Shawn Z. fills the house full of rock, americana, outlaw country, folk music and humor.

He has worked in all aspects of the music business for many years before becoming a full-time musician.

"I was in radio , with long purple hair and all these piercings and the next radio gig i landed was, ironically, at a country station!   They didn't care what i looked like and believed in my ability and vision of connecting with the audience."

His concerts show all that and present a dynamic concoction of jokes, stories and songs designed to awaken the slumbering subconscious of the crowd.

 

Influences? "Steve Earle, Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, Kris Kristofferson, Billy Joe Shaver, Tom Waits and my friend Todd Snider."

 

His seemingly bottomless song bag provides the soundtrack to observations of life on the thin highways of a Fat America.

Whether he is playing cover songs or originals, the audience is able to identify with his unique performance.

Many of the pieces Shawn performs feature tongue and cheek humor sprung largely from his prolific imagination.

 

Shawn's first independent release titled Wishful Drinkin' received airplay throughout North America and the world on Americana, Rock, Country and NPR stations .. as well as airplay on Xm Satellite Radio's X-Country and Sirius Satellite Radio 'Outlaw Country', and reached #11 after 14 weeks while on the Americana Charts.

 

He's written and continues to write songs with some of the best songwriters in all genres of the music world..

 

"I guess being famous and well known started off being important... But over time I've found that fame isn't nearly as much of a focus as doing something significant with my music or my songwriting. Not that it's significant yet, but at least I'm getting there."

 

Perhaps not surprisingly, the new outlook on the music scene and life all around has turned things around for Shawn.

Opening for heroes such as; Willie Nelson and John Fogerty.  As well as opening for numerous national acts on the Americana scene.

"Tried and true 100% pure Americana .. That's what it's all about" he says.