Gritty blues-rocker Shawn James is best known to Bend audiences for his hard-rocking band The Shapeshifters, which last performed in town at the Astro Lounge in 2016. James returns to the venue Wednesday, this time as part of a duo on his acoustic tour. While The Shapeshifters can reach Sabbath levels of heaviness (check out the band’s 2015 album, “The Gospel According to Shawn James & The Shapeshifters”), James’ solo albums have taken a more soulful approach — though not entirely acoustic, as heard in the swampy electric tones that frame his most recent solo effort, 2016’s “On the Shoulders of Giants.” How he’ll reinterpret his songs this time out is anyone’s guess, but probably worth seeing (and not just guessing about).

Shawn James, with Onward, Etc.: 8 p.m. Wednesday; $10 plus fees; Astro Lounge, 939 NW Bond St., Bend; redlightpro.com or 541-388-0116.