Shakey Graves is an impressive tale of a musician gradually morphing a one-man busking operation into one of the most cinematic and captivating acts on tour today.
The talented Alejandro Rose-Garcia has become a widely known and deeply beloved figure creating a mysterious and fiery brew of sounds that some call Americana but is unquestionably all to his own.
It began just with Rose-Garcia himself, oftentimes at festivals by himself with just a guitar and homemade percussion setup. Now, it features Shakey and a host of the skilled players he’s befriended along a fruitful path that has seen him play on stages far and wide and amass a hoard of zealous followers.
Parklife DC checked in with Mr. Graves not long ago, as the Austin-born artist played The Atlantis in early August as part of the new venue’s opening series of 44 shows. And even then, Alejandro expressed his giddiness for the night that was to become a sold-out, electrifying evening at 9:30 Club this past Monday evening.
Listen to Shakey Graves’ latest album, Movie of the Week, via Spotify:
He’s out on tour in support of his fourth full studio album, Movie of the Week, and fans packed the most popular venue in the nation’s capital on Nov. 13 to hear him deliver a marvelous set of music presented in vivid and flashing form.
A celebratory night for both artists and attendees alike, the performance featured the unexpected interlude of two attendees being invited up on stage for a scene that unfolded into an emotional wedding proposal, with Shakey himself visibly overjoyed at the sight of two young sweethearts and at the sound of the proposer’s voice trembling.
Though — as 9:30 Club staff pointed out — it was the third on-stage proposal the venue’d seen in a week’s time, it made this highly anticipated visit that much more memorable and rewarding for those fortunate enough to be there.
Watch the official music video for Shakey Graves’ “Evergreen” via the artist’s YouTube channel:
Setlist
Hard Wired
Excuses
Ready or Not
The Recipe
Devil May Care
Business Lunch
Century City
Play It Where It Lies
Playing Along
Tomorrow (solo)
Kids These Days (solo)
Foot of your Bed
Mansion Door
Counting Sheep
Big in the World
Family and Genus
Look Alive
Encore
Blue Jay Way (The Beatles)
Roll The Bones (solo)
Dearly Departed
Here are home-developed/home-scanned 35mm film images of Shakey Graves along with the night’s opening act, Sadurn out of Philadelphia, performing at 9:30 Club in Washington D.C. the night of Nov. 13, 2023. All images copyright and courtesy of Casey Ryan Vock.
Sadurn
