I Was a Fan of Doug Shaw
(Highlife)
Remembering the multi-genre musician, who was adored by New York’s independent music scene.
3:20 PM EDT on June 01, 2026
On Friday, on the way to see a show at Brooklyn Paramount, I read that Doug Shaw, a widely-beloved New York independent musician and songwriter, had died of a stroke at the age of 43.
The last time I was at the Paramount, to see Cindy Lee last November, I recognized Shaw in the crowd on the way out. I had seen on social media that he had been working on an album with Animal Collective’s Josh “Deakin” Dibb, so I walked up and told Shaw, “Can’t wait for the album.” He looked at me, a stranger, startled, and asked, “What album? She has a new album?” (He thought I meant Cindy Lee.) I said, “Nah, man, your album!” He said, “Oh. I don’t think anyone’s ever said that to me before.” I shook his hand and sped out the door.
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