Shakey Graves performed a sold out show at Legends Thursday night as part of his Sleepwalker Tour and played new songs from his unreleased album.

Alejandro Rose-Garcia is the man behind the name Shakey Graves, according to NPR Music.

“I really loved how Shakey came out and had a lot of energy and he maintained that energy throughout the entire concert,” Julianna Sosa, a junior sociology major, said.

Sosa said that his passionate music was evident in his performance, and the way he interacted with the crowd made her feel like he was happy to be there.

Rose-Garcia mentioned that some of the songs he performed had never been played in front of an audience before, Sosa said.

“That made the whole crowd feel very special,” Sosa said.

Sosa said the crowd was very lively during his performance. The audience was moving the entire time, clapping and dancing along to the music.

“I had planned to go see him play at the Orange Peel, but tickets sold out super quick,” Nasyr Bey, a junior biology major, said. “When I heard Shakey Graves was coming to App, I bought tickets as soon as I could.”

Around 950 tickets were sold, Emma Forbes, a chairperson for the A.P.P.S. concerts council, said.

The concerts council is one of the three music councils that focuses on bringing national touring acts to Appalachian’s campus, according to a statement from A.P.P.S.

Forbes said the council decided on Shakey Graves because they thought he was an artist Boone residents would enjoy.

“A lot of times the council will brainstorm on what genres and artists they want to go after,” Forbes said.

The council found out that Shakey Graves was available during the week that they wanted to host a performer at App, so they reached out to his agency and put in an offer. Once the offer was confirmed, the council and their adviser started working on the contracts involved with the show, Forbes said.

“We really wanted a show in Legends, because Legends has kind of been offline for quite a while this year,” Forbes said.

Forbes said that where shows are held depends on the size and price of the artist they are bringing in. When the council is thinking about what artist they want for a certain venue, they look at what size venue that artist has played in recently.

“So if Shakey Graves is playing venues that are about 1000 capacity, that’s what we look for,” Forbes said.

For larger shows, such as those held in Holmes Convocation Center, Forbes said the council will reach out to an agent or a middle agent with requests on what genre they want their artist to be, and those agents will give them a list of artists that fit the genre.

“We try to do our best to bring different types of music, so different types of genres and representation and stuff like that,” Forbes said.

Shakey Graves’ show at Legends was the second stop on his Sleepwalker Tour, according to a press release.

Rose-Garcia is an Austin-based singer-songwriter who started his career as a one-man band, according to Diffuser, an alternative and indie rock music news outlet. He has since built an act around himself, including two more band members.

“He ignited the crowd with his love for what he was doing,” Sosa said.

Shakey Graves will be releasing a new album on May 4, entitled “Can’t Wake Up.”

Story by: Laura Boaggio, A&E Reporter

Photo by: Mickey Hutchings, Senior Photographer

Featured Photo Caption: Shakey Graves performs at Legends Thursday night.