Grant-Lee Phillips

With it being Independent Venue Week, I thought I would try and catch some gigs at my local venues. Tonight’s entertainment was Grant-Lee Phillips, of Grant Lee Buffalo fame. A 90s footnote who supported bands like REM and Pearl Jam. I honestly don’t really remember them. But I must have heard them at the time, because their song, Fuzzy, is very familiar

This was the last night of his tour. His first since pre-COVID. A number of his fans had made the trip to see him off at the Horn. So there was a reasonable Wednesday night crowd around to see his enjoyable set.

Sometimes an evening can work, even if you aren’t completely sold by the music. Tonight was one of those evenings. Playing his solo material, at times the music wasn’t really my thing. Occasionally walking the line between Americana and a country twang. I was stuck at times at the similarity to Chris Isaak. Apparently they are from the same town in rural USA. So I guess that is not surprising to my untuned ears. Even when the music didn’t quite hold my attention. The thing that made this an entertaining evening was the man himself. No ego. Just a man with engaging stories and a guitar. Sometimes that is enough.