NEWSLETTER

THREE OLDER KIDS WE THOUGHT WERE COOL IN HIGH SCHOOL

Then

Now

3. Shannon Shaw, San Francisco, CA, interview by Julia Wertz

What’d you do after high school?

Shannon Shaw: I went to Napa junior college to booze and schmooze, then moved to Oakland California to get a BFA at California College of the Arts. I’m currently still in Oakland where I like creeping around parking garages and rocking and rolling in my mediocre band, Shannon and the Clams.

What do you guys sound like?

It’s supposed to sound like sweet and sad girl groups at a beach party and then some rock and rollers come and start a panty raid.

You were really into the Pixies, Sonic Youth and Nine Inch Nails in high school. What do you think of those bands now?

Hmmm. Not much these days, but I guess it’s not their fault. Although remember when we met Frank Black and he was offended by our bear falling out of the tree picture? [Shannon and I once attended at Frank Black show in Sonoma and tried to give him a newspaper clipping of a bear falling out of a tree that we thought was hilarious. Frank Black did not.] Instead of saying, "Oh Shannon, nice boobs, I love it," he said, "Well, I like bears." That sort of ended it for me and all Frank Black-related projects.

Are you working on any new art stuff?

I'm doing a new series of portraits of celebs like Crispin Glover, John C. Reilly, Wilford Brimley, Shelly Duvall, Robert Duvall....

Do you remember when Mr. Thomas called you a Turkey?

I wanted that Jheri-curled man so bad. One time Alison and I broke into his classroom to write a secret message on his board and he caught me. At first I scared the shit out of him and then he just stared intensely into my eyes and told me to leave. His mouth said no, but his eyes said stay... I’m an idiot.

I feel like you were often in some sort of trouble in high school, what’s the worst you’ve been in lately?

Well, I got 86’d for life from the Renaissance Faire a few years ago for shenanigans, and recently I got two black eyes at an 80s club.


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