social media runs everything, and people aren't sitting at their TV at 8 o'clock on a Monday, every Monday, to watch the show. Maybe some of the older generations, but I would say a lot of the younger generation is more on social media.

“Actually, that is really cool about ‘The Voice,’ ‘American Idol’ is they have transitioned a lot to posting their artists on social media, which is really important, because, like I said, it basically runs the industry now. It's not so much cable and tuning in to a show.

“It's an amazing opportunity. And I say, if you are an artist that wants to do it, I would say do it. But I also think it's not the ‘be all, end all.’ I don't think you need it, necessarily, to get where you want to go.”

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Video and social media can put a singer on the pop-culture map regardless of where they reside, and Clune recognizes “the music industry has changed in a lot of different ways.”

“Something that is really great is you can make music from anywhere,” she said. “You don't have to move to Nashville; you don't have to move to New York or L.A. While that can be very helpful – and I've certainly considered that – what makes the most sense for me right now is to stay in Buffalo. I have such a great community around me, just with how many shows that I play around there, and so much support.

“It's really helpful to build up a fan base in a community in your hometown – or wherever you go. It doesn't even have to be where you grew up.” There are benefits to having “a group of people that really care about your music, and you're able to do what you want to do, while staying in a place that feels like home.”

Clune added, “We have a great community in Buffalo, and there's so many talented musicians. I think people really underestimate just how great our music community is.”

Cami Clune

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She will co-headline the Niagara Arts & Cultural Center’s “Art of Beer” fundraiser on Friday, March 6 – with a special member of that Buffalo music community: fellow “The Voice” alum Joshua Vacanti.

“Me and Josh actually go way back,” Clune said.

The two traded trophies in the “Joyful Noise” competition about a decade ago before briefly teaming up. More recently, they starred in the two-person play “The Last Five Years.”

“He's such a great artist,” Clune said of Vacanti. “He's so talented, and very kind, and also very versatile. He can do a lot of different things.”

Vacanti noted Clune’s “voice is so special.”

“She has those beautiful, like haunting, floaty notes,” he added. “But then she has such a beautiful mid-range, and she has a really great intensity about her on stage.”

Clune is working on a new music video for her recent release, “Your Favorite Song.”

“Like I said, a big thing for me with music is storytelling, and so it has a lot of storytelling aspects – but it's also just really fun,” Clune said. “I think it's definitely a little bit more energetic than my ‘Summer Fantasy’ video, but it still tells a really great emotional story, and I'm super excited for everyone to see it.”

Keep up with Cami Clune at www.camiclune.com, on Instagram/TikTok/X: @camiclune; on Facebook: @camicluneofficial; and YouTube: Cami Clune.

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‘Art of Beer’

“Art of Beer,” the Niagara Arts & Cultural Center’s fundraiser, will take place from 5:30-9 p.m. Friday, March 6, at 1201 Pine Ave., Niagara Falls. The 21-and-older event includes beer, wine and cider tastings from local brewers; food from top Niagara Region restaurants; a commemorative beer glass; fine art; and live music on multiple stages – including headline performances by Cami Clune and Joshua Vacanti.

“For its 18th annual year, ‘Art of Beer’ will have music headliners for the very first time!” NACC Development Manager Kacy Carbone said. “Made possible by a sponsorship from Flynn Battaglia Architects, we’re beyond excited to welcome Joshua Vacanti and Cami Clune to the NACC for this year’s ‘Art of Beer.’

“Both WNY locals, Joshua and Cami rose to national acclaim on ‘The Voice.’ Joshua brings a soaring, theatrical energy that fills the room, while Cami’s soulful, genre-blending style creates an intimate, electric connection with the audience.

“What makes this especially meaningful for us is how genuinely warm and engaging they are offstage. They’re artists who believe in community, collaboration, and the power of live performance to bring people together. Their set will be fun, heartfelt and high-energy – the perfect soundtrack to a night that celebrates craft, creativity and connection at the Niagara Arts and Cultural Center.”

Tickets can be purchased at the NACC or online at https://thenacc.org/art-of-beer-2026/. All funds raised will directly support the NACC.

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