Fogel brings alt-power-country-pop to Howler’s

Shawn…Shawn Fogel Howler’s Coyote Cafe Saturday, 9 p.m. 412-682-0320

Though musician Shawn Fogel doesn’t dismiss the idea of playing with a band, he has mastered the stage as a solo act. A multi-instrumentalist, Fogel is a one-man band who, as fans will see at his Howler’s Coyote Cafe performance on Saturday, stands out from other solo acoustic acts.

Fogel has managed to make a name for himself not only through live performances but also through the Internet scene. Knowing that music fans today find many of their favorite acts online, he strives to get his songs onto various blogs and mp3 sites.

Two of Fogel’s latest mp3s made their way onto the Largehearted Boy blog (blog.largeheartedboy.com), a site known for its free and legal downloads, but more importantly for its spread of new and talented artists. In a recent telephone interview, Fogel expressed his excitement about making it on the blog.

“They definitely have their finger on the pulse of the whole music blog scene, and they’ve turned me on to several sites that I now check daily as a way of keeping my own ear to the ground,” he said.

Fogel started his music training early. He tackled piano in the third grade and eventually moved on to a wide spectrum of instruments, including clarinet, saxophone, guitar, drums and bass guitar. Music became a major part of his life from an early age. “I found that listening to music, playing music and eventually writing and recording music were great ways to escape from everything else in life,” he said.

Even broader than the number of instruments he plays is the variety of genres his listeners attempt to place him in. Some call him folk, others call him pop or country, but Fogel prefers “alt-power-country-pop” or no particular genre at all.

“One of my biggest fears is getting pigeon-holed into a specific genre,” he said. “I think I’d get bored with myself if all of my songs started to sound the same, so I strive for variety. I don’t want to be known as just a ‘singer/songwriter,’ maybe because I’ve heard enough lousy ‘singer/songwriters’ for it to have become a dirty word.”

To get a good scope of what Fogel has to offer, one can dissect his many influences. “The way I see it, great songwriting is the ability to rip off a song you love in a subtle-enough manner so that the song that originally inspired you isn’t completely obvious to anyone listening,” Fogel said. His main influence was also one of his first encounters with music: The Beatles. “They’re like Sesame Street, something that every kid should grow up with,” he said. His influences have since grown in number, ranging from Bob Dylan and Elvis Costello to Neutral Milk Hotel and Talking Heads.

One way to get a feel for Fogel’s music is to check out his latest one-man-band style EP, One Day in the Desert. “You’ll find alt-country, rock, power-pop and whatever other genre labels that fit the bill,” he said.

His creation has already been tested on the Internet, and his songs have been given positive reviews by various publications, but the real test will be the audience’s reaction to his live show. The EP was released in September, but he’ll give listeners a live version of his new songs during his February tour.

Fogel as a live act seems to be a whole different story. He uses his solo status to complement a versatile set list.

“It allows me to really tailor every show to the venue and the audience,” he said. “One night might be a mellow, coffee-house set, and the next night could be a super-high-energy-bar set. Unless you are incredibly well-rehearsed and have been playing together for a long time, it’s hard to achieve that kind of flexibility with a band.”

Since Fogel’s songs will move back and forth between upbeat sounds and downtrodden melodies, he tries to focus on keeping his audience involved in the transitions.

He believes a variety of moods in his music allows each listener to get something out of the show. “I like to have fun on stage and make sure my audience feels welcome and involved,” Fogel said. “I want people to walk away from one of my shows with a memorable experience, that’s the only way they’ll ever want to come back.”