Pictures and story by Mary Jane Farmer
Zane Williams at Shedstock
Zane Williams called it a man-cave, the double-car garage that Bobby Ritchie and his family have converted into Shedstock, a music venue complete with overhead stage lighting, a wooden stage, comfy chairs and sofas, taller tables and barstools, a small bar, and people occupying every seat in the house. Even more welcoming was the audience, made up of dedicated music listeners.
Zane ‘s repertoire, no matter where the gig, includes background stories on his songs and his life, true tales of the romance between him and his wife and their baby, and how he begins a song from a concept until it is complete. That includes the story of “Hurry Home,” which Jason Michael Carroll recorded in Nashville in early 2010 and which reached No. 14 on the national country music chart. Why it didn’t move up is a story that Zane also tells, and I’ll leave that to him at a future gig. He did say that, because of “Hurry Home,” he paid cash for his new home, the first one he and his wife have owned.
Zane is soon coming out with his third CD, which he said is recorded, mixed, and mastered, just not pressed yet. The cover design on this one has him perplexed, he said. He may have raised his bar too high before, Zane added. The first CD’s cover is done in cross-stitching he worked himself. The second features an amazingly hand-tooled leather patch, about 3×3 inches, which Zane carries with him to every show.
His shows are a roller-coaster of emotional songs, “Hurry Home” being one that brings tears to my eyes, as does “Party Of One.” Then, he’ll swing over to “99 Bottles of Beer,” which he admits he stole the chorus, and it’s the verses that are so much fun, making you want to sing along but usually unsuccessfully unless you’ve studied the song — a lot. Other favorites include “Pablo & Maria,” fictional love song; “River Girl,” a love song, and “The Right Place.”
Which brings me to another of Zane’s talents. He’s hosting an hour-long radio show every night on Dallas Americana station KHYI (95.3) every Sunday night from 8-9 p.m. He concentrates on songwriters performing their own songs. Anyone reading this from farther away, note that it is also streamed, so you can catch it. KHYI.com
Shedstock is a well-kept secret, and that’s because there’s very limited seating. It’s not a beer joint or a dance hall, it’s for people who really want to listen to performers, with performers who really want to play for audiences like that. To get more information, go on Facebook to Shedstock Sherman.
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