No opening act was needed as Sarah Shook & the Disarmers brought their special brand of rocking country music to the historic White Water Tavern.
Riding high on rave reviews of their 2024 release, Revelations, the North Carolina-based Sarah Shook & The Disarmers were in top form in front of a full house at White Water Tavern. Self-produced by River Shook, Revelations takes the raw and gritty energy from the band’s live performances and packages it in digestible album form like none of their other releases have. Songs like “Motherf***er” and “Backsliders” highlight the band’s ability to combine country riff-rock with powerful storytelling and exceedingly singable melodies.
The band took the stage and launched into “Good as Gold” from 2018’s Years. Shook’s connection with the crowd was evident from the first downbeat. It might have been the intimate setting of White Water Tavern, but it seemed like they were singing directly to everyone in the room, finding different faces through the night. The crowd definitely felt the connection and was in a constant state of movement throughout a high-energy set. Some fans showcased this by dancing on the periphery of the crowd, while others bounced up and down throughout songs, with the remaining choosing to just sing the lyrics back to Shook at top volume. When Shook says that they “Love playing White Water,” it doesn’t seem like a generic platitude that it might be at other venues. The place has a certain atmosphere to it that keeps putting bands from all over the country on its stage.
The new-look Disarmers prove to be a perfect bed for Shook’s poignant and catchy lyrics. With Shook anchoring rhythm guitar duties, the backing band is powered by excellent country riffs from lead guitarist Blake Tallent. The rhythm section is led by percussion from Jack Foster and steady bass playing from the never-moving but always-grooving Mason Thomas. Pedal Steel from Evan Phillips gave the ensemble just enough twang to be dangerous but is also subtle enough to keep things rocking.
Set highlights included the aforementioned “Motherf***er” and “Backsliders” from Revelations, and ranged back as far as “Dwight Yoakam” and “Sidelong” from 2017’s Sidelong. A lot of times people seem more interested in older songs that they are more familiar with, but this was not the case with this crowd. New album cuts were met with the same excitement and interaction as older songs, which serves as a testament to the quality of the new album and the dedication of the fans who want to support that album.
As the set came to a close, Shook took their guitar into the crowd and it seemed only natural for them to be among the people who had been singing along with them all night. Taking selfies with fans after the show it’s clear that Shook appreciates the fans as much as the fans appreciate them.
You can see Sarah Shook & the Disarmers touring the U.S. through the middle of November, and you can hear their latest release, Revelations, on Abeyance Records and Thirty Tigers.
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