He has a raspy “rocker” voice, a music career and lifestyle that is anything but conventional, and hair that you have to touch.B. Ryan Michaels, Columbus native, is a classic model of rock-n-roll. From his lanky tattooed frame to his comically eccentric personality, Michaels lives an unbound artist’s life. Michaels has toured nationally, opening for bands such as Pat Benetar, The Smithereens, Black Sabbath and The Kinks, as well as with his own bands.Touring isn’t always as glamorous as non-musicians might think, especially for a young band trying to make it. “The Final Prayer,” Michaels’ first band, toured nationally throughout the eastern United States. “Touring is surviving on the bare minimum and occasionally living out of cars or vans,” Michaels said. Today, Michaels is in the process of promoting a debut CD, “B. Ryan Michaels,” and auditioning new band members in the hopes of taking his band on a summer tour. His new CD features all classic rock-n-roll original songs with no “shock lyrics.” “There are no dirty or ‘gimmicky’ words on the CD. I want people to like it because its good rock-n-roll with good songs,” Michaels said.Many of the songs deal with the theme of loneliness. “Everybody feels alone sometimes no matter how many friends or people you have around you,” Michaels said. “I wrote these songs in a period of my life that I felt very alone, and the songs are about my own feelings and emotions.”Surprisingly, there are no songs on the CD that can be classified in the monster-ballad 1980’s hair band collection. The CD is very original and upbeat, despite its melancholy theme.Michaels’ personal favorite on the album is a song entitled “Under the Moon.” “The song is about life getting too busy to remember the feeling of a youthful relationship when nothing was more important than being with that person,” Michaels said.”I think people let themselves grow old,” Michaels said. “Society dictates what’s good and bad, and promotes a structured life of birth, school, marriage, work and death. Sometimes people don’t ever expand any farther than that. It isn’t always necessary to settle down.” Michaels’ “day job” is as a piano player at Howl At The Moon Saloon, 450 S. Front St. “People always look like they’re having a good time when they’re there. I like doing piano shows; I’ll probably never stop playing in them whenever I have time,” Michaels said.”One night he picked up a guitar and performed some of his original songs. I was so impressed with his versatility as an artist and songwriter.”Michaels’ album has been a long time coming, as most of the staff at Howl At The Moon know. Fellow piano player, Joe Laureano, has worked with Michaels for almost three years. “He’s worked very hard on this album. He’s poured his heart into it. If the album works half as hard for him as he worked for it, it’ll do well no matter what,” Laureano said.The CD will debut in two weeks and can be found at most local music stores on campus, at www.bryanmichaels.com, and by personally e-mailing Michaels at [email protected].