Shakey Graves. The Austin-born musician (aka Alejandro Rose-Garcia), came through St. Louis on the fourteenth night of his 16-city And the War Came — 10th Anniversary Tour. And it was a gem of a night that kicked off with Toronto-based singer/songwriter Ruby Waters.
Waters began busking at age 13 and released her first EP in 2019. She then won a Juno Award for her 2021 EP, If It Comes Down to It. Her folky/indie-rock sound has led some to describe her as a “connoisseur of sad music.” On this Monday night at The Pageant, Waters, flanked by touring band members, performed about 45 minutes of her sweet, flowing sound and also included a cover of Missourian Sheryl Crow’s “If It Makes You Happy.”
Fans swelled when Rose-Garcia, aka Shakey Graves, took to the stage a bit after 9 p.m. Throughout the night, the crowd laughed, sang their hearts out, and rejoiced. This run has seen the roots/indie singer/songwriter/rocker surrounded by a tight group of musicians that includes Taylor Craft on bass, drummer Matt Pence, guitarist Patrick O’Connor, and Dancey Jenkins on keys.
The group performed an exquisite 95-minute show that included stories from Rose-Garcia that were touching and also funny. An example included when he dedicated “Hard Wired” to “your bulletproof sketchiest of friends.”
The moody lighting contributed to the dazzling, flawless-appearing (and sounding) evening full of fan favorites, mostly from And the War Came, that included the wavy, rolling “Family and Genus” and the fuzzy, “If Not for You.”
The night ended with one of Shakey Graves’ most popular songs, the guitar-pickin’, rootsy/jam sounding “Tomorrow.”
Fans will harken back to this night and “Call It Heaven” on a cool, spring night during the full flower moon in St. Louis.
See all photos from the night in this link: https://bit.ly/ShakeyGraves25cz
Shakey Graves setlist: https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/shakey-graves/2025/the-pageant-st-louis-mo-6b5cbae6.html
