(Alejandro Rose-Garcia) took the stage solo last night at the Ogden sporting a trucker cap, a sweet Texas smirk before announcing he was going to “kick this off with a nice reasonable song.” He went right into his 2012 song “The Donor Blues.” The song was a soft intro and set up the night for unrelenting shifts in energy and tempo.
Rose-Garcia, known for being a solo act up until his 2014 And The War Came, has the innate ability to fill the stage with sounds that feel like he’s backed by a full band. Rose-Garcia’s raspy vocals led the crowd right into his 2011 “Proper Fence” and then into “Call It Heaven.”
He then brought in the drummer, but because of Rose-Garcia’s iconic kick drum (actually a modified suitcase), the shift was slight–more of a compliment to his set than a necessary addition. They rolled into “If Not For You” with a strong beat and wicked guitar intro. And then he brought in the rest of the band. A departure from his mostly one-man band days, Rose-Garcia took a pause and said “Oh, look! I have a band!”
Rose-Garcia’s raspy vocals softened the hard strum of his guitar and the loud beat of the band which was beautifully showcased in “Family and Genus.” Shakey Graves broke up the set with stories and laughter. He wasn’t in Denver just to play music; it was clear he was here to make the crowd understand where it all comes, too. Rose-Garcia shifts vocals without warning and slows and speeds tempo at an uncomfortable speed, but it’s all done with purpose.
When Graves announced that the next song was “written down the street,” the crowd erupted. With one note and a smile he quickly went into the award-winning “Dearly Departed.” Written with Esme Patterson (formerly of Colorado’s Paper Bird) on Halloween, the song fit perfectly into the chilly October night.
Shakey Graves didn’t pause or slow the pace. It was all red lights and hard beats as the band quickly went into “To Cure What Ails,” “Where A Boy Once Stood” and “The Perfect Parts.” Before going into the encore Rose-Garcia made a point to replace his trucker cap with a beanie and with that he jetted into “Hard Wired” and wrapped with the simple “Late July.” Before leaving the stage, Graves took a moment to graciously thanks the crowd, telling them it was “a surreal honor.”
Set List:
The Donor Blues
Proper Fence
Call It Heaven
Roll The Bones
If Not For You
Family and Genus
Once In A While
Only Son
Dearly Departed
To Cure What Ails
Where A Boy Once Stood
If Not For You
The Perfect Parts
Encore:
Hard Wired
Late July
