Whiskey Shivers and Shakey Graves - Live and Breathing Tour

I finally made my return to my favorite place on earth, the Blue Light, on Saturday just in time to catch the final night of the Live and Breathing Tour. I had never heard of Shakey Graves or Whiskey Shivers, who both played before Rodney Parker and 50 Peso Reward.

I got to see Whiskey Shivers do sound check and it was just a tease. I couldn't wait to hear more. I think the photo I put on Instagram said they made me want to wear a prairie dress and drink moonshine. I couldn't sit still. I instantly pinned their sound as the love-child of Dirty River Boys and Old Crow Medicine Show. Their website (which I am obsessed with, by the way because I'm a design nerd) hit the nail on the head.

"A freewheelin', trashgrassin', folk tornado, the Whiskey Shivers take traditional instrumentation, soak it in gasoline and send it into outer space. Breakneck speeds, killer grooves and impeccable musicianship: it's enough to make Bill Monroe himself do a double-take as he spins in his grave."

 Trashgrass... love it.

I felt like I was in the Twilight Zone or something because I had never seen so many hipsters in Lubbock in my life. I guess they just came out of the woodwork for this show because the floor was packed with true blue fans. The energy of this band was out of this world too. I think my favorite moment was when they finished playing and the crowd demanded another song, so they came out into the middle of the people and played one last song. I had never seen anyone do that at Blue Light before and luckily I was standing up high enough that I could see what was going on.

I don't know how I've missed out on WS for so long, but I hope they are back in Lubbock soon. They've got a new fan in me.

This video creeps me the hell out but it is so creative I had to share it.



This one really captures their live energy. So much fun to watch!

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Shakey Graves played just before Whiskey Shivers. He's one of those people that can play about 30 instruments at once and sound like a full band... you know, like the Dr. Suess guy...  

Anyway, I'd never heard of Shakey Graves either so I just assumed it was a whole band, not one guy. He was very Lincoln Durham/Ryan Bingham sounding with some Charlie Shafter thrown in. I can't even stomp my feet and clap my hands at the same time without looking like I need to ride the little yellow bus to school, so I was incredibly impressed with his ability to play a suitcase drum backwards with both feet while playing guitar and singing. In front of people.(He also had a huge following of hipsters crowding the stage.)

Check it out: