{"id":31405,"date":"2025-09-05T09:46:04","date_gmt":"2025-09-05T13:46:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/?p=31405"},"modified":"2025-09-05T09:46:05","modified_gmt":"2025-09-05T13:46:05","slug":"on-stage-grant-lee-phillips-comes-to-philly-to-support-new-album","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/?p=31405","title":{"rendered":"On Stage: Grant-Lee Phillips comes to Philly to support new album"},"content":{"rendered":"
By Denny Dyroff,<\/strong> Entertainment Editor, The Times<\/em><\/div>\n
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Grant-Lee\u00a0Phillips<\/p><\/div>\n

Acclaimed Nashville-based singer-songwriter\u00a0Grant-Lee\u00a0Phillips\u00a0is out on the first leg of a U.S. tour in support of his 13th\u00a0album \u2013 \u201cIn The Hour of Dust.\u201d<\/p><\/div>\n

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This leg begins on September 7 in Vienna, Virginia and now swings into the \u201cCity Winery Segment\u201d with three shows in a row at City Winery venues in Philadelphia, New York and Boston.<\/div>\n
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The Philadelphia show is scheduled for September 8 at City Winery (990 Filbert Street, Philadelphia, www.citywinery.com<\/a>).<\/div>\n
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\u201cMy albums always seem to come out in the fall,\u201d said Phillips. During a phone interview Monday from his home in Nashville.<\/div>\n
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\u201cThen, I go out on tour in late autumn and winter. This winter, I\u2019m going to the top of Finland with shows in Lapland as well as Helsinki.<\/div>\n

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\u201cThis tour is solo acoustic. I record with additional band members. Then, when I tour acoustic and solo, it emphasizes the solo aspects of the songs. I\u2019ve stripped back songs on tour for a long time.\u201d<\/div>\n
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Phillips will follow with three legs of European shows from October through January in nine countries \u2013 Belgium, France, U.K., The Netherlands, Denmark, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Ireland and Finland.<\/div>\n
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\u201cI\u2019m doing the upcoming American leg by train,\u201d said Phillips. \u201cRiding on the railroad is one of my favorite ways to travel. You can just relax and look out the window.\u201d<\/div>\n
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Watching the country go by while looking out a train window fits well with Phillips\u2019 songwriting \u2013 creating songs that are observational. He is a songwriter known for his cinematic lyricism and atmospheric arrangements.<\/div>\n
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His new album, \u201cIn the Hour of Dust,\u201d spans universal and personal themes.<\/div>\n
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It was inspired by a painting from India Phillips discovered while wandering the Norton Simon Art Museum in Pasadena, and the evocative Indian concept of \u201cthe hour of cow dust.\u201d<\/div>\n
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According to Phillips, \u201cIt\u2019s that moment of the day when the cows are led back home. They kick up the dust. That’s a cue to prepare the lamps. Night is about to fall.\u201d<\/div>\n
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The self-produced album finds Phillips at his most introspective and poetic, channeling his visual and musical sensibilities into a striking mediation on disconnection and grace.<\/div>\n
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\u201cThe through line of the songs is that all of us are moving through these troubled times,\u201d said Phillips. \u201cThese are confusing times when it\u2019s hard to see your hand in front of your face.\u201d<\/div>\n
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According to Phillips, \u201cThe mood on this album is contemplative. It\u2019s about trying to find meaning in an age of confusion, feeling your way through the blinding dust of unreality.\u201d<\/div>\n
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Phillips\u2019 latest batch of songs range from melodic folk songs to intense songs about these challenging times.<\/div>\n
According to Phillips, \u201cI don\u2019t see songs of love and songs of protest as being so far apart, really. It\u2019s all about recognizing the value of connection in a disconnected time.\u201d<\/div>\n
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The album was realized through work in two cities \u2013 Los Angeles and Nashville.<\/div>\n
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\u201cI began writing the songs at home,\u201d said Phillips. \u201cWhile I was still writing it, I took some of the songs to L.A. in November 2024.<\/div>\n
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\u201cI went to work with producer Payl Bryan at the studio Lucy\u2019s Meat Market in Eagle Rock, California.<\/div>\n
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\u201cIt\u2019s owned by engineer Pete Min and is one of the best studios in L.A. Having Pete as the engineer makes it such a great studio.<\/div>\n
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\u201cAll the tracks on the album have a touch of percussion. I had Patrick Warren on keyboards, Jay Belelrose on drums and Jennifer Cordos on bass.<\/div>\n
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\u201cI brought everything back to my home studio in Nashville. Then, I finished it with John Baldwin who mastered it over the holidays.\u201d<\/div>\n
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Since his early days as the frontman of Grant Lee Buffalo, through his role as the town troubadour on \u201cGilmore Girls\u201d\u00a0to his prolific solo career, Phillips has established himself as one of America’s most consistent and compelling songwriters.<\/div>\n
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His distinctive voice, poetic lyrics, and masterful musicianship have earned him a dedicated following and critical praise across multiple decades.<\/div>\n
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Phillips is a native Californian and a Nashville transplant.\u2019<\/div>\n
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\u201cI grew up in northern California \u2013 in Stockton,\u201d said Phillips. \u201cThen, I went south and lived in L.A. for 30 years. Now, I\u2019ve been living in Nashville for the last 13 years.\u201d<\/div>\n
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Grant Lee Buffalo\u00a0was an American rock<\/a>\u00a0band\u00a0based in\u00a0Los Angeles,\u00a0California, United States, consisting of\u00a0Grant-Lee Phillips\u00a0(vocals\u00a0and\u00a0guitar), Paul Kimble (bass) and Joey Peters (drums).<\/div>\n
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The band\u2019s early influences were a mix of 70\u2019s rock, folk, and country, but it was Phillips\u2019 fascination with American history, landscapes, and personal narratives that shaped the band\u2019s lyrical direction.<\/div>\n
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Their sound was further characterized by the use of unconventional instruments and experimental recording techniques, which allowed them to create a distinct atmosphere in their music.<\/div>\n
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\u201cThe first Grant Lee Buffalo album was in 1992,\u201d said Phillips. \u201cWe released four albums before everybody left to pursue solo careers.\u201d<\/div>\n
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With 13 critically acclaimed solo albums since the demise of Grant Lee Buffalo, it\u2019s apparent that Phillips made the right decision 14 years ago.<\/div>\n
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Video link for Grant-Lee Phillips \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/yaep_TmU0aw<\/a>.<\/div>\n
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The show at City Winery on September 8, which has Kris Delmhorst as the opening act, will start at 7:30 p.m.<\/div>\n
Tickets are $28, $32 and $38.<\/div>\n
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Other upcoming acts at City Winery are Lyle Jennings on September 5, Jeff Bradshaw on September 6, Stella Cole on September 7, \u201cA Night with Aretha\u201d on September 9 and John Mark McMillan on September 10.<\/div>\n
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Uptown! Knauer Performing Arts Center (226 North High Street, West Chester, www.uptownwestchester.org<\/a>) is presenting \u00a0\u201cA Tribute to the 90\u2019s\u201d on September 5 and \u201cIreland Meets Philly\u201d with Kate Dineen and Lily Enos of September 6.<\/div>\n
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Kennett Flash (102 Sycamore Alley, Kennett Square, 484-732-8295, http:\/\/www.kennettflash.org<\/a>) will present \u201cStreet Survivors: A Lynryd Skynyrd Experience\u201d on September 6. Tickets are $30.<\/div>\n
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Colonial Theater (227 Bridge Street, Phoenixville, thecolonialtheatre.com\/events<\/a>) will host Dan Pell on September 6 and Sarah Kate on September 7.<\/div>\n
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Jamey\u2019s House of Music (32 South Lansdowne Avenue, Lansdowne, 215-477-9985, www.jameyshouseofmusic.com<\/a>) will host Khadijah Renee on September 4, The Jazzmen Experience on September 5, Lonnie Shields Band on September 6 and the Philly Blues Kings featuring Clarence Spady on September 7.<\/div>\n
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Union Transfer (1026 Spring Garden Street, Philadelphia, 215-232-2100, www.utphilly.com<\/a>) will host proto-industrial rock band Swans on September 4.<\/div>\n
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Elkton Music Hall (107 North Street, Elkton, Maryland, www.elktonmusichall.com<\/a>) will host \u201cGathering: A Tribute to The Cure\u201d on September 5 and \u201cBrown Sugar: A Tribute to The Rolling Stones\u201d on September 6.<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times Acclaimed Nashville-based singer-songwriter\u00a0Grant-Lee\u00a0Phillips\u00a0is out on the first leg of a U.S. tour in support of his 13th\u00a0album \u2013 \u201cIn The Hour of Dust.\u201d This leg begins on September 7 in Vienna, Virginia and now swings into the \u201cCity Winery Segment\u201d with three shows in a row at City […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":31404,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4357],"tags":[10342,3162,6784,206],"class_list":["post-31405","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-d-arts-entertainment","tag-city-winery","tag-featured","tag-grant-lee-phillips","tag-music"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31405","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=31405"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31405\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":31406,"href":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31405\/revisions\/31406"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/31404"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=31405"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=31405"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=31405"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}