Anna Graves in The Voodoo Room at San Diego’s House of Blues

Photos and words by Meredith Snyder

Anna Graves, a young alternative folk artist is on her first headline tour this fall. Her San Diego show on October 3 marked roughly half way through the tour for the rising singer/songwriter. From casual listening on streaming to the stage at House of Blues, Anna brought her whimsiness to life; her stage decor included vines and flowers climbing her mic stand, her guitar strap embellished, and her outfit was fully beaded and bejeweled from her neck to her ankles.

Anna Graves’ music tells stories through vulnerable and honest lyricism and the instruments she plays that so beautifully accompany her words. She explained the story behind Granted to the audience before she played it – a situationship that ghosted her and then posted his engagement photos one week later (she told the fiancée). Hollow Bones, so clearly about the desire to be freed from hard feelings and weight she feels could drown her, was my favorite song that she performed. To hear it performed acoustic was beautiful. On stage with her was Billy, who played the pedal steel guitar throughout her set to her left. Anna Graves played one or two instruments herself during just about every song, the acoustic guitar, harmonica, or keyboard. By the second song on her setlist, she brought out her harmonica – and that’s how you know she makes true folk music! She had it braced around her neck, while she played guitar, switching between the two instruments and singing. 

Her talents were on full display in such an intimate venue, leaving a lasting impression on those in the audience. I hope that this tour is Anna Graves’ ticket to mainstream music; I would love to see her at festivals like & Beyond or Stagecoach in the future!