The woman known in her performances as Shanna in a Dress (you can learn the story of her real name by seeing her live) started her musical journey at the University of Virginia, where she learned how to play guitar for the first time. She says teaching herself guitar was how she procrastinated studying while working towards a kinesiology major with a concentration in exercise physiology. An Ingrid Michaelson concert she saw expanded her horizons as to what a live concert could entail, and the big reveal of her new desire to be a singer-songwriter came as a result of secretly building up a repertoire of original material and finding the right time to perform it live.

In the end, she invited all of the friends and family she could to her university’s concert hall, not telling them what she would be doing on stage, but strongly encouraging them to attend. She recalls around 80 people showing up, saying that the first show set up hallmarks of the shows to come: funny songs mixed with heartfelt songs, a variety of instruments, a planned encore, and participation from the audience.

She loves songwriters who can tell stories of their mundane life experiences with their lyrics, recalling poring over her mom’s lyric booklets of artists such as Rascal Flatts, Martina McBride, and The Chicks. Her musical stylings are not country-oriented, but much like country musicians, she loves wordplay and storytelling with lyrics being the focal point of her songs. Shanna sees songwriting like a puzzle, a “dance between repetition and surprise,” as she learns how to make the feeling and words match and how to make rhymes that feel refreshing.

Primarily, she keeps her performances simple, usually utilizing her own vocals and a guitar. She believes that performing original music is the quickest way for someone to get to know her, as the lyrics she writes end up cutting right to the core of what she feels and how she experiences the world.

She says that while some songwriters write stories about others (which she sometimes does as well), she is a songwriter who writes stories about herself to connect with an audience. She hopes that people leave her shows having had fun and felt touched by the human experiences they often push aside.

You can see Shanna in a Dress performing at The Old Gallery, located at 14863 Highway 7 in Allenspark, on Saturday, August 10, 2024, at 6 p.m. You can also stream her music wherever you get your music and learn more about her by going to shannainadress.com or checking her out on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

Music Events

Busey Brews

Sunday, July 28 at 2 p.m. - Mina Reya

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BuseyBrews/

Website: https://buseybrews.com/

Location: 70 E. 1st Street, Nederland

Phone: 1-855-633-2739

Canyon Tavern

Saturday, July 27 at 6 p.m. - Ibby Cline & Michael Walters

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Coalcreekcanyontavern

Website: https://canyontavern.com/

Location: 32138 Highway 72, Coal Creek Canyon

Phone: 303-642-3180

Gold Hill Inn

Friday, July 26 at 8 p.m. - Haymakers

Sunday, July 28 at 5:30 p.m. - Patrick Dethlefs Duo

Wednesday, July 31 at 5:30 p.m. - Micki Balder

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GoldHillInn/

Website: goldhillinn.com

Location: 401 Main Street, Gold Hill

Phone: 303-443-6461

Gold Hill Store

Friday, July 26 at 7 p.m. - Queso Ra

Saturday, July 27 at noon - Queso Ra

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Gold-Hill-General-Store/

Website: https://www.goldhillstore.com/

Location: 531 Main Street, Gold Hill

Gregory Plaza

Saturday, July 27 at 5 p.m. - Duey Weibel

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blackhawksharddistrict/

Website: https://blackhawkharddistrict.com/

Location: 317 Gregory Street, Black Hawk (Mountain Poppy Boutique)

Phone: 720-669-0665 (Mountain Poppy Boutique)

Howlin Wind Brewing

Saturday, July 27 at 5 p.m. - Strangebyrds

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/howlinwindbrewing

Website: https://www.howlinwindbrewing.com/

Location: 51 A Main Street, Rollinsville

Phone: 309-825-5245

Jamestown Mercantile

Thursday, July 25 at 7 p.m. - Heavy Diamond Ring

Friday, July 26 at 7 p.m. - Janestown

Thursday, July 28 at 12:15 p.m. - Danny Shafer

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jamestown.mercantile/

Website: https://www.jamestownmercantile.com/

Location: 108 Main Street, Jamestown

Phone: 303-442-5847

JKQ BBQ

Friday, July 26 at 6 p.m. - Mark Hill

Saturday, July 27 at 5 p.m. - Mark Hill

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JkqBbq/

Location: 200 Gregory Street, Black Hawk

Phone: 720-316-1361

Knotted Root Brewing

Saturday, July 27 at 5 p.m. - WHUMPF

Wednesdays at 6 p.m. - Open Mic

Fridays at 7 p.m. - DJ Night

Sundays at 5 p.m. - Jazz Sundays

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/knottedrootbrewing/

Website: https://www.knottedrootbrewing.com/home

Location: 250 N. Caribou Street, Nederland

Phone: 720-248-7129

Very Nice Brewing Co. (Gilpin County)

Friday, July 26 at 6 p.m. - Windy Pines

Saturday, July 27 at 2 p.m. - The Tater Spliffs

Saturday, July 27 at 6 p.m. - Mountain ReVerb

Sunday, July 28 at 4 p.m. - Blue Moose Jazz

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/verynicebeer

Website: https://www.verynicebrewing.com/

Location: 180 Jankowski Drive, Black Hawk

Phone: 303-582-2015

Very Nice Brewing Co. (Nederland)

Friday, July 26 at 6 p.m. - Daniel C. Jones

Saturday, July 27 at 5 p.m. - Andreas Boehmer

Sunday, July 28 at 4 p.m. - The CBDs

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/verynicebeer

Website: https://www.verynicebrewing.com/

Location: 20 E. Lakeview Drive, #112, Nederland

Phone: 303-258-3770

Did we miss you? Want to submit your music listing in the Peak to Peak area? Do you have updates to your business? Please call 303-810-5409 or email info@themountainear.com to be included in the next edition.