2023 Twilight Concert Series

Shakey Graves

Sierra Ferrell
Michelle Moonshine
Friday, September 2 2022
6:00 PM MDT
239 S Main Street
SLC UT, 84111
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Shakey Graves

The prehistory of Shakey Graves exists in two overstuffed folders. Inside them, artifacts document an immense era of anonymous DIY creativity, from 2007 through 2010 — the three years before Roll The Bonescame out and changed his life.

There are stencils, lyrics, drawings, prototypes for concert posters, and even a zine. The latter, which Graves — aka Alejandro Rose-Garcia — wrote and illustrated, tells the tale of a once-courageous, now retired mouse who must journey to the moon to save his sweetheart. At the time, he envisioned the photocopied storybook as a potential vessel for releasing his music.

“There was a lot of conceptualizing going on — trying to figure out what I wanted stuff to look like, sound like, and be like,” Rose-Garcia recalls, shuffling through the physical files on his second-story deck in South Austin. “And, honestly, a lot of trying to keep myself from going crazy.”

In this lode of unreleased ephemera, CD-Rs are the most bountiful element. There are dozens of burned discs with widely varying track lists, loosely resembling what would become the Austin native’s 2011 breakout debut Roll the Bones. For Rose-Garcia, who’s long loved the incongruous art form of sequencing strange mixtapes for friends, his own record was subject to change every time he burned a disc for somebody. Consistency didn’t matter, he asserts, because there was no demand or expectations.

Thus Roll the Boneswas by no means a Big Bang creation story, rather a years long process of metamorphosis where literally hundreds of tracks were winnowed down into ten. As the album took shape, he began manufacturing one-off editions of the CD, stapled to self-destruct in brown paper, with black and white photographs glued upon them, and an ink pen marking of the artist’s enduring logo: a skull struck by an arrow.

“I liked that if they were opened, you couldn’t close them again,” he smiles. “Sometimes I’d spray paint the CD so they looked good and people would stick them in their car stereo and it would fuse in and never come out. They’d tell me, ‘You’re lucky I like this record because it’s the last one I’ll ever be able to listen to in my car.’”

In the shadows self-doubt that surrounds any artists first record, Rose-Garcia had a fantasy: he releases Roll the Bones, only ten people hear it, it’s rediscovered a decade later by Numero Group, hailed as before-its-time, and finds an audience as a lost treasure. He still plays that scenario through his mind like an alternative reality.

Of course, that’s far from what actually materialized. Roll the Boneswas released on the first day of 2011 without a lick of promotion advancing it. It was simply thrust into the world as a decapod of perplexingly memorable, narrative-wrapped songs with a mysterious cover and no information about the artist… only available on the relatively new platform of Bandcamp.

That year, an editor at Bandcamp made it a featured album for a month and from there it stayed in the website’s top selling folk albums evermore. The record has since seen well over 100,000 units sold — even while being available for free download. In the “Supported By” section of the Roll the BonesBandcamp page, you can endlessly click “more” and squares of avatars will keep showing up until you grow tired and stop.

“If you discover something for yourself, it will always hold more water because it’s tied to memory and coincidence,” Rose-Garcia reasons as to why he never pushed Roll the Bonesonto a wider marketplace. “It gives you a sense of ownership as a listener.”

Now fans can obtain Roll the Bonesas their own physical artifact. Through Dualtone Records, Shakey Graves will release a Ten Year Special Editiondouble LP with a black and gold foil re-arting of the taxidermied cow head cover. Separate iterations, hitting record collections on April 2, offer the 180g vinyl in a black and gold combination or two marbled “galaxy gold” discs. The lovingly assembled packaging includes handwritten deep explanations of every song, offset with original photography.

Along with its deluxe vinyl emergence, Roll the Bonestoday becomes available through all digital service providers — Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, et all. For the last decade, the songs have lived exclusively on Bandcamp. This full-spectrum digital release arrives concurrent with Shakey Graves Day, which was minted on February 9, 2012 by Austin Mayor Steve Adler. Year one, Rose-Garcia spent what he calls his “alter ego’s birthday,” as an excuse to go play laser tag. Ever since, he’s used it as an occasion to stage intimate pop-up shows and open up the attics of his discography — making all of his albums, plus hundreds of unheard songs temporarily available for free.

“I’ve used Shakey Graves Day as a challenge to myself,” he assesses. “I make so many random songs throughout the year that I either forget about or I’m too nervous to put on an album and it becomes a clearinghouse for that. It surprises me when people tell me that something released that day is their favorite of my stuff. In a larger sense, it builds off what I initially did with Roll the Bones -which is give it away for free.”

Accompanying Roll the Bonesanniversary pressing are 15 additional tracks comprising an Odds + EndsLP, which stands as an essential document of Grave’s early era. Highlights include the mandolin imbued “Chinatown,” which sounds like it could be dubbed off a 1930’s silver screen soundtrack, and “Saving Face” — a seminal version of what would become Roll the Bonestitle cut. The crown jewel, however, may be a the first ever proper recording of the trifling love song “Late July,” a version that’s drastically different than the live rendition that’s racked 14 million views on YouTube.

Prepping Roll the Bonesthoughtful 2021 edition gave Rose-Garcia an opportunity to take a new look at the person.

“I hear someone who felt really trapped,” he reveals. “In a lot of ways it was a breakup record. My first serious relationship had fallen apart and I was wanting to break up with my life — run away, be transient, and figure out who I was in the world. I can hear myself blaming the girl and trying to support myself, like maybe it’s okay to be dirty and crazy and have blinders on. Then, at the end, everything’s zooming back in and I’m saying ‘I guess I just got hurt and I’m in a bit of pain and, you know, it’s going to be okay.’”

Claiming he’s “further confused” listeners with each release, Rose-Garcia believes this purge of early output will provide some needed framing for his discography. It’s his genesis story, before he had the studio time to make the shiny And the War Cameor the full-band cohesion to make the painstakingly dense Can’t Wake Up. To him, it’s a scrappy effort, but the most intentional work he’s ever produced — and, a decade later, he wouldn’t change a thing.

“It’s a record that sounds like my years of exploration and influence, funneled through my abilities at the time — and it all became something bigger,” he muses. “If you would’ve offered to me: ‘Let’s do exactlywhat you want, right now” Roll the Boneswouldn’t have come out like this… and I’m happy that’s the case. Total control is an unhealthy myth, it leaves out the emotional side of how all the accidents come together. This record’s a period of time smashed into a single product and, in my own heart, it’s a moral compass: to always get back to feeling like this about the songs I make.”

 

 

The Salt Lake City Arts Council presents the 2022 Twilight Concert Series

In its 35th year, the Twilight Concert Series has presented a wide range of nationally recognized and upcoming recording artists paired with local musicians and performers. The highly anticipated summer series continues to be dedicated to connecting audiences through live music by presenting musically diverse artists that represent strong artistic values and diverse social principles. This vibrant and beloved program is presented by the Salt Lake City Arts Council in partnership with S&S Presents.

Thanks to our partner Utah Transit Authority, your ticket to the 2022 Salt Lake Twilight Concert Series also includes free UTA Fare. Ride UTA trains or local buses with your Salt Lake Twilight concert ticket and enjoy free fare all day on the day of the event (Paratransit, Ski, and PC-SLC Connect Service not included). Simply show your concert ticket to the bus operator or UTA fare enforcement personnel when you’re asked for proof of payment.

Gates & Food Vendors Open at 6:00pm for all events, with the exception of Aug 6th at 5pm.

All events are held rain or shine. Artists subject to change. More info at twightconcertseries.com

The 2022 Twilight Concert Series is made possible by our generous partners: The Salt Lake City Arts Council, The Gallivan Center, Salt Lake City Corporation, Coors Light, Juicy IPA, Coca-Cola, Traeger Grills, UFirst Credit Union, The Shop, Five Wive's Vodka,Madam Pattirini Gin, Bacardi Rum, Cazadores Tequila, Utah Transit Authority, Rocky Mountain Power, XMission, Weber State University, ABODESLC Realty, Chris Kirk with Colliers, National Endowment for the Arts, George S. & Dolores Doré Eccles Foundation Utah Division of Arts & Museums, The Blocks, Downtown Alliance, ZAP, Visit Salt Lake, KRCL 90.9FM, AC Hotels, GreenBike, 24tix, All City Rentals, Magnum Electric Bikes, Sparrow Electric, Cancun Cafe, Salt Lake City Department of Economic Development, KCPW, KUAA, and S&S Presents.

 

To provide a safe and enjoyable environment for all, please keep the following concert rules in mind. Check twilightconcertseries.com for updated info. Thank you in advance for your cooperation.

  • Everyone entering the venue must have a ticket or pay at the gate
  • For their well-being, we discourage infants and babes-in-arms
  • No re-entry
  • No weapons or firearms
  • No backpacks or large purses
  • No pets allowed – services animals only
  • No coolers
  • No drones
  • No smoking – except in designated smoking areas
  • No outside food
  • No outside alcohol or liquids of any kind
  • No glass
  • Due to artist requests, no professional audio, video, or photography equipment
  • No umbrellas
  • No skateboards in the venue
  • No blankets or chairs
  • Security reserves the right to refuse entry to anyone at their discretion
  • All concerts are rain or shine
  • Artists subject to change
  • No refunds

A bike valet is available on the north side of Gallivan along 200 S, provided by Magnum Bikes.

SECURITY RESERVES THE RIGHT TO CONDUCT PAT DOWN SEARCHES AT THEIR DISCRETION.

Health & Safety Measures

Due to the changing nature of the Covid-19 pandemic, The Twilight Concert Series will be monitoring and updating our health & safety requirements as necessary. Below are the current covid restrictions for our series. Please note that any of these are subject to change:

July 14: No restrictions

Aug 6: No restrictions

Aug 11: No restrictions

Aug 16: No restrictions

Sep 2: No restrictions

With this series taking place outdoors, masks will be optional at these events. We continue to encourage vaccinations and testing for the health and safety of our communities and industry. More here: https://coronavirus.utah.gov/