Grant-Lee Phillips
July, 2000
Mirrors Or Newspapers
by Grant-Lee Phillips
My joint tour with Robyn Hitchcock -- dubbed "Grant Lee Hitchcock" by Robyn himself -- was Grade-A fun. Too much fun, actually -- like a seven-day weekend on warp drive. We're currently discussing another joint tour in other parts of the country before the year is out. Our approach was one of an old-fashioned tag-team. I learnt a batch of Robyn's songs, and he did the same with mine. We also mustered up a few covers that included the Everly Brothers' "All I Have To Do Is Dream". Robyn, like myself, is currently label-free -- and in fact, much of the press concerning our tour fixated on the fact that both of us are offering our music direct via the Internet and at performances. This more intimate approach to distribution seems to go hand in hand with our songwriting and performance, I'm finding.
Our tour trail was short -- but jam-packed along the way. Robyn landed in L.A. Sunday evening, and soon after the two of us performed live on KCRW. A Monday rehearsal was all we allowed ourselves before diving into press meetings on the following day of the show. The afternoon was spent playing songs and chatting with the folks at Atomic Pop, CNN, and the CD-Rom magazine Launch. (You can find out more about Launch at...where else, but Launch.com?) Our last interview wrapped precisely 15 minutes before stepping onstage at the Troubadour.
The Troubador proved to be a great evening all-around. Jon Brion joined us for a slew of songs near the end -- some of which were born on the spot. Traveling to San Francisco, we performed at the gorgeous Great American Music Hall. The web-savvy ZDTV crew captured our soundcheck and conducted an interview which will air later this summer. This little tour was the first that delivered me to the cozy town of Mill Valley, where we crooned at the Sweetwater Cafe. This venue was likely the most intimate of all. Some folks got there early and grabbed a table, while others stood packed around the rustic bar. This Sweetwater has become a favorite of Robyn's, and I can see why.
Further North, and on to Portland! The Aladdin Theater was the scene of our crime. This show was entirely seated. It was a real change from the other gigs along the way -- and different still from the Sweetwater, which was such a tight huddle. I have to say that it threw me a bit, performing to a first row that was some twenty feet from the stage. All in all the show was a distinct one in the end. The Aladdin is a very live room to sing in, so I just allowed myself to get lost in the sound bouncing off the walls. It's still bouncing, I imagine.
Seattle's Crocodile would be the final show down for our West Coast run. Fortunately, the gods were with us. Not only was this a special night of the tour, but we were able to capture the event on audio and video. Seattle-based Scotopia Pictures shot the entire performance (which is presently in post-production). The desire of Robyn and myself is to make the full-length video available through our mutual web sites. As video duplication is costly, we may simply take orders which would be honored with a 6-8 week turnaround. As this project nears completion, I will be sure to post further details.
COYPRIGHT NOTICE