Shannon Wright @ NXNE 2000

Hometown: Jacksonville, FL

Background/Composition: Former Crowsdell leader and super intense singer/songwriter playing her Wurlitzer and strumming her acoustic guitar - accompanied only by a drummer.

Achievement of Rock 'n' Roll Expectations:
80-100: Band exceeds skill and knowledge expectations. Rocked us so hard we peed our pants.
70-79: Band achieves required skills and knowledge. Meets rock 'n' roll standard.
60-69: Demonstrates some skills. Approaches rock 'n' roll standard.
50-59: Band demonstrates some required skills and knowledge in a limited way.
Below 50: Band has not demonstrated required skills or knowledge.

Grade: 80

World Domination Status:
Comment: Don't let the pigtails fool you. If you thought they were cute, Shannon Wright will bite you in the ass - or at least she seems that way. So unbelievably intense she scared the audience at first, Wright's minimalist yet hauntingly beautiful songs eventually won the crowd over. With a voice that can go from the sweetest, most angelic sound to a full-tilt, pedal to the metal grrrrrrrrrrowl, you don't know what to expect from her. Too good for an audience that was waiting for Joel Plaskett and Mike O'Neill.

Learning Skills: E=Excellent, G=Good, S=Satisfactory, N=Sad Really

Oral And Visual Communication
Eye Contact: S
Pronunciation: G
Stage Presence: G
Stage Banter: S
Image: G
Appearance: S
Use Of Stage: G
Strengths/ Weaknesses/ Next Step: Her presence was so brooding she was frightening. But frightening in the sense where you just stood back and enjoyed the set frozen to the floor, afraid if you moved you'd miss something great. The scowl she wore pretty much throughout the set made it all the more poignant when, after a few songs she would look up to the crowd, say "Thanks," and crack the slightest hint of a smile that indicated she's not as angry as first thought.

Musical Analysis
Cooperation With Others: G
Level Of Participation: G
Problem Solving: G
Teamwork: G
Work Habits: G
Organization: G
Audience Participation: S
Sound: G
Composition: G
Songs: G
Strengths/ Weaknesses/ Next Step: Accompanied by only a drummer, Wright and friend worked well during the set's several "freak-out" jams. Hard to imagine this being done with acoustic guitar and drums, but the intensity and volume of the two made for unbelievably hair-raising moments. The audience was slowly won over, as Wright would angrily pluck away at her guitar, shuffling along the stage like a bullfighter teasing a bull. All the while her drummer looked like he would destroy his kit at any moment with the full assault he was dishing out.

Other Skills And Areas Of Interest
Charisma: G
Sexiness: G
Haircut: G
Indie Rock Footwear: G
Nods To Disposible Fashion: G
Cool Equipment: E
Level Of Inebriation: G
Actual Ability: E
Strengths/ Weaknesses/ Next Step: It's possible Wright had some of the best from the weekend. Item 1: Slide film projector screen (from the '70s perhaps) sitting on a stool and displaying unconnected images of people, animals, objects - you name it. Slide show was ongoing while Wright played her set. Item 2: A Wurlitzer Key Note Visualizer set up beside her as she played on the keys. I had never seen this sort of contraption before, but it has a picture of the keys on a keyboard on it with red lights on each key. Each light would go off as Wright played the corresponding key on her Wurlitzer (a teaching tool, perhaps, that enables people to see what keys you're playing?). Very cool. High marks to Wright for upping the ante on the visual show!