“Listen,” singer-songwriter Alejandro Rose-Garcia, aka Shakey Graves, demanded of his audience.

“Listen to your parents… sometimes. Listen to your elders….sometimes. Listen to yourself…,” he paused, and when the audience tried to cut him off by shouting back ‘always’, he stopped them. “No, no, sometimes you guys, only sometimes!”

This was the kind of wisdom that the crowd, crammed into a sold-out Royale, came to hear. Shakey has an easy confidence on stage, and it allows him to charm with both his casual between-song banter and honest, bluesy songs. The folk artist’s new album “And the War Came” has endured since its release last year. The songs on the album are more of the kick-drum centric, plucking guitar style that Shakey has long claimed his own. They translate well live, his voice taking on an even throatier quality and the instrumentation given new energy.  

Though Shakey’s set had its wild moments, the show began on an ultimately more riotous note with the southern punk of Those Darlins. Hailing from Nashville, the band was a sensible opener for Shakey, sharing his country influences and twangy vibe. The audience, however, seemed entirely unprepared for the punk rock in front of them. It was an older crowd, and even the young people were the plaid-shirt/backwards-baseball-cap demographic. Many stood, somewhat apathetic, if not appalled, by the louder band. The hour-long set was nonetheless versatile, featuring songs that ranged from out-right punk to slower, country-style ballads. No matter how they were received, the band primed the stage for the kind of spirit that Shakey would bring.

Shakey arrived on stage solo, easing the audience in with some of his slower works. Songs like “Only Son” were able to stand alone with his intricate finger picking and poignant harmonies. Once everyone had gotten comfortable, swaying in time to the slower tunes, Shakey decided to turn up the volume. He was joined by his backup band; a drummer, bass player, mandolinist, and electric guitarist to tackle his louder tunes. Though much of the material came from his latest release, there were few new and unfamiliar songs, a sign that a new album may be in the works.

The show was comprised of a series of highlights, and it truly peaked late in the evening, when Shakey played some of his strongest songs off his latest album. The heavy emotion of a song like “Hard Wired” had people captivated, while during “Dearly Departed”, enthusiastic clapping and screaming in place of Esme Patterson’s missing harmonies ensued. Shakey had more reflective moments, admitting to the audience that he was an inexperienced and confused teenage boy, who wrote sad love songs that were fictional but ended up foreshadowing his adult life. “In a Peter Pan moment, I stitched young me on my body and flew out the window,” he joked, before breaking into “Tomorrow” a song he began as a teenager, but only recently finished.

Shakey took the crowd through emotional twists and turns, mirroring the chaotic quality of his music. One minute, he was cracking jokes and telling stories of his past, the next he played one of his more gut-wrenching songs, or encouraging everyone to stomp and clap along in the more rambunctious moments. It was a long and exhaustive set, and at the end of the night Shakey got exactly what he wanted – sometimes, everyone listens to him.