Ask any country star how he or she made it big in Nashville, and that someone will come up some variation of catching the eye of a suit-and-tie record executive after slogging it out in the bars.

There's a group from Pittsburgh, however, who is already "making it" in the home of country music simply by earning a living playing those Nashville bars, night after night. You might not yet have heard of Shawn and Hobby yet, but they're that much closer to being noticed.

"My dad's side of the family is from Bloomfield and Garfield," recalls Howard "Hobby" Weiss III, 30. "I had been playing in bands all my life, and moved from Chicago to Pittsburgh to take care of my grandfather.

"After he passed away, I started playing at open mic nights."

Weiss found that showcasing original material (influenced by Neil Young, John Prine and "No Depression" alt-country acts such as the Old 97s and the Bloodshot Records roster) was easy at the Calliope Songwriters' Tuesday nights at the Bloomfield Bridge Tavern. There, Weiss met his songwriting companion, Shawn Lacy, 27.

"It was a great venue to try new material and get a critical response, [because] most people in the audience were songwriters themselves. Shawn and I started talking, and he asked me if I could play slide guitar. I lied and said yes."

That brief deception was no barrier to their budding friendship, as they began woodshedding at Lacy's Heinz Lofts. Lacy was working part-time for the Froggy stations. "He had exposure to music that was coming through Pittsburgh and knew how the radio station worked, so we used all our resources to help us along, and we started booking gigs as an acoustic duo."

A favorite initial place to perform was Fix's Inn on the South Side, but soon more opportunities arose. "We'd play the Thunderbird, which was our home base, because I used to run an open mic and also bartended there. I still have a great relationship with [owner] John [Pergal], so we have a regular spot where our friends can come out in a relaxed atmosphere."

The duo's developed to a point where they had a growing backlog of songs that they believed were good and wanted to record. Through mutual friends, the pair were introduced to Chris Lohr, guitarist of The Yards, who had a home studio in Carrick. In turn, Lohr acquainted them with the other two people who wound up playing on their album -- drummer Ron Lavella (also of The Yards) and bassist Sam Grumet (Ford Thurston Band). "During the recording process for the EP, Shawn and I fell in love with their musical proficiency," recalls Weiss. "So after discussing it for a brief period, we asked all three if they wanted to become our band."

Playing regionally with the Povertyneck Hillbillies and opening for the likes of Merle Haggard, The Guess Who and David Allen Coe at the Pepsi-Cola Roadhouse was one thing. But relocating to Nashville was another. A short trip there proved fruitful. "They were showcasing for anyone who would show up, so we played three shows in one day at Tootsie's and Cadillac Ranch to see what kind of response we'd get down there, especially from musicians. Overwhelmingly, it was terrific."

Even though Froggy was playing their song "Lay Me Down" ("it's more of our country side"), the group felt they had to take the next step to further their careers, so they moved lock, stock, and barrel to Tennessee. "Chris and Sam went first to build a new studio, then Ron, Shawn and myself followed about two months later. We all arrived here with money saved up and places rented."

They discovered that Nashville had attracted an exodus of a dozen musicians from Pittsburgh's rock scene -- those who once played in bands such as Too Tall Jones and Brownie Mary, and packed now-defunct clubs such as Nick's Fat City, Laga and Rosebud. "At a certain point with them, just like with us, there was a creative ceiling in Pittsburgh," Weiss explains.

With the help of a friend, the Shawn and Hobby Band got up on stage at a bar called the Second Fiddle, auditioning in front of the manager, Kent Williams. "We did five original songs, and he loved us and asked if we could play a four-hour time slot at 6-10 p.m. the next day."

That seemed impossible for the group, which was used to playing an hour-long set. However, the band assembled every song they knew and steeled themselves for a marathon gig. Soon, they moved to the prime 10 p.m.-2 a.m. slot, and have since expanded into several clubs. "We now play five nights a week in Nashville at three different venues: The Stage, Tin Roof and Crossroads," says Weiss. "Six nights, if you count a weekly acoustic show."

With a steady audience, the group re-recorded the EP and added four new songs for a full-length debut, simply titled "The Shawn and Hobby Band," which was released last year. Meanwhile, the sound had evolved into "what our collective voice is," says Weiss. "I would call it rock AND country -- as opposed to rockin' country -- with an emphasis on harmonies and really tight rhythm."

Weiss feels privileged for the chance to pursue his profession in one of the great music meccas. But not wanting to spin their wheels in the bar scene forever, Shawn and Hobby have taken the initiative to record their own complete live concert, which will be available in less than a month. "The video company that did it is from Pennsylvania -- Dream Maker Nation Productions. We did a live DVD and live CD combination package as a promotional and marketing tool."

The idea behind the package was to transcend the limitations of a droll press kit. "Instead of handing a bunch of [papers] to agents and managers, you give them an exact representation of what you can do on a live stage. That way, they don't have to listen to a studio recording and try to guess whether or not it'll be a good live show."

Shawn and Hobby hope to use the DVD as a vehicle (along with a van, of course) to get them out on the road and spread the band's name. "We've made the connections, so now we're hoping to deliver a product that's going to be professional. It stands to reason that if it's well-received in Nashville, it should hold up in any market."

If that sounds too much like an ambitious, businesslike power-point presentation to you, don't worry -- these guys aren't going to forget their pals in the Steel City or the camaraderie they've cemented.

"Pittsburgh is ultimately our roots as a band, and where we've established the name. We're growing in small increments because we control everything that we do, from songwriting to recording, from production to release, to the live shows. So if at some point we get signed, we'll all sink or swim together."

"Listen Up With Andrew Druckenbrod" and "The Beat With Scott Mervis" are available exclusively at PG+, a members-only web site of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Our introduction to PG+ gives you all the details.