About Shawn Wells
Shawn Wells is a versatile drummer based in Cincinnati, Ohio. While currently focused on rock, he has experience performing across a wide range of styles, from fusion to country.
Shawn's Career
Shawn Wells is a seasoned drummer based in Cincinnati, Ohio, with decades of experience spanning rock, fusion, country, blues, and funk. He began playing drums at the age of five, inspired early on by KISS and Animal from The Muppets. As his skills developed, so did his musical influences—eventually gravitating toward more challenging artists like Led Zeppelin, Rush, and Yes. By high school, Shawn had formed his first band and soon began performing on the club circuit.
His professional career took off with Tu Kool, a funk dance band led by Jerome Derickson, an original member of Roger Troutman’s ZAPP band. With Tu Kool, Shawn toured across Asia for six months, performing in Taiwan, Singapore, Korea, and Japan. Upon returning to the U.S., he joined the Kelly Richey Band (Sweet Lucy Records), a blues trio based in Lexington, KY, and toured internationally. Shawn recorded on the band's first two albums, "Sister’s Got a Problem" (1993) and "The Blues Don’t Lie" (1994), and worked with musical legends such as Lonnie Mack, Vince Emmett, and producer/musician Sam "Shake" Anderson, known for his work with Tina Turner and Michael Sweet.
In 1995, Shawn joined the Tanita Gaines Revue in Louisville, KY. Tanita had previously performed as a backing vocalist for Patti LaBelle and Aretha Franklin. Later that year, he moved to Rochester, NY, and began performing regionally with The Dragonflys, with whom he also recorded an album. In 1997, Shawn joined Escape, a Journey tribute band based out of Cleveland, touring the U.S. and Canada for three years.
Returning to Cincinnati, he performed with several popular cover bands before joining the original rock band Karizmata in 2004. The band released their debut album "Ripple Effect" to critical acclaim and toured nationally until 2009. That same year, Shawn began touring with Columbus-based indie rock band Red Wanting Blue (Fanatic Records / EMI / Caroline) in support of their successful 8th album, "The Magnificent Miles."
Between 2011 and 2013, Shawn toured nationally with "Toys in the Attic," an Aerosmith tribute band, and later joined modern country act Jimmy Lee King (Silver Sun Records) to support the album "A Thousand Miles Away from Here," which featured songs that appeared in the film Black Dove.
In December 2013, he became the drummer for The Scotty Bratcher Band (WBA Entertainment), touring internationally. In 2018, he founded "One Way to Rock," a Sammy Hagar tribute band under Suncoast Management, celebrating Hagar's music with a lineup of seasoned touring musicians.
Throughout his career, Shawn has shared the stage with an impressive list of artists, including Steve Miller, 7Mary3, Ratt, Doyle Bramhall, Lonnie Mack, Jimmie Vaughan, Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown, Warrant, The Georgia Satellites, Peter Frampton, Robin Trower, Johnny Winter, Boston, Noah Hunt (Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band), Lonnie Brooks, Molly Hatchet, Skid Row, Vince Neil, McGuffey Lane, Loverboy, Pat Travers, and Cinderella.
In 1993, Shawn performed at Farm Aid before a crowd of 30,000 and has since played arenas, theaters, stadiums, and everything in between—cementing his place as a dynamic, road-tested, and versatile force behind the kit.
"From the first time I had the opportunity to try them out, I was hooked.
In over 30 years of touring and studio work, I’ve never played a cymbal with such perfect tone and durability.
I’m a hard hitter, and these cymbals take a relentless beating—and still hold up.
I’ve been part of the Dream family for 10 years, and I can honestly say I’ll never play another cymbal."
Shawn's Dream Setup
Meet Our Artists
Michael Cavanagh
Michael “Cavs” Cavanagh is an Australian drummer best known for his work with the psychedelic rock band King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard. Cavs has been a pivotal member of the band since their formation in 2010. His dynamic drumming style encompasses an array of genres, including psychedelic rock, progressive rock, jazz, and thrash metal.
Cavanagh’s versatility and energy have significantly contributed to the band’s innovative, genre-bending sounds.
Paul Wertico
Paul Wertico, a seven-time Grammy-winning drummer best known for his work with the Pat Metheny Group, has performed with artists like David Bowie and Kurt Elling and released several acclaimed solo albums. Also a dedicated educator, he’s in his 22nd year as Associate Professor of Jazz at Roosevelt University and continues to conduct drum clinics worldwide.
Ben Satterlee
Ben Satterlee has been connected to the drums for as long as he can remember. Raised in Oklahoma, he came up through concert band in middle school and jazz band in high school, earning spots in the Tulsa All-City Band during both his junior and senior years. He credits his early mentors, Mr. Baird (Nimitz Middle School) and Mr. Kirk (Booker T. Washington High School), for fostering his passion and setting him on the path he still follows today.
Though accepted to Berklee College of Music after graduation, Ben chose to continue the momentum he had already built—having played club gigs since the age of 13 and touring regionally by 19. In 2012, he and his wife relocated to Nashville, where his career expanded into touring, recording, and developing his own teaching approach rooted in simplicity, musicality, and real-world application.
Ben is currently in his third year as the touring drummer for Grammy Award–winning Larkin Poe. When he’s not on the road, he’s at home in Nashville spending time with his wife and their four boys.
Dante Foley
Dante Foley (They/Them) is a drummer and video creator from Cleveland, Ohio. Coming from the Cleveland open mic and DIY scene of the 2010s they sat in with many local projects before joining and touring with Cleveland collective Mourning [A] BLKstar. The collective went on to win the Cleveland Arts prize, compose and perform music for Company Christoph Winkler in Berlin, Germany, as well as tour the U.S. and the E.U.
Foley has also traveled the U.S. and E.U. as a guest percussionist in the band Algiers and freestyle percussionist for the Lonnie Holley quartet.
Lia Braswell
Setting out on one’s own is a daunting thing. Whether it’s leaving home, changing careers, or in Lia Braswell’s case, pursuing her first solo musical endeavor, the process is nearly always as fraught as it is illuminating. But on her debut full length, Repetition, Revisions, Temptation, Decisions, she executes the feat with astounding grace.
If Braswell’s name rings a bell, that’s because it should. Having done time as the touring drummer for A Place To Bury Strangers, TR/ST, Le Butcherettes, Sextile, and many others, Braswell has performed on nearly every continent and played internationally renowned festivals such as Coachella and Cruel World. As such, it should come as no surprise that her impressive resumé shines through in the expertly crafted, ethereal dream pop of Repetition, Revisions, Temptations, Decisions. Simultaneously evoking the airy, atmospheric sensibilities of Cocteau Twins, the pop-forward experimentation of Kate Bush, and the hyper-danceable, retro synthwave of contemporary artists like Riki and Nuovo Testamento, Braswell’s self-assured presence as both a songwriter and vocalist results in an effort that bears none of the awkward growing pains one might expect from a new project. Equally arresting is Braswell’s lyrical finesse, with profoundly evocative and delicately personal narratives elevating the already deeply affecting music to heights that border on the sublime.
Moving from the relative anonymity of a drumkit to the revealing illumination of center stage comes with its own unique set of anxiety-inducing challenges, but if Braswell is experiencing any trepidation, it certainly doesn’t show in the quality of her music. Then again, when you’ve already toured with Iggy and the Stooges by age 20, maybe embarking on a solo career seems quaint in comparison. What’s beyond debate is that Braswell has a remarkable knack for songwriting and performance that is self-evident on her stunning debut. Accomplished a career as it already is, Repetition, Revisions, Temptations, Decisions feels like just one more step forward in an ever-growing body of work that is much greater than the sum of its parts.
Escape Ten
Escape Ten is a percussion duo formed by Dr. Annie Stevens and Dr.
Andrea Venet. Escape Ten is passionate about exploring all genres, and expressing it creatively through the colorful world of percussion. The duo performs a varied and exciting spectrum of music- including contemporary, pop, jazz, and classical selections. Repertoire includes their own innovative arrangements, as well as arrangements and compositions written exclusively for the duo.
Escape Ten actively performs around the country and has their own publication series of new percussion duos through Keyboard Percussion Publications (KPP). Recent activity includes a showcase concert at the 2016 PASIC Convention of new keyboard duo works, and Escape Ten's world premiere of their commission, 2300 Degrees by Ivan Trevino in Atlanta’s Spivey Hall.
Escape Ten has been featured artists at the Barnes Foundation, the 35th and 36th Annual Leigh Howard Stevens Marimba Seminars, the Rhea Miller Concert Series, the McCormick Marimba Festival, Minnesota Percussion Association Day of Percussion, University of Central Arkansas, University of North Carolina, Southeast Missouri State, Virginia Tech, the International Trombone Festival, Christopher Newport University, the Virginia Music Educators Association Conference and at the Virginia Humanities Conference at Roanoke College.
Decorated as accomplished soloists, Escape Ten members Annie Stevens and Andrea Venet have both performed and competed throughout the world. Both hold a doctorate in Performance and Literature from the Eastman School of Music. Dr. Stevens is Assistant Professor of Percussion at Virginia Tech Dr. Venet is Assistant Professor of Percussion at the University of North Florida.
Andrea and Annie are both Malletech performing artists, endorse Remo and Dream Cymbals, and are active members of the Percussive Arts Society.
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(Andrea Venet)
Dr. Andrea Venet is the Assistant Professor of Percussion at the University of North Florida where she directs the UNF percussion ensemble, teaches applied lessons, pedagogy, methods and percussion literature. As a passionate educator, Dr. Venet’s research involves pedagogy, with focus on college percussion education at various levels, classical improvisation and historically informed Baroque performance practice techniques for Bach on marimba. Her arrangements and compositions can be found through KPP.
As an international soloist, Dr. Venet has performed at the 5th Annual Marimba Competition in Stuttgart, Perkumania Paris International Marimba Competition, as well as taking 2nd prize at the 2013 PAS KoSA Solo Marimba Competition at New York University. Additionally, Dr. Venet has been a featured soloist with the Eastman Percussion Ensemble, a member of the award winning Santa Clara Vanguard Drum and Bugle Corps, and performed with Grammy winning alternative band TOOL.
(Annie Stevens)
Dr. Annie Stevens is the Assistant Professor of Percussion at the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in Blacksburg, Virginia where she teaches studio percussion and directs the Virginia Tech Percussion Ensemble. As an active soloist and chamber musician throughout the U.S. and internationally, Annie has been featured in recent performances at the Percussive Arts Society International Convention, International Trombone Festival, the International Trumpet Guild, the International Computer Music Conference, and Eastman’s China Connection Ensemble. She has performed with the festival orchestras of the Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara, the National Orchestral Institute in College Park, Maryland, and the Aspen Music Festival. She can be heard on albums, Blue Earth County with the Kelly Rossum Quartet, and Escape Ten’s, Colours of a Groove.