Live and Up Close: Shaw Davis & the Black Ties

HAILS FROM: Born and raised in Pompano Beach.

FIRST GUITAR: “I used to go over to my buddy’s house, and we’d play Xbox but he only had one controller and he wouldn’t let me play. I was about 13 or 14 years old and there was this guitar there and I just picked it up one day. I remember someone showing me when I was like eight or nine years old how to play ‘Smoke on the Water’ so I immediately started playing that.”

THE SOUND: Blues infused rock-n-roll

FAVORITE VENUES: “The Funky Biscuit in Boca Raton is where we got our start and it’s my favorite club to play, hands down. It’s just like walking into your living room – you know how it smells, how it feels, you know how it looks and you’re just comfortable in that environment. It’s easy to create there. But we’ve played in almost every place you can play in South Florida. The Hollywood Beach amphitheater is a gig I really enjoy, too.”

DAY JOB: “We were full-time gigging and touring and doing everything all the way up until COVID hit, and once COVID hit, we lost everything. All of our tour dates, a small deal at a record label fell through when their funds dried up. Part of me likes to have other interests and activities going on throughout the day, though. It’s beneficial. I have a day job that allows me to tour whenever I want and set my own hours doing home interior and exterior renovations, bathroom remodels … construction.”

SET LIST MUST: “ ‘If I Stay This Way’ and ‘Promised Land,’ a kind of rocked out Delta Blues that goes into an extended jam, both from the 2021 album ‘Red Sun Rebellion.’ ”

BAND SOULMATE: “Drummer Bobby Van Stone. He’s my best friend. I’ve known him since kindergarten. I couldn’t imagine playing or performing without him next to me. He’s the yin to my yang. All the s**** negative qualities I have, he’s right there with all the good ones.”

SOFLA’S MUSIC SCENE: “I think SoFla’s audiences are wanting to see what a band’s made of. What’s your tunes? What do you sound like? What’s your feel? What kind of energy are you giving off on stage?”

THE LAST WORD: “I don’t see my life any other way but as a musician. I’ve done other things. I was a firefighter for the Town of Palm Beach and Palm Beach County and I’m grateful for everything I learned in fire service. I’ve left a lot behind, and I’ve accomplished a lot, too. I know if I don’t have music in my life, I’m a train wreck.”

CATCH THEM LIVE: The Funky Biscuit, Boca Raton, Friday, March 15, and Blues and Brews Bistro, Thursday, March 21, Ormond Beach, and “we have a ton of summer tour dates. I’m so stoked to get on the road.”