The second night of performances at The Sylvee, Madison’s new, alluring live music venue on the Eastside, was taken over by two passionate groups Friday.
The Wild Reeds, an American indie folk band from Los Angeles, brought their enticing harmonies and unique acoustic sounds to the stage which gave them a stage presence that is hard to forget. It was EP release day for this powerhouse of five talented musicians who were very excited to share their new work with the crowd.
New Ways to Die is the band’s fourth project together and is available to stream now. The steady flow of patrons quickly became a crowd of eager fans waiting patiently for the lights to dim.
Alejandro Rose-Garcia, better known as Shakey Graves, has quickly fostered a new name for himself in the realm of folk and blues sounds. He wooed over his crowds with his subtle, spiritual rock and roll.
Garcia appeared on stage through a sheet of lights, guitar in hand. His soulful, raw tone echoed off the industrial walls of the venue.
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Quickly after the first track, Garcia proved himself to be a strong performer. The production was very well done throughout the set, including four large visual screens that radiated with a light show throughout Garcia’s performance.
There was deep emotion illustrated through every portion of his on-stage story, which he told through a series of chapters. Each chapter portrayed a specific message, touching on concepts such as depression, love and loss.
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Garcia gave a raw view of his life and proved he has stayed true to his roots while making a bold artistic transition to a more outside-of-the-box project, allowing him to connect with his fans.
He spoke from the heart in between chapters of his beautiful storybook show. Moving through the chapters he fabricated, he stopped briefly to connect with the audience on some of his themes. Projections of blue hues matched the melodramatic vibe of some of Garcia’s more somber tunes.
“Life is better with company,” Garcia said near the end of his set as he expressed the importance of having his family and friends on stage with him, referring to his band behind him. The audience got an inside look at Garcia’s journey which has led him to his well-deserved success on The Tour X9 World Tour thus far.
Performances from The Wild Reeds and Shakey Graves gave their Madison audience an unfiltered night of powerful chords and revolutionary vocals. The sky is the limit for these musicians, and there is no stopping them now.
