Creative Loafing cover girl and Tropical Heatwave star Amanda Shaw returns to Tampa Bay to play Skipper's Smokehouse on August 8. If you saw the singer/songwriter/fiddler in May then you're already excited about catching this roots rock/Cajun pop act return for a headlining gig. Click here for my review/photos of Shaw's outstanding performance at Heatwave. Here's the WMNF press release, which includes an extended excerpt of my review, and me requesting Shaw play Skipper's in near future (photos by Wade Tatangelo):
Amanda Shaw and the Cute Guys, plus Sara Hickman
Friday Aug 08 08:00PM — Skipper's Smokehouse
$12 advance, $15 door.
Louisiana teenage fiddle sensation Amanda Shaw returns after her triumphant set at Tropical Heatwave.
Heatwave review:
“Shaw’s poise, charisma, and chops belie her age. Then again, she’s been performing in public for a decade, and it showed Saturday. Shaw elated the crowd with her singular brand of Cajun-flavored roots rock. Boasting a strong and expressive voice colored with genuine twang and beat-the-devil fiddle skills, the diminutive frontwoman turned in a dynamic performance that included interestingly reworked blues (”Got My Mojo Workin’”), traditional zydeco (”Hot Tamale Baby”) and Cajun-spiced punk (The Clash’s “Should I Stay or Should I Go?”).
Shaw’s originals, mostly culled from her Rounder Records debut Pretty Runs Out, were equally varied and impressive, with the teenager revealing a knack for mature lyrics and catchy hooks that make her rustic sounds appealing to pop fans — without sounding too poppy. Could Shaw bring Cajun music to the masses? Perhaps. For now, I just hope she returns to play a local venue like Skipper’s in the near future.”
– Wade Tatangelo, Creative Loafing
This article appears in Jun 18-24, 2008.