Not wanting to overstay my welcome in New York, I flew back on Saturday, which turned out to be a very good decision. I knew about this show, but I hadn’t really been thinking about going to it until I fell completely under the spell of Little Moon. With his most recent release, Grant Lee Phillips seems to be occupying that same rare place as M. Ward. They both sound as if they are somehow a voice from the past and timeless at the same moment. It’s the kind of music that defies description, and it is absolutely enchanting.
I’d seen Grant Lee Buffalo a couple of times, but I’d only seen Phillips solo once in the decade since the band broke up, on a co-bill with John Doe and Kristin Hersch. As far as I can recall, he’s never even been to Madison. I do know he stole every show. His manic stage presence and eccentric behavior make him quite memorable. In this case, the equally odd Nellie McKay made for a good tour partner. Dressed in flowing pink chiffon, she was equal parts naïveté and obliviousness. Her shy little voice bubbled with curiosity and incredulity. The couple next to me was big fans, and was there solely to see her; I don’t think they had any idea who Phillips even was. After he introduced her, Phillips stayed onstage for a song to test all the equipment. They did a gorgeous version of “Somewhere over the Rainbow” which resurrected the song after I thought I had lost it forever to a particularly cloying and over-earnest folk duo. The rest of her short set containing selections from her new record Normal as Blueberry Pie, A Salute to Doris Day was equally charming; though I am pretty sure I don’t need the CD.
They didn’t take much of a break before Phillips took the stage again. A good move since this was an early show at Schubas and they had started late. I expected him to be good, but not this good. It was similar to seeing Joe Pernice earlier this year when I was almost afraid to breathe in fear of ruining a perfect moment. The title track was particularly gorgeous and the ridiculously catchy “It Ain’t the Same Old Cold War Harry” begged a sing-a-long (tho’ no one did). In addition to playing a good chunk of the new record he delved back into past catalog. His solo releases have been somewhat hit or miss. Mobilize didn’t leave my CD player for months, while Strangelet only got a few spins before being dismissed. Luckily he said he had been reworking the songs from Mobilize to work in a solo acoustic situation and played several of them.
When he asked for requests most of the crowd shouted out songs from his career in the Buffalo. “Mighty Joe Moon” and “Mockingbirds” were met with enthusiastic applause. His perfect falsetto hasn’t lost a note in a decade. McKay rejoined him to finish the night by adding backing vocals on “The Sun Shines on Jupiter.” She had the lyrics written out on a sheet of paper, but even so didn’t seem to know exactly what she was doing. Still she gave it her best with a grin and a giggle and got by on her charm. I left reveling in the fact that I had seen so much amazing music in the last three days.
Nellie McKay
Grant Lee Phillips
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