Kevin Russell

What is Shinyribs? It’s a fair question. Is Shinyribs a nine or sometimes 10-piece band, as in the super-sized melting pot of Gulf Coast blues, New Orleans funk, Memphis soul, country twang, big-band swing, Tex-Mex border music, and rump-shaking roots-rock that was in fact named Best Austin Band in both 2017 and 2018? Or is “Shinyribs” the stage name that the Beaumont and Shreveport-raised singer-songwriter Kevin Russell adopted for his solo act in the mid-2000s, back when his main gig was still with another sensational Austin band, the Gourds? The answer is “Yes” — as in, Shinyribs is whatever it needs to be in the moment. Or rather, whatever Russell wants it to be, or whatever he feels like being himself anytime he gets the itch to write or play music, because, well, Kevin Russell is Shinyribs. And if you’re still confused, all you really need to know is that Shinyribs is FUN. Even when it’s pared down to “Tinyribs” — as in, “hold” the horn section and dancing Shiny Soul Sisters backup singers (and maybe most of the rest of the full band that couldn’t possibly squeeze onto a little listening room stage), but without losing so much of an ounce of Russell’s charm, chops, and legen

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