I saw Shakey perform this in Dallas a couple of years ago. When the end of the song came, he let the crowd choose the tempo by clapping. Despite being decently drunk, he was playing insanely fast and ended up turning around and kicking his suitcase drum with his boot. At the very end he kicked a hole straight through the drum head then stumbled off stage. People went nuts. Best ending to a concert ever
Saw him at a festival two years ago and he was more than decently drunk, spent the whole time rambling, started songs without finishing them, really let everyone down. I hope he gets his act together before the devil comes to collect
You should check out his self created three part documentary. They take a 600# two inch tape machine on tour. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-E0rcaJ9YInc.html
Check out “The Teacher (interlude)” on Shakey’s newest album “Roll the Bones X” explains the whole inbetween C# and D thing he talks about in this video.
This is 100% my favorite Shakey Graves tune. I think my favorite aspect of it is that he's never truly decided how the song will ever sound. Multiple live recordings of this song by him and every single recording of this song is different. Some people say lazy, I say brilliant. Songs don't need to sound the same every time, especially considering music is such a viscerally empowering activity to participate whether playing or listening to it!
Could not agree more with this! I've been learning this and also realised that it's always a little unique every time he plays it. Which can be both a blessing and a curse for my perfectionist mentality! 😅
“Momma should be proud of me, cause I lived like a man, now I’ll die like a king,” is possibly the greatest song line ever written. The main character is justifying his own actions throughout the whole song, giving an unreliable narrative of how he was living peacefully until he was arrested and sentenced to death, but views death as “the big leagues,” so we know he thinks highly of himself - of course he’s saying he will die like a king. But the metaphor is that kings sit in a throne, with a crown on their head. He views the electric chair as his throne, and the device that will shock him to death as his crown. It’s just…. Brilliant.
We wandered into Uncle Billy's BBQ at the Oasis Restaurant on Lake Travis in Austin, Texas, around 2002. Some guy we never heard of began playing his one man band. It was Shakey. We were beyond amazed. Amazed! I will never forget.
Yelled “Droopy Weiners!” at one of his shows in Louisville KY and he said he loves how that still follows him. Check out him playing this song in other videos, he gives very different feel to each version and plays it slightly different
It's always fun to go and watch some of Shakey Graves videos from when he was younger. The way he plays this song has changed so much. I really love the version of this song he plays on Audiotree and also the KEXP performance.
Seen him 3 times now. His tour without his whole band was the last show we went to a few weeks before everything shut down for quarantine. Played 3 nights in a row in St. Louis. It was fantastic!
Matt grew up behind my house when I was a kid. He has always been incredible. I remember him making banjos out of cigar boxes before he even knew how to play them. His old band Deep Chatham is one of my favs of all time.
Now that you've heard this version, give his Audiotree version a watch. I know you probably want to showcase different artists, but his Audiotree version of Late July is the most unreal experience I've had. I've watched it hundreds of times and it still gives me chills. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-3GCBnwVVAn0.html
Dude for real no joke blew my mind when I first hurd that version. He has never really played it the same as he did there, it sounds different every time, but that one was out of this world intense. I really wish he played that video instead,
Thanks Michael. Once again your enthusiasm and sheer love and enjoyment of music rings true..Uplifting to see.Great artist . Thanks for switching me on.Best wishes.Be good.
Second this, I feel it's so integral to appreciating Shakey to see how differently he plays some of his songs. The way he plays this song on the Audiotree recordings really shows it
You should really listen to "The tallest man on earth" he is a great picker, would recommend The tallest man on earth "Revelation Blues" - City of Music The Tallest Man On Earth - "What I've Been Kicking Around" (Live at WFUV) ONE of the reasons why i started playing guitar Love the vids as always!
Samathos me too! When he does “where does my bluebird fly” and you think you know what his right hand is doing for all of 10 seconds and then breaks your fucking ankles if you are trying to keep up. Its magic.
This is the first video by him I saw. I was absolutely blown away. Glad to see it on your channel and see you react the same way I did when I first heard it!
Once this virus is over, I strongly recommend seeing Shakey play live. I go to concerts regularly for all different genres and Shakey is easily one of my favorite artists. Similarly to how to told a story in the begging of this video, he tells stories and connects with his audience when he plays live shows. Even sold at shows as large venues like Red Rocks feels very intimate during a Shakey Graves concert. Not to mention his talent is top-notch.
I got to see Shakey live last night. It was amazing. He blew the roof off the place. Tight playing, great crowd interaction, and he's a genuinely funny guy. If you ever have a chance, see him live!
It's true genius. I've played guitar for over a decade but some people are just built different. They hear things differently and follow their own path. Shakey is one of those people, he marches to the beat of his own makeshift drum lol.
I'm so happy that you like this. I love Shakey Graves!! This video and the video of him performing Daisy Chains live on KEXP at Pickathon we're what turned me on to his music several years ago. I remember purchasing the Roll The Bones album from Bandcamp several years ago and now I have the 10th anniversary version of the album on vinyl. If you haven't yet already, check out his live video of Word Of Mouth on Audiotree.
Not a musician but LOVE great music. New subscriber to your channel after watching you view Timberlake & Stapleton. I remember seeing that live & had to go back & watch it again knowing that I had just witnessed something truly amazing. Enjoy watching you give your take on these videos. And you just introduced me to Shakey Graves. WOW!
I can barely walk and chew gum all at the same time let alone try to play foot pedal drum and foot pedal tambourine for the best. THEN, sing and play the guitar. That’s god given talent.
I believe I have cried binge watching your videos. I just recently started watching. I am not a musician, I believe I was told I was tone def. The passion that show and the love of music that you have is so impressive to me. You make me want to learn how to play guitar I just don’t know how or even if I can. I suffered a broken neck 14 years ago and still have some nerve damage in my hands. I can walk and live a “normal” life but I would love your advice on taking steps to learn how to play. I absolutely love your videos and how you allow us mundanes to understand and appreciate music on a higher level. I don’t get this emotional, but you have struck a chord in my heart and I want to follow it. I just need some assistance. Thank you again, you even made my girlfriend cry!
Brian. Dude thanks for this, and you can totally do it. Lots of people have learned to play with nerve damage and overcame it. Email me at support@guitargate.com and I’ll help however I can!
I found your channel watching some videos about lessons. Been playing for 18 years off and on, your channel has inspired me to really woodshed and git'good.
This version of this song was my introduction to Shakey in the summer of 2018, and was the reason during the same summer that I bought both a Danelectro Honeytone and an Art & Lutherie guitar-not the Palor one Shakey’s playing, but the Concert Hall one-and I’m pretty happy with both. Oh, and also that summer I named an impromptu pub quiz team “Spooky Wagons,” and I’m pretty happy with that too. I ever get back to going to pub quiz nights much again, all teams must be Spooky Wagons.
BTW Michael - Shakey often plays in open tunings. Nobody’s Fool is open D, Roll the Bones is C# I believe. Speaking of - Nobody’s Fool is a great one to cover!
These little descending chromatic melody lines hidden in his voicings make each chord literally 50000x better. He makes it seem like there's literally no wrong notes haha
I also came across Tyler Childers and Colter Wall a while back, another great artist who I've seen live a few times, an English fellow named Marcus Bonfanti, A great song of his - Devil Girl... hes very bass / bluesy you will love it!
Hi Michael.. Dig your channel now for many years. I was on the Shakey Graves bus for 10 years now. You are late to the party, but happy you made it. Something super cool about the low key swampy low-fi sound that honeytone amp gives. 25-30 years ago I bought a plastic "Cigarette" pocket amp at a Santa Cruz music store. It was all I could afford, living on Velveeta cheese and top ramen in those days. That little "Cig" amp of mine was the inspiration for this DanElectro honeytone. Cheers to ya.... P-Fizz
I found your channel right after a Shakey Graves marathon, I guess you'd just reacted to Roll The Bones, and subscribed the moment your eyes lit up & you said that you would check out more of his stuff. I know little about playing guitar, but since then I've found many more cool artists through your reviews. I'm so glad you've checked out another one of his classics! And even better, that you'll probably interview him at some point, wow! Thank you for this!! My all-time favourite Shakey Graves song is Tomorrow, I definitely recommend it :)
I found Shaky Graves through your channel, thanks! You can't just leave this song yet. This gives you the back story, and is the beginning. He has drawn the outline and begins to color. His rendition at the Audio Tree session is haunting. Check it out.
I live in Austin and Shakey is from here. He is amazing. My dad is Bill Neely and I know my dad would have loved to play with him. My dad is on RU-vid too.
Man, I requested this a little while back. This version of this song was the first time i ever heard shakey, so many good memories around it. Glad you're listening to your subs, keep it up
