The MFJS Reporter — Winter 2020 M-W

The tour is defined by Alejandro as a glimpse of what is coming next, as he is touring in the spring with The Lumineers and Jade Bird. He set up the tour to be a set of experimental arrangements that are in the same location for multiple nights in a row to create a unique environment. 

Shakey Graves produces a fusion of smoky and folk sounds by being his own singer, songwriter and guitarist.

“The first song I heard from Shakey Graves was in 2016 ‘Tomorrow’ in my friend’s car, and absolutely loved listening to him as I studied,” Bergen Sullivan, a sophomore at the University of Denver said.

He opened up with five solo songs, with the first being “Nobody’s Fool.” His soft and mellow vocals immediately washed around the room and grabbed the audience’s attention, as everyone was waiting in the frigid cold on the 13th street of Boulder trying to get upfront for the sold out show. 

Many DU students were excited to have a change of scenery during week five of winter quarter.

“I thought the fog machines were a nice touch. It made the room feel ominous,” Emma Brugman, a freshman at the University of Denver said.

After the captivating solo set was over, Shakey brought out the full band. This consisted of six up-beat folky tunes that put the crowd in a jazzy sway. The percussion mixed with the violin created a beautiful melody to the ear during “Pansy Waltz.”

“It was just a really nice vibe, their music makes me feel super calm and content. During Pansy Waltz everyone just sang and danced around and it was nice to be in a crowd that felt respectful of each other, it was not aggressive or pushy like at other concerts,” Sullivan happily noted.

The set design was extremely calming due to the cool tone lighting, and mostly white light illuminating only Alejandro and his guitar. There were no other distractions, but rather everyone in the same room enjoying folk tunes on a cold Wed. evening in Boulder. 

I always love when concert-goers can strictly appreciate the music, and not need any crazy light show or graphics to make the concert complete.

“Mr. Shakey sang his new single “a world so full of love” which along with being a well played Americana song, is also a powerful ode to the cultural climate of the world today. The song’s blunt chorus that goes “in a world so full of love, yet not enough to go around” inspired us,” Brugman passionately stated. 

Shakey also weaved in an experimentation of new music. These songs will be in an upcoming release and they are titled “Look Alive,” “Not Wife” and “The Recipe.” The audience could see the visible excitement as Shakey played new music that has not been released yet. Fox Theatre filled with light while hearing these new tunes.

The show came to an end with an energized beckoning in the crowd asking for an encore. Alejandro came out to sing a solo titled “Word of Mouth,” and “Call It Heaven” with Esme Patterson, an indie folk singer from Denver, Colorado.

“I do remember I wanted to see him at the very end of my senior year of high school, so I was super pumped to be able to go here,” Sullivan said.

The Shakey Graves acoustic show was unlike anything I have experienced. People can truly tell how much effort he has put into his music and the tour.

Shakey’s next stops will be in Austin then St. Louis. He will be ending his acoustic tour in Cambridge, Mass. on Feb. 25, and will be off to Punta Cana and South Africa for the Splashy Fen Festival. His next tour begins in Tuscaloosa, Alabama on May 13. 

“I look forward to seeing him again in concert!” Sullivan exclaimed.