Top 10 Reasons Why Shaver is Awesome!

10. He came to Michigan.My wife and I both saw our first Shaver show at The Ark in Ann Arbor this weekend. I don't know what his schedule usually is, but it seems to be TX.TX.TX.TX.TX.TX.TX.MI.TX.TX.TX.TX.9. He is a legend.The man was Johnny Cash's favorite songwriter. Not a lot more than that needs to be said, BUT he wrote every song but one on Waylon's Honky Tonk Heroes. He hung with the legends, is a legend and is still doing shows.8. He puts on an amazing show.If I could have made the set list for this show it would have been hardly different. He kicked off the show with Georgia on a Fast Train and never let up.7. He has sweet moves.Billy Joe is 67 years old and he was dancing and jumping around the entire night. He moved like an old boxer turned shaman covered in denim. 6. He is hilarious!He gave a little spiel between every song and he had the whole place rolling. Even his band was cracking up, who knows what they get to hear on a nightly basis.5. He has a smokin' band.The band he was touring with is actually a fully functioning band of its own called Diamondback. He took a back seat and let them play a couple of songs on their own.......'I'm gonna let ya do this, but ya better play one of my tunes....'They did, the singer-Lanky-kicked off with Love You 'Till the Cows Come Home.....Drums-acoustic bass-2 acoustic guitars. They smoked and he didn't try and make them his, he mentioned time after time that they were doing their own thing.4. He is tough as nails.The man had some fingers cut off in a sawmill accident, and had the audacity to become one of the greatest songwriters in country music history. He lost his wife and son in a relatively short time and just keeps on truckin. Actually the night before the show we saw he had his guitar stolen in Kansas City. He just sang a bunch of songs 'Acapulco' as he called it. Didn't let 'em steal the smile from his face.3. He is humble.Immediately after the show, when most musicians are racing for their backstage beer, he went out to his merch table and just talked with everybody. He signed CD's, shirts, posed for pictures and never quit smiling. He let me get a pic with my wife as I sat fumbling with my cell phone camera. After the show we saw him loading up equipment into his van-Shaver has no roadies, and I decided that I wanted a pic, it was dark and we couldn't get it to turn out. He was running with me up and down the alley trying to find the best light. Never got annoyed, it was his idea!2. He stands for what he believes in.It takes guts to stand up and say what you believe when tolerance is the most highly lauded American value today. He ended the show with Jesus Christ Is Still The King. He was saying God loves ya the whole show. He wasn't elitist, he quipped that there are a lot of ways to heaven, but Jesus is his. No compromise, no embarrassment. 1. He is the real deal.His last album got it right, ain't no doubt about it. He is the real deal. Recognized by the world's heroes as a songwriting genius, been through hell, raised it and is still hard at it. Bet your sweet pa-tootie, he's the real deal.........