Local Legends The Shaxe Deliver Rare Acoustic Set at Ottoburger
Nicholas Mistretta
For more than three decades, Montgomery’s own The Shaxe have been known for their rollicking, electric blend of alt-southern rock and jam band improvisation — the kind of sound that fills ski lodges in Lake Placid, lights up festival stages, and keeps barroom dance floors moving late into the night. But on Saturday evening at Ottoburger, the band stripped things down for a rare acoustic performance, trading their usual high-voltage edge for something warmer, more intimate, and altogether refreshing.
The setting was as much a part of the night as the music. Ottoburger, a rustic reinvention of the old Malek Chevrolet dealership, has quickly become one of Hopewell’s coziest dining-and-music spots. With kids at the tables, families sharing burgers and deserts, and the band playing just a few feet away, it was the kind of small-town scene that felt both timeless and unique — Montgomery roots meeting Hopewell charm.
For longtime fans, seeing The Shaxe unplugged was a revelation. Founding members Doug Drake and Dan Coffey (lifelong Montgomery residents), along with guitarist Brian Quinn — whose 12-string, mandolin, and harmonica have deepened the band’s palette since joining in 2015 and Percussionist Jim Sorenson sitting in for original band member Brian Impellizari — carried the evening with an easy, lived-in chemistry.
The setlist leaned heavily on the band’s wide-ranging influences: country classics like “Race Is On” (George Strait) and “Whiskey River” (Willie Nelson), jam staples such as the Allman Brothers’ “Melissa” and “Whipping Post,” and fan favorites from The Beatles (“Two of Us”) and the Grateful Dead (“Monkey and the Engineer,” “Franklin’s Tower,” and “I Know You Rider”). Surprises included a heartfelt take on Gordon Lightfoot’s “Sundown” and a crowd-pleasing rendition of R.E.M.’s “Losing My Religion.”
The Shaxe also reached into quirkier territory with a pair of Ween covers (“Ocean Man” and “What Deaner Was Talking About”), a nod to their central Jersey kinship with the cult band. Each song was rendered with warmth and precision, never rushed, and always with the feeling that the band was playing not just for a crowd but for a community.
The acoustic format revealed something easy to miss at the band’s bigger electric shows: the strength of their harmonies, the finesse of their musicianship, and the joy they still bring to songs they’ve played for decades. By the time they closed with a rousing “Whipping Post” — a song that can easily stretch into an electric marathon — the acoustic restraint gave it surprising power, proof that The Shaxe can shift gears without losing their identity.
The show ran from 6:00 to 8:30 p.m., making it as family-friendly as it was musically satisfying. For many in the audience, it was not just a night out but a chance to see hometown friends-turned-local-legends in a whole new light.
More than 30 years after first forming in 1992, The Shaxe remain true to their grassroots beginnings: Montgomery kids who grew into a band with deep local ties, wide-ranging musical influences, and a knack for turning any gig into a celebration. Saturday night at Ottoburger was no exception, only this time, the amps were dialed down and the community spirit was turned all the way up.
Photo Credit: Nicholas Mistretta/headlinenewsmontgomery.com