Shakey Graves at The Riviera Theatre in Chicago on Sept. 26, 2018
“I can’t wait for summer / I can’t wait for spring,” the artist known as Shakey Graves beautifully laments on “Excuses,” his sing-songy tune of vindication for the stingy-hearted. There was no need for Chicago music fans to wait for a sunny season to enjoy the Can’t Wake Up track, as the city was amidst its transition to the complexities of fall when the transcendent troubadour stopped by the Riviera Theatre for a genre-defying performance on the evening of Sept. 26.
With Can’t Wake Up, Alejandro Rose-Garcia – the man behind the moniker Shakey Graves – has expanded beyond his previous status as a one-man singing, songwriting marvel into an artist who cannot be contained by genre or expectations. In the live setting – joined by a full band including Chris Boosahda (drums), Patrick O’Connor (guitar) and Jon Shaw (bass) – Rose-Garcia cultivated an experience that was at once psychedelic, jam-based and grungy all tied together in an elaborate Americana bow.
The previously-mentioned “Excuses” appeared mid-set – following a stripped down solo opening of “Nobody’s Fool,” “Roll the Bones” and “Word of Mouth” delivered by the musician, his guitar and suitcase-turned-kick-drum in tow – as the final number in the “Garth Nazarth” trilogy during the Wednesday night concert. While the studio version is rooted in tradition, on stage the tune evolved into a galactic jam as Rose-Garcia unraveled into a vessel for savage strums.
In one of the evening’s many highlights, “Excuses” seamlessly transitioned into “The Perfect Parts” – with solos noisy and precise – during which Rose-Garcia momentarily escaped the spell of improvisation happening between bandmates to lead the crowd in an infectious call and response interlude. With pristine vocals and a virtuoso’s command of the guitar, simply playing everything “by the book” would be too easy. Disregarding logic, Rose-Garcia managed to make purposefully wrong notes sound right – and intriguing – on “Mansion Door.”
Shakey Graves at The Riviera Theatre in Chicago on Sept. 26, 2018
Bathed in colorful, surreal projections, the entire set had an aura of late-sixties acid rock while the classic storytelling on tracks like “Big Bad Wolf” and “Dearly Departed” – the latter of which all but brought the house down near the end of the night – conjured thoughts of great American folk singers. Grunge-era distortion and feedback peppered the more raucous jams, particularly on an eerie, elevated cover of Nirvana’s “Something in the Way,” which drove home Rose-Garcia’s alternative influences during the latter portion of the performance. He even incorporated the charming harmonies of indie rock by tapping the Los Angeles-based five-piece The Wild Reeds to open the concert with infectious tunes off their first two LPs and previews of new material off their forthcoming third album.
The Wild Reeds The Riviera Theatre in Chicago on Sept. 26, 2018
This tour, more than ever, is shining a light on the versatility of Rose-Garcia and spotlighting his unwillingness to be defined by anything other than putting on an incredible show.
It can be hard to watch your favorite artists evolve and change – e.g. Bob Dylan’s infamous first embrace of all things electric – but, when done right, fans enjoy a multitude of musical experiences that lead to a life-long love of surprising and satisfying music. Rose-Garcia’s continued exploration of expanding sounds paired with personal storytelling is going to be fun for both artist and audience, especially when it comes to performing imaginative, complex and incredibly enjoyable concerts.
Check out photos from Shakey Graves’ Sept. 26 performance at the Riviera Theatre in Chicago above and head over to Shakeygraves.com for additional tour dates and information.
(Photos by Laurie Fanelli)