Jim James & The Damn Shames w/ The Motor Primitives

Art in the cafe...

Laurel Statz


"The Spectator"


December 2025



Laurel Statz is a painter and Madison area native. Her work, while figurative, is influenced by abstraction and minimalism. The paintings often have a quick and instinctual nature, capturing just what’s needed. While she often times herself to eliminate extra details and over-precision, she has ventured into more detailed works as well. Laurel does not attach narrative to her pieces. Rather, she thinks of them like a journaling process for her scatter-brained psyche. The figures in the pieces are meant to be processing tools for the artist and the viewer. She hopes that seeing these figures helps the...
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Friday, August 27, 2004

Jim James & the Damn Shames are a Madison, based trio who sound like they just rolled into town off the hot dusty trails of West Texas. Performing material off their upcoming debut CD, JJDS mix the Honky Tonk swagger and sun-drenched sounds of their myriad influences into a unique and organic original sound. Whether it be a rollicking train tune or a rolling river song the rhythm section of Brian Bentley (drums) and Jeff Hammes (upright bass) stand tight behind singer/songwriter/harmonica/guitarist James Travis.

The Motor Primitives are best known for their straight forward, unhyphenated rock. Well, they\'ve got something very special in store for you! While two of the principle band members are currently out of country, singer & guitarist Pam Barrett along with drummer Robin Davies are carrying on with Motor Primitives Orientale. Pam & Robin will be joined by Terri Felton, an accomplished player of a Japanese stringed instrument called the Koto. This performance at Mother Fool\'s marks the only opportunity this summer to hear fresh tunes and a few band standards performed in a \"stripped down\" way that expertly blends traditional western music with exotic sounds of the East.

Music