Photo Story: Shakey Graves Wakes Up Boston on the Sleepwalker Tour

News · October 3, 2018

Shakey Graves performs an intensely zealous set on his Sleepwalker Tour at Boston’s House of Blues on September 19, 2018.

It’s hard to pinpoint exactly how Shakey Graves, born Alejandro Rose-Garcia portrays himself on stage. It’s like he has a dual personality. One minute he’s beaming with a warm, familiar smile. The next, he flashes his grin with a reminiscent sense of a small child who secretly knows he’s about to wreck havoc. It’s a mystifying view to behold.

Shakey, born in Austin, Texas, carries his stage presence with an Americana tenacity and a southern heart. He spent a large portion of his set behind the microphone, opting not to shimmy around stage. Despite his physically steady disposition, the power of his voice and the emotions in his facial expressions fill bits of the stage. There is some semblance to the grit and tonal flare of Austin Gibbs seasoned with a Father John Misty-like rawness.

Shakey Graves at the House of Blues in Boston on September 19, 2019.

He opened the set with a classic Shakey Graves: Roll the Bones. The 2011 song plays homage to his first fans and was also the name of his first released record. It’s now only on Spotify as a live version from Audiotree. The song blesses fans with over 40 seconds of pure instrumental. A symphony of a semi-syncopated guitar over a simple beat established by the drum. Roll the Bones encourages listeners to take chances in life. To live every minute to the fullest. That is exactly what Shakey does.

The most standout moment of the set, however, was during Word of Mouth. Towards the end of the song, Shakey sings:

He says, “If you value your job, stay out of crime
If you value the crime, stay out of doors
If you value them doors, you’d better lock ’em son
And if you don’t want to lock ’em, you’d better buy a gun.”

At the end of the verse, at the verbalization of “gun”, Shakey stopped singing, formed his hand into the shape of a gun, pretended to shoot, stopped and got down onto his knees. Hands up and eventually to the back of his head, the poignant movement felt both political and satirical.

Shakey Graves at the House of Blues in Boston on September 19, 2019.

Noted that the previously two mentioned songs are a bit of a throwback for Shakey. However, Counting Sheep and other songs off of his newest record, Can’t Wake Up, were equally impressive. There’s a continuity that carries through all of his records. Although Can’t Wake Up feels softer, more sentimental, there’s still an electric buzz and groove that feels as familiar as And the War Came.

I have nothing but respect for multi-instrumentalists like Shakey. Seeing such a passionate artist who has excelled at his craft over the years is such a treat.