Singer-songwriter Shawn James performs his original material and covers across folk, blues, R&B, gospel, rock and metal styles on his Flew Too Close To The Sun Tour.
Shawn James plays Wonder Ballroom on Friday, October 30, as part of his Flew Too Close To The Sun Tour. He's a singer-songwriter from the south side of Chicago who grew up attending a gospel church, where he first encountered the kind of heartfelt, soulful music that still runs through his work. He started releasing his own material in 2012 and has spent the years since pulling from a wide range of styles—folk, blues, R&B, gospel, rock, and metal—all held together by emotion and soul. He's never been backed by a large record label, a big marketing firm, or a massive PR company, and he carries that independence into his live shows, where he mixes genres and plays covers of songs he digs alongside his own original material.
James describes his live sets as a roller coaster of emotions, musical styles, intensity, and energy, and that's a fair way to frame what he does. The gospel influence is there, but it sits right next to the grit of the blues and the weight of rock and metal, and he tends to lean into the contrast rather than smoothing it over. Because he works across so many styles, the setlist can shift gears quickly, moving from a quiet, stripped-back moment to something much louder and more driven.
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The Portland date is presented by Monqui Presents and is open to all ages, so it's a show you can bring younger fans along to. Doors open at 7 PM, and the music starts at 8 PM. Tickets run from $33.75 to $188.75, depending on where you want to be in the room.
