A side project launched by DAMN YANKEES colleagues TOMMY SHAW of STYX and Jack Blades of RUBICON and NIGHT RANGER, drumming duties were shared by erstwhile JOURNEY drummer Steve Smith and DAMN YANKEES skinsman Michael Cartellone. The 1995 'Hallucination' album was a more acoustic oriented affair than the harder hitting Arena Rock familiar to fans of DAMN YANKEES.

The pair would unite once again during 2004 to cut an album of cover songs entitled 'Influence'. By March they had revealed a set comprising SIMON & GARFUNKEL's 'Sounds Of Silence' and 'I Am A Rock', BADFINGER's 'No Matter What', STEELY DAN's 'Dirty Work', YES' 'Your Move', BUFFALO SPRINGFIELD's 'For What It's Worth' and EMERSON, LAKE & PALMER's 'Lucky Man'. Italian label Frontiers Records issued the 'Influence' album in February 2007, this record entering the US Billboard charts at number 117. SHAW/BLADES US tour dates took the duo through March and April.

A stripped down acoustic version of DAMN YANKEES' 'High Enough' was contributed to the 'VH1 Metal Mania Stripped Volume 3' compilation album issued through Sidewinder Music in March 2007.