Jambalaya at Shaw’s Bar & Grill

Jambalaya at Shaw’s Bar & Grill — Nordeast Minneapolis

Shaw’s Bar & Grill has always been one of my favorite rooms to shoot—and honestly, one of my favorite rooms, period. It holds a lot of history for me. I met Mike, the owner, in a sauna at the gym over 20 years ago after overhearing him talk about his bar and a band that had just pulled out at the last minute. We got to talking, I sent him a CD for my band, and hoped maybe we’d get a night or two out of it.

Fast forward 20+ years and we’ve played Shaw’s more than 25 times. We don’t play much anymore—life, families, jobs—but when the itch hits, I call Mike, we grab a Saturday, and get our friends together for a proper party. That relationship is still there, and that’s a big part of what makes Shaw’s special.

Jambalaya fit the room perfectly. The band brought a fun, crowd-moving mix of classic rock, blues, and funk—clearly rooted in Southern influences, with shades of Little Feat and the Allman Brothers coming through naturally. Two lead guitars trading riffs, keys filling out the sound, and two vocalists kept things lively and engaging all night.

Chris, the longtime bartender, mentioned that lead singer Faith owns a bar in Wisconsin but regularly makes the trip to the Cities for shows. She even invited the crowd out for a party at her place—unfortunately, I missed the name of the bar, so I guess I’m out of luck there.

The crowd was into it, the vibe was loose, and the music did exactly what it was supposed to do—get people smiling, moving, and sticking around for another round. Nights like this are why Shaw’s continues to feel like home.