Columnist Spencer Patterson: Shepherd, and his voice, are ready to stand out

Spencer Patterson

Friday, Feb. 25, 2005 | 8:30 a.m.

Kenny Wayne Shepherd taught himself to play the guitar, but he opted not to go it alone when he stepped to the microphone for the first time last year.

"I went to a vocal coach because everybody said how important it was to learn some of the techniques so that I don't damage my voice," Shepherd said in a phone interview from his Los Angeles home. "I didn't know if my voice could handle back-to-back performances. But so far, I've been pretty lucky as far as that goes."

Shepherd, 26, has been a fixture on the blues-rock scene for a decade, earning acclaim as a guitarist while still a teenager.

Aside from one song on his 1995 debut album, however, Shepherd left lead vocal duties to his buddies, primarily touring and recording partner Noah Hunt.

All that changed last year when Shepherd released his first disc in five years, "The Place You're In," a CD featuring the New Orleans native singing on eight of 11 tracks.

Shepherd said the new record's subject matter had a lot to do with his decision to sing.

"It's very personal to me," he said. "A lot of it's about the girl that I just got engaged to. And it's kind of weird to have Noah singing all those songs that are specifically about the girl you're in love with."

Shepherd and his band hit the House of Blues at Mandalay Bay on Saturday night. Tickets to the 21-and-over show are $25 to $35. Doors open at 7 p.m.

On tour since October, Shepherd said he is gradually gaining confidence in his new dual performing role.

"It's learning a whole new approach to being onstage," he said. "Before, all I had to do was concentrate on playing guitar. And also, you have to learn how to work the microphone and work the crowd without the guitar.

"I just thought it was time to do something new. I made a lot of changes in those years between albums, so I felt like I should do something different."

Shepherd's "changes" included a serious effort to clean up his lifestyle, after drugs and alcohol had become part of his daily routine.

"My priorities were all messed up, and getting intoxicated came before everything else," he said. "So I just had to get things in check and figure out what was most important to me, and that was my music and my life."

Shepherd said he tried surfing, and spends part of his newfound free time riding motorcycles and driving muscle cars. He is also enjoying being engaged, though the couple have set no wedding date yet.

"I went through a lot of relationships when I was using, and you can't have a healthy relationship when you're not healthy yourself," he said. "That's probably why none of those relationships worked out."

For many musicians recently free of a substance-abuse habit, Las Vegas might be a den of temptation. But Shepherd said he isn't worried.

"I never did anything in Vegas that I didn't do everywhere else," Shepherd said.

"And trust me, I'm not gonna see anybody in my audience or walking down the road or in a club that's gonna have some kind of buzz that I'm gonna be jealous of, because I know they're gonna feel like (expletive) the next day."

Music notes

Kennedys cancel: Bay Area punk godfathers the Dead Kennedys have scrapped tonight's scheduled show at the House of Blues because of a family medical emergency.

According to a press release issued by the band, guitarist East Bay Ray "made last minute arrangements to fly back to Northern California today to be with his family" after a close family member suffered a setback in his cancer treatment.

The release indicates that the Dead Kennedys plan to make up the show in the coming months.

Ticket holders can obtain refunds at their original points of purchase.

Thursdays with Franky: Local product Franky Perez, who released his major-label debut, "Poor Man's Son," in 2003, has signed on for a regular gig at the Suncoast Showroom.

Perez and his band, the Highway Saints, will play the venue every Thursday from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. beginning March 3. Admission is free.

On sale

Rascal Flatts play Primm's Star of the Desert Arena on April 15. Tickets are $49.50 to $71.50 and go on sale at noon Saturday at the Star of the Desert box office, at Ticketmaster outlets, by phone at 474-4000 and at www.ticketmaster.com.

Julio Iglesias performs at Primm's Star of the Desert on March 26. Tickets are $37.95 to $54.45 and are on sale now at the Star of the Desert box office and through Ticketmaster.

Sevendust stops at the House of Blues on April 15. Tickets are $17.50 and go on sale at 10 a.m. Saturday at the House of Blues box office and through Ticketmaster.

Big Bad Voodoo Daddy plays the House of Blues on April 22. Tickets are $22 to $30 and go on sale at 10 a.m. Saturday at the House of Blues box office and through Ticketmaster.

Dierks Bentley lands at the House of Blues on July 29. Tickets are $22.50 and go on sale at 10 a.m. next Friday at the House of Blues box office and through Ticketmaster.