Dear friends and fans,
After eleven cherished years playing keys with The Werks, I will be stepping down from the keyboard throne and passing the torch at the end of the year.
No doubt the last decade has been marked with self-actualization and adventure. From my bandmate’s weddings to Red Rocks to touring the Australian Gold Coast to passionate studio and writing sessions leading to thousands of radio plays and millions of streams, my fondest memories will always be from festival grounds, touring, and songcraft. After all, it’s not everyday you go from managing a coffee shop straight to national tours opening for Lotus, Umphrey’s McGee, the Disco Biscuits and Costa Rican music festivals. My first year with the band in 2014 was a whirlwind!
We as a band are no strangers to change. Just over a year ago we all got together to figure out the best way forward. The writing has been on the wall for me for a while as my career in tech outside the band picked up since the pandemic. Between rehearsals, travel dates, and full-time work my ability to meet our band’s current needs and invest in our growth is not sustainable past 2024. I’m just simply spread too thin.
So who’s next in line you may be wondering? Our dear friend Jesse Clayton. I have nothing but praise for this guy. We’ve been friends since my beginnings in The Werks. The kid’s got moxy, I tells ya! Jesse is about to find out how much chemistry there is playing with a band when all the founding members reunite on the back nine. Jesse’s in for a real musical treat. He and the band are both in good hands. Hope you all give him a warm welcome come Winter Werkout at The Bluestone.
Alas, all good stories worth telling have bittersweet chapters. Now my watch has ended.
We have a couple more shows in the books while I am still in the saddle:
1) Werksgiving at The Brightside in Dayton on Wednesday, November 27th
2) The Beachland Ballroom in Cleveland on Saturday, December 21st.
As life tends to go full circle, my last show will be in my hometown Cleveland. The Land. Believeland. Go Guards, go Cavs… tough year for The Browns though.
Let’s celebrate the past, present, and future of the band that brought us all together and finish the year strong.
Cheers,
Dan Shaw
