Noise Pop Diary: Shannon Shaw came sans Clams; SpongeBob's Tom Kenny rode Hi-Seas - 48 hills

"Her own band Shannon & the Clams would emerge as one of the most successful bands to emerge from the SF rock scene circa 2009-12. Despite their nautical name and bubble-blowing imagery, there was always an element of intense grief under the Clams' music; their best song is "Ozma," about a dead dog, and their most recent album The Moon is In The Wrong Place came on the heels of the death of Shaw's fiancé in a motorcycle crash in 2022."

"Shaw's subsequent set consisted almost wholly of songs from her only solo album to date, 2018's Shannon in Nashville, the product of a fruitful collaboration with the Black Keys' Dan Auerbach and a host of pros from country music's first city. The title is of course a nod to Dusty Springfield's Dusty in Memphis, exactly the kind of '60s pop reference in which Shaw delights."

Shannon Shaw, a platinum-blonde bassist and vocalist known for her work with Hunx & his Punx and her band Shannon & the Clams, performed at KQED Live on February 27. The set was a community-focused celebration featuring collaborators including Joel Robinow, Noelle Fiore, and Anna Hillburg, who each performed solo sets before Shaw participated in an interview with comedian Baruch Porras-Hernandez. Shaw's performance consisted primarily of songs from Shannon in Nashville, her 2018 solo album created through collaboration with Dan Auerbach of the Black Keys and Nashville country music professionals. The album draws inspiration from Dusty Springfield's Dusty in Memphis, reflecting Shaw's affinity for 1960s pop references and creating a nostalgic, balmy atmosphere.

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