Shakey Graves
with Dr. Dog + Caroline Rose
8.17.19 at Surly Brewing Company
Photos + Review by Morgan Winston
Is there anything better than a Shakey Graves outdoor concert accompanied by food trucks and great beer? Surly Brewing Company hosted yet another amazing lineup of artists this past Saturday night as part of their summer concert series. Although the season is wrapping up, this Shakey Graves + Dr. Dog + Caroline Rose combo provides excitement for next year’s schedule.
Caroline Rose took to the stage first in all of her red memorabilia glory. After hearing about this energetic artist for awhile, I was not disappointed. Her punchy lyrics and dynamic stage presence made for an excellent set. Philadelphia-based Dr. Dog put on an amazing performance as the sun set on the evening. Their more popular tracks like “Where’d All the Time Go?” and “Nellie” were great to hear live, as their live setup adds a fuller and more robust element to the recorded material.
Finally, it was time for Shakey Graves to take the stage. Alejandro Rose-Garcia is a phenomenal musician with a wonderful voice. When seeing him perform, one can see where his vocal grit comes from. When he really digs into a note or a melody, the emotion and impact is amplified. I was pleased to hear some personal favorites and newer songs off of 2018’s Can’t Wake Up. The stage design followed Can’t Wake Up’s theme, with purple building cutouts and fluffy cotton clouds floating initials “SG” in the center. The packed crowd was eating out of the palm of his hand until the final notes floated out over the surrounding area. I’ll be thinking about this amazing night of music for a long time.
