Lord Huron & Shakey Graves @ Humphrey's by the Bay

                              Photography and event details for
     -Lord Huron and Shakey Graves at Humphreys by the Bay-

I made it down to the Bayside parking around 4:30. The lot faced East towards Little Italy and the scenic downtown area. A number of sailboats and kayaks populated the water, many of them likely hoping to snag a spot in the harbor next to the stage at Humphrey's. I walk down to the venue, which was only one small part of what Humphrey's actually was, a quaint but elegant seaside resort with fine dining, balcony rooms overlooking the bay, and other amenities to please just about any visitor. I collected my VIP badge which I was told would give me access to the bar in the balcony that face the stage at the far end, and my pass for photo access at the stage.


I was one of the first through the venue doors and found an airy courtyard serving as the location for the night's performances.


This was a beautiful venue. Perhaps one of the finest I had ever seen. There was a harbor attached to the resort on the West side, overlooking the water and the narrow stretch of Point Loma, which gave away to the Pacific. The VIP overlook and the balconies of the top-tier resort suites boxed in the courtyard of artificial turf and the stage before it.

I circled the area and scoped out shots from a few different angles before making my way down to the row of people standing against the barricade at the front of the stage. A half hour later, the first performer picked up her guitar.


Julia Jacklin, a lone singer-songwriter from Australia, played a sunset opener with her beautiful voice carrying across the courtyard and pouring out on the open water where kayakers and boaters lounged casually and sipped cold beverages in the fading rays of Summer's conclusion. The cool, gentle breeze, a signature of San Diego, brushed past the crowd on its way to reach the American West Coast.


Right around the time the sun was just above its point of departure, Austin City Limits Artist of the Year, Shakey Graves, a native of Austin himself, followed up Jacklin and begin a solo set with his infamous "bass case", a red travelers suitcase modified as a stompbox, complete with a tambourine pedal, that Graves played with both heels. A staple of his performance rig since the early stages of his career around 2010.

After a few numbers, Shakey Graves was joined by his backing band, performing a mix of ambient tunes from the dreamy soundscape of his latest album "Can't Wake Up". Enthusiastic fans cheered and praised the musicians between songs, as the courtyard filled to capacity and the light effects from the stage began to take their full effect. Graves, being one of my favorite working musicians today, was a pleasure to observe in action and left the crowd in an uproar as he finished his set, once again, alone with nothing but a guitar and a suitcase to get his point across.


Lord Huron followed shortly afterwards, the band in full swing and alive with the energy of the crowd. Here I took the opportunity to really move about the venue looking for new shots and was treated to all the special angles the Humphrey's has to offer, even taking time to chat with another photographer, Collin Moore, who I had been in close proximity with all night and, like me, was also fairly new to San Diego. It was a stellar evening and I'd recommended to anyone to catch a show at Humphrey's by the Bay. You will not likely be disappointed.

 Thanks for reading and stay tuned for more event coverage and future podcasts! Click here to see more of the latest works.

-Stefan

Lord Huron website - - - Shakey Graves webiste

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