All photos by Omar Kasrawi
On the Mount Rushmore of great American songwriters, some names are given, like Dylan, Waits, Springsteen, and the likes. You know the ones, the musicians that craft Americana into a sound wave of struggle, earth, and deconstructed ideals. No one can argue that the lens they shine on the history and lore of this nation bring out all its beauty and flaws, its rust and shine, its triumphs and tragedies, but it’s all done along the sonic highway of America’s past, present, and future. And one name that deserves to be right there alongside them, is Grant-Lee Phillips, whose music evokes a fever dream melding of Rockwell and Wyth set to steely strings. And he brought his latest and timely tunes to a filled out Rough Trade on March 13 (in support of Kristen Hersh’s solo tour).
Pardon me for a moment while I get personal because it’s about to happen. I first came across Grant’s music in college, when my roommate brought in the first two Grant Lee Buffalo CDs back from his radio show (Hey there WCWM! And thanks Josh!) and it instantly went into permanent rotation in the room.
At the time GLB was being touted as the next big thing, echoing sounds found in Bowie, R.E.M., and Roxy Music. The music was fuzz-filled guitars and howls about the dangers of militias, small towns dying out, the bleak American landscapes. I would find myself going back to these albums, frantically trying to decipher Grant’s lyrics, sometimes successful but eventually, I learned to just enjoy the imagery and melodies. I would lose myself in tunes like “Happiness”, which for my money is probably the most beautiful song about struggle, especially when it was just Grant at a piano pleading with fates to help him figure out how to be happy – something I tried desperately, for years, to figure out as well.
I still remember feeling like I discovered it for a moment when my friend (Thanks Forrest!) wrote to me over summer break before junior year to say he had scored us tickets to see R.E.M on their tour for “Monster’. But my true joy came from the line in his letter that said that Grant Lee Buffalo was opening that night at George Mason University. Huzzah! Since then, Grant’s probably the artist I’ve seen live more than any other, and I’ve never come away feeling disappointed in the storytelling that would take place.
So it’s as fitting that on this night if you looked hard enough at the audience, you would’ve seen Michael Stipe at Rough Trade taking in sets from both Grant and Kristen. But enough digressing, because this was a night that belonged to Grant’s new take on the American political landscape. This wasn’t just a musical journey through America’s past, but its chaotic present as he played songs off his new album Widdershins. Fitting that the title means to proceed counterclockwise since so much of it explores the fractured and tribal land we live in now. And it’s done beautifully with just Grant and his acoustic guitar that night. He mixed in a plethora of crowd favorites as well from his earlier solo and Buffalo days. And with any one of his shows, you’ll be treated to a fast and furious wit, always gentle in its delivery. While I may long for days to see him plugged in and backed by a variety of instruments, I’ll never be unsatisfied by just the man and his six-string.
And the crowd was in tune. You could hear a pin drop from the audience as everyone took it in. You almost felt ashamed to sing along with Grant, like you would be ruining the moment, although I tried to quietly lend my voice on occasion. This was a night to listen to a master craftsman take the audience on a journey through an anxiety-filled present and manage to leave feeling hopeful and inspired, because as you listen to the music, both new and old, you get the feeling that this land has been here before, survived, and will once again.
Find the setlist posted below along with a gallery of photos, all taken by Omar Kasrawi. I’ve also included a live video of Phillips’ performance of “Honey Don’t Think,” taken by Omar.
Grant-Lee Phillips Setlist:
1. Walk in Circles
2. Miss Betsy
3. The Wilderness
4. Something’s Gotta Give
5. King of Catastrophes
6. Cry Cry
7. San Andreas Fault
8. Mighty Joe Moon (Grant Lee Buffalo song)
9. Honey Don’t Think (Grant Lee Buffalo song)
10. Stars n’ Stripes (Grant Lee Buffalo song)
11. It Ain’t the Same Old Cold War Harry
12. Totally You Gunslinger
“Honey Don’t Think” Live At Rough Trade NYC
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