ALAMOSA — The horizon keeps on expanding as Society Hall brings to Alamosa yet another highly talented, remarkable, distinct singer-songwriter that could not be heard – at least in this area – any other place.

Enter Shanna in a Dress.

Shanna in a Dress is your quirky best friend who refuses to wear pants. She says what everyone has felt but no one else will say, and you'll get an uncensored journey of clever humor and heartbreak, extreme candor, and a hefty side of entertainment at her shows. This witty wordsmith is known for taking you on an emotional roller coaster, sometimes within the same song.

Think John Prine mixed with Ingrid Michaelson with a twist of Phoebe Buffay from Friends all wrapped up in a sweet voice accented by guitar, piano, and ukulele. She's as real as it gets, as anyone who follows her on FB or Instagram knows.

As described by fellow songwriter and Grammy nominee, Steve Seskin, “Shanna in a Dress combines witty, heartfelt songwriting with great musicianship guaranteed to deliver a memorable experience for anyone lucky enough to hear her. From the incredibly moving ‘Daddy’s Little Girl’ to the super funny ‘Mmm That’s Hot’, she hits home on every level taking her listeners on a delightful roller coaster ride of laughter, tears and everything in between.”

Shanna started her career at the University of Virginia, fell in love with Boulder and now keeps her fun music flowing out of Nashville whenever she’s not touring the US or Europe.

You can't get the same Shanna in a Dress show twice with her spontaneous banter and playful stage presence. She manages to masterfully teeter the line, taking on complex subject matters yet doing so with smart, bold, and accessible lyrics. Her charisma and boldly honest songs are full of interesting language and wordplay and delight audiences of all ages.

Widespread recognition of both her musical skill and authentic style seems to be the growing consensus as this singer-songwriter has received a significant amount of attention. “It seems this artist has won about every songwriting award there is out there,” says Society Hall board member and “amazing musician” Don Richmond. “I’m looking forward to hearing her.”

Most recently, Shanna in a Dress was pronounced the winner of the Rocky Mountain Folks Fest Songwriting Contest, and she returned to perform on the main stage with a full band at the 2023 Rocky Mountain Folks Fest.

In 2020 alone, Shanna was a winner in the Kerrville New Folk competition, winner of the Great River Folk Fest Song Competition, a finalist at Songwriter Serenade, and a Grassy Hill Emerging Artist at the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival. 

It also appears that her zest for the “joie de vivre” is not limited to the stage but is also an approach to life. During the summer of 2021, Shanna bicycled from Seattle to Boston while music-touring on her epic "Tour de Dress”, playing over 60 shows from coast to coast and partnering up with the global non-profit Pangaea World Foundation. 

In May of the following spring of 2022, her debut record "Robot" was released after a wildly successful crowdfunded campaign years earlier. She has most recently been seen gracing the stages of Kerrville Folk Festival, Falcon Ridge Folk Festival, Black Bear Americana Fest, Great River Folk Fest, and the Bluebird Cafe in Nashville. Tom Prasada-Rao calls her "Kerrville's fastest rising star", adding she’s delightfully unique and one to watch in the future.

Shanna’s second album, Sweet Spot, was just released on February 27.

And now, in the midst of a packed tour schedule that runs straight through the end of October and culminates – so far - with a performance in Brooklyn, Shanna in a Dress is coming to Alamosa.

If the past is predicate, it’s going to be an outstanding show.    

Society Hall, the concert hall, community gathering place and performance space with a reputation among performers for being one of the best venues in the Southwest, is pleased and excited to invite members of the public to a night of music and some wildly entertaining, fresh and quirky folk-Americana music with “rising star” Shanna in a Dress.

The concert is happening at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, March 7 with doors open at 6:00 pm. Tickets are $20 and are available online at www.societyhall.org or, ino person, at the Green Spot, 711 State Avenue in Alamosa. The concert will also stream live on the Society Hall Facebook page.

Shanna in a Dress, Saturday, March 7, 7:00 p.m. at Society Hall, 400 Ross Avenue in Alamosa.

Society Hall – where community celebrates!