Previously seen as the frontman of The Revivalists, David Shaw has recently put out some solo work after writing more personal records in wake of the pandemic. Taking these records on the rode under his own name rather than the familiar title of The Revivalists who had been touring for the latter part of twelve years, Shaw stopped at Chicago’s Lincoln Hall in early December.
The venue has been known to host big names early in their careers, and while Shaw is by no means a novice in the industry, his time as a solo artist is a new venture. Per Lincoln Hall policy vaccination cards were checked at the door and a mask policy when not eating or drinking was stated, although it seemed as more of a suggestion on Dec 8.
While the show was not sold out, there was a clear fanbase that filtered in just before Shaw’s set. The demographic of the crowd hit the same that The Revivalists have been capturing as Shaw is still hitting hard with grassroots rock and roll that has undertones of indie and country throughout. Beers in hand with room to dance, the show began at 9:15pm.
His height is hard to miss, though Shaw walked onto the stage incredibly calm, subtle, and humble. His performance following was anything but subtle. The set was full of groove and long lasting jam sessions. His unique tone combined with incredible control and stage presence put any worry around his solo performance to rest.
A testament to a great performer rather than just a great musician, Shaw made seamless conversation with the audience between songs. Jokes of myspace and other banter around the weather kept the set moving and the audience involved. Later into the set, disco balls placed around Lincoln Hall filled the room with a new vibe and a sentimental break. His brother was in the crowd and it just so happened to be his birthday, so Shaw was sure to celebrate and make that known; performing a song written by the two of them.
Throughout the set, Shaw primarily played acoustic guitar, which took nothing away from the true rock and roll roots of the performance. Following the mellow middle set with heartfelt and hopeful lyricism, the energy picked up to close the set. With electric guitar riffs, strobing lights, disco balls, and stylistic voice distortion, David Shaw clearly knows not only who he is but how to put on a show. Stand out songs from the night include “Heavy Soul,” “I’ll Be Your Man,” and “Shivers.”
Be sure to check out his newly released self-titled album David Shaw below:
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