Blues stylings hard enough to break your heart but keen enough to keep you listening are the strength of local band Fake I.D.

With covers from famous blues artists Muddy Waters, James Cotton, Allman Brothers, Band, Koko Taylor and many more, Fake I.D. appeals to all audiences.

“The sound of Fake I.D. is unique because we play music that other bands don't play. Our music is moving, upbeat and danceable,” said band leader Duke Shanahan.

What enables Fake I.D. to appeal to a large fan base is that every member of the band is a seasoned, experienced musician. With sophisticated, complicated arrangements, musicians in the crowd are bound to recognize the music, and with the use of well-known melodies and songs, the crowd keeps moving.

Beyond referring to the common method used by young adults to enter bars, Shanahan chose the name Fake I.D. in reference to the blues way of life.

“Some people are hustlers, criminals or just want to get all the kicks in that they can even if it is to break someone's heart. It's the tough life on the street and what reality is all about,” Shanahan said.

Shanahan started the band about three years ago. From its inception the band was well-established with a growing fan base as they played the blues club circuit around the Syracuse, Geneva and Ithaca areas. Band members are Joe Lonsky on keyboards and vocals, Mike Burns on bass and vocals, Jeff Germain on harmonica and lead vocals, Dave Chitamber on drums and Shanahan on lead guitar.

Shanahan has played in bands since high school and has played with well-known artists including Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, the Coasters, the Drifters and Little Anthony. He has since played with the Joe Whiting Band, winning two Syracuse music awards as best rock band, recording two CDs and playing around central New York. Lonsky may be familiar to audiences as well from his big soul band, The Destination, who Shanahan filled in for as a guitarist.

With a wide variety of classic rhythm and blues and soul flavored by jazz, Fake I.D. promises to do more than rock the house - they will scat up the night in their first Auburn performance and chase the blues away with their unique, yet recognizable stylings.