Photos + Review | Shakey Graves + Joe Sundell + Esme Patterson @ The Sinclair

Ryan Doyon

Oct 27, 2014 — 4 min read

Well last Friday night the sold-out Sinclair crowd was treated to a spectacular show of rock n’ roll force when Austin musician, Alejandro Rose-Garcia, aka Shakey Graves, reminded us all of how a great live show is supposed to go down. Along for the ride were fellow Texas musician Joe Sundell and Denver songstress Esme Patterson, both of whom paved the way to our collective hearts with fantastic opening sets.

Shakey took to the stage to thunderous applause and immediately kicked into the high-octane number “Roll The Bones,” which got everyone shaking along as the night’s ringleader stomped his boots on the suitcase kick-drum placed behind him, filling the empty space with enough sound that if your eyes were closed you might have thought there was a full band on stage.

He wasn’t always on his own up there however. As he is touring with Esme it would be most prudent to invite the talented musician, who played a major role in the recording of Shakey Graves’ new album And The War Came, up on stage to sing along on the tunes she helped create. The playful “Big Time Nashville Star” shines as a live number, with Garcia and Patterson evoking Johnny and June Carter Cash, and the already fan favorite, “Dearly Departed,” creating a moment of mass hysteria.

When accompanied on stage by his friends and bandmates, Garcia’s showmanship was in full display. As a one-man band his presence commands attention, and the audience is riveted. As a player amongst fellow musicians he lives up to his Texas gentleman reputation and lets each performer shine and elevate every one of his songs to new heights. Touching on tracks from both his full-length albums, Garcia kept his longtime fans thoroughly engaged while deftly welcoming his newest fans to the friendly fold.

Shakey’s partner in crime, Esme Patterson, opened the show with a killer rock n’ roll set that placed the bar high for the following acts. Patterson released her fantastic new album, Woman to Woman, back in April and drew the crowd in with catchy hooks and overall guitar prowess that had those lucky enough to be there early totally enraptured.

I’d imagine that taking the stage right before Shakey Graves would be tough on a lot of folks, but Austin’s Joe Sundell handled the task like a seasoned pro. Performing tracks from his recently released sophomore album, The Hat Thief, Sundell sat atop a kick-drum and played his banjo like a man possessed by an entire old-timey Delta Blues band. He had the crowd clapping along with Southern fury.

Have a gander at the amazing photos taken by Music Savage contributor Steve Benoit of Boston Concert Photography… and be sure to catch Shakey live if he happens to make his way to your town. You will not be disappointed!