North Carolina-based outlaw country badass Sarah Shook brought her latest and greatest project, Sarah Shook & The Disarmers, through Boston last Friday on the tail end of their recent cross-country jaunt. The dimly-lit, cash only Great Scott is one of the last of a dying breed in Boston, and served as a perfect setting for the no-frills, no-bullshit Disarmers as they ripped through two-dozen songs, an impressive feat for a band that’s got two full-lengths under their collective belt buckles.
It took the band, centered around Shook and her lead guitarist and longtime collaborator Eric Peterson a few songs to hit their stride on this particular night, perhaps in part due to an audience that was present and focused but not overly engaged or providing the band a solid energy off of which to feed. By the time they hit the gutter punk anthem “Fuck Up” as the fourth song in the set, Shook’s trademark whiskey-soaked voice was out in full twang, and the older-than-average crowd began to show signs of life. Shook’s catalog is chock-full of the kind of lost or unrequited love songs and relationship failures that defined the early career of a band like Lucero; it’s only a matter of time before their live show does the same.
Support on this run came from The National Reserve, a four-piece Americana rock band that somehow hail from Brooklyn in the 2010’s and not Laurel Canyon sometime in the 1970s. There’s a real soulful vibe to the band’s live show, punctuated by frontman Sean Walsh’s velvetty smooth voice and lead guitarist Jon LaDeau’s near virtuoso style leads.
Head below to check out our full photo rundown. Sarah Shook and the Disarmers are touring in support of their latest release, 2018’s Years (Bloodshot Records), while The National Reserve are supporting their 2018 debut, Motel La Grange (Ramseur Records).