It’s probably unfair that Michelle Shocked’s name conjures an image of her in handcuffs as she struggled with police at the 1984 Democratic National Convention in San Francisco.
If you go
Michelle Shocked with the Roadworks All-Stars
Where: Jammin’ Java, 227 Maple Ave. E., Vienna
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday
Info: $25; 703-255-1566; jamminjava.com
Of course Shocked used the photo (which was published on the front page of the San Francisco Examiner) of herself in the chokehold on the cover of one of her best-known albums, “Short Sharp Shocked.” Even her professional name (she was born Karen Michelle Johnston) is a reminder of that day; when asked her name by police, she said Michelle Shocked, as a play on the term “shellshocked.” But despite what some think, the woman is about much more than that one day. “By nature I am a spiritual person,” Shocked said. “I was a rebellious youth. I ran away from home and was attracted to … political activism and a commitment to social justice. My rebellion wasn’t nihilism where I’d get wasted out of my mind.”
The child of a Mormon military couple, Shocked said her maturation has brought her to realize that her activism was often spawned by a spiritual essence. For that reason, it seems almost natural that her re-released of the 1992 album “Arkansas Traveler” brings her full circle. After all, Shocked grew up in East Texas with country-flavored tunes among her earliest influences.
Even though she was raised a Mormon, Shocked said her memories are secular and involved socializing with military families that lived in the same area. It wasn’t until adulthood that she truly appreciated religion and her rootsy background. She was born again more than 15 years ago, and that has also guided her musical journey.
“For me, this is a time of a spiritual path,” Shocked said. “As maturity sets in, it becomes a real integration with youthful idealism.”
Of course others haven’t always embraced Shocked’s musical directions. When she released “ToHeavenURide,” she was criticized by some for her lack of gospel background. The criticism came as no surprise to her.
“I don’t have that training,” Shocked said. “What I really bring to the party is the passion and enthusiasm that I found on an exploration and a commitment to myself.”
