Concert Recap: Michale Graves' "One Man Roadshow" Tour in Jacksonville, NC (February 14, 2023)

Being a fan of both rock music and horror movies, it probably comes as no surprise that one of my favorite bands growing up was the Misfits. I’ve always enjoyed every era of the band, from the OG Glenn Danzig-led days to the works with bassist Jerry Only fulfilling the vocal duties, but the Michale Graves era was always my favorite – not only was he the more expressive and stylistically diverse vocalist of the three, I also just thought the songs he brought to the table were some of the better entries of the band’s storied catalog. His solo career was also a highlight for me, especially in my early college years – albums like Lost Skeleton Returns, Vagabond, and When Worlds Collide were on constant repeat for a long period of time, and they continue to make regular appearances in my everyday playlist. Whether it was with a full band or in an acoustic setting, Graves was always on my concert bucketlist. I was finally able to see him live for the first time last October at Hooligans Live in Jacksonville, North Carolina and had a fantastic time – little did I know a second chance would arrive sooner than I thought.

Graves returned to Hooligans on Valentine’s Day of all days, and his acoustic performance was somehow even better than the last one. Joining him as local support was Fern and Tiff, a trio from Beaufort, NC. Ironically enough, they actually opened for Graves in October as well, but the novelty wasn’t lost on them or their audience – it’s cool to see people live their dreams, and that’s what it felt like watching them open for someone they all were clearly fans of. Their performance this time around was a lot more lively and had more sonic variety, which the audience was favorably receptive to. I don’t think anyone would be upset if they open for Graves every time he comes to town (assuming Jacksonville becomes a new regular stop on his tours), because they’ve been able to show what they’re capable of after two shows. Their musical style was perfectly fitting for the setting, and it was a great musical compliment to Graves’ acoustic style. 

Whenever I get to see someone whose discography I’m very familiar with, part of the excitement and anticipation for me comes from speculating what will be on the setlist – I always get excited to hear deeper cuts, especially when it ends up being one of my favorite songs, and I’ve been lucky enough to have experienced hearing those types of songs live at several different shows, including both Michale Graves performances I’ve attended. With this show taking place on Valentine’s Day, Graves added a couple songs here and there that were fitting for the occasion, with one of the best choices being the set-opener “If and When.” Of course there are the Misfits tracks “Descending Angel” and “Saturday Night,” but opening with that particular song really was the perfect way to kick things off and set the mood.

As a prolific solo artist that also has an expectation from the fanbase to play songs from a former project, Graves managed to keep his set perfectly balanced between Misfits songs and solo tracks, and managed to occasionally dig deep on both ends. While the obvious Misfits tunes like “Dig Up Her Bones” and “Scream,” made their appearances, so did cuts like “The Forbidden Zone” and even the Danzig-era track “I Turned Into a Martian.” The solo material was obviously the highlight, with songs like “Wanderer,” “I Believe,” and “All the Troubles” being some notable examples. Graves even played requests that were shouted out from the crowd, such as the opening to the Famous Monsters closer “Helena” and solo standout “Lost Skeleton” (requested by yours truly). 

Personally, my favorite part of Michale Graves’ show ironically came towards the end, with the last two songs, the solo tracks “Best of Me” and “New Song.” The former was always one of my favorite Graves songs, and hearing it live took me back to the morning I graduated high school, which was when I heard the song for the first time. Similarly, “New Song” was one of those songs I used to listen to a ton in college whenever I walked around my school’s campus, so the melancholic nostalgia of hearing both of those songs back-to-back and missing the way things were during those times, along with how impactful they both are as set-closing selections really struck a chord with me and left a strong impression on me, much like how it felt to hear the Misfits for the first time.

Michale Graves performed in the main bar area at Hooligans, making for a more intimate setting than the previous performance in October, but that just enhanced the overall experience of everything. The line between was blurred, almost nonexistent, between stage and crowd, artist and fan, and it seemed to benefit both parties. The audience was very vocal and supportive throughout the night, and Graves seemed to feed off the positive energy from the fans, obliging to play certain requests and telling stories about the music whenever he had a moment to do so. To sum things up, while the first Graves show was a phenomenal time, this show beat it on all levels.

If there’s one clear thing people took away from this performance, it’s how much Graves cares for his fans and people in general – from the moment he stepped into the venue and the admission doors opened, he stood at his merch table the entire night, shook every hand with every fan in the building, signed every autograph, and took every photo with everyone that came up to him until the night was over. Even when he finished his set and was taking his stuff off the stage, he didn’t hesitate or seem bothered to pause and talk with anyone that walked up to the stage. His performance was all about the music – no agenda-pushing, no extended breaks, just music and stories to supplement them.

These songs have shaped people’s lives and helped people through a lot, myself included, whether it’s the horror-inspired Misfits material or his more introspective side with his solo works, and Graves poured everything he had into his performances of those songs. Out of all the artists I’ve seen, he is on the shortlist for the most sincere and genuine performances I’ve ever seen. When you hear songs like “Wanderer,” “New Song,” or “All the Troubles,” you can tell that he feels and means every words of those songs, and you can see the real emotions come out when he plays them. He’s had people trying to blackball him left and right by painting him as a hateful and repugnant individual, but in the experience I’ve had talking with him and hearing him talk and perform on and off stage, all I can say on the matter is I’ve only seen the exact opposite of those sentiments. All I’ve had are positive interactions and experiences, everyone I’ve seen in the audiences from both Jacksonville shows feel the same way, and I’d like to think I can speak for all of them when I say we hope he comes back this way again someday.

Michale Graves Setlist:

1. If and When (Marky Ramone’s Blitzkrieg song)
2. Saturday Night (Misfits song)
3. Forbidden Zone (Misfits song)
4. Descending Angel (Misfits song)
5. Scream (Misfits song)
6. Dig Up Her Bones (Misfits song)
7. Wanderer
8. I Believe
9. Shining (Misfits song)
10. Die Monster Die (Misfits song)
11. I Turned Into a Martian (Misfits song)
12. Frostbite
13. All the Troubles
14. A Boxcar Headed East
15. American Prayer
16. Lost Skeleton
17. Helena (Misfits Song)
18. Best of Me
19. New Song

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