Last Thursday night, Shakey Graves started off his 2021 tour in his hometown of Austin, Texas at Stubb’s Waller Creek Amphitheater. Shakey is known for his honest lyrics, cheerful demeanor, and guitar licks that combine the perfect elements of blues, folk, and rock n’ roll.
It was a hot night, nearly 102 F when the show began, but there was a cheerful buzz that echoed throughout the crowd. I heard many people remark how they couldn’t believe it has been over a year since they’d seen a show or how excited they were to be back. The chatter never really ended, in fact the constant conversation acted as a second back-up singer.
Although there was a certain rustiness that came with human interaction and discomfort that is associated with big crowds, everyone seemed to love it.
Shakey Graves was also clearly reveling in his performance. Throughout his two hour performance, his smile never left his face. He began the night wearing an all black ensemble, then donned a sparkly jacket that he joked made him feel like a “beautiful disco ball,” before emerging for his final song wearing nothing more than boxer-briefs.
Graves opened the show with the title-track of his re-issued debut album, Roll the Bones (2011), which just celebrated its tenth anniversary. The expanded Roll the Bones X (2021) was released earlier this year and found its way to the Top 5 of Billboard’s charts. Graves played from his entire discography, however, and even included a cover of David Bowie’s “Starman.”
Mid-way through his encore, Shakey offered a final thought with the crowd, “As you go out into this big beautiful world, enjoy every step as if it’s a new one. you never know what will happen.”
After what feels like forever, it’s official, live music is back.
Article and photos by Makaila Heifner