As a regular visitor to Ireland over the years, Grant Lee Phillips has amassed quite a loyal following, and many of his admirers are gathered tonight in the capacity audience to pay homage to their champion. Armed with just a Gibson guitar, Grant-Lee makes a delayed entry onstage to warm applause, having just arrived into Dublin earlier in the day.
He plays a very generous set of twenty-one songs and remains seated throughout. This new touring dynamic is much to his liking and he remarks that for too many years he’s been working all wrong, and may just take the stool provided, away with him for future shows. He is also boasting a beard and remarks that this is a first; both bearded and seated as part of this short European tour.
Grant-Lee has a warm stage presence and the ability to take an audience with him on his journey of songs is so well honed at this stage of his career, that it’s a real joy to be witness to his easy manner and storytelling. If he’s not recalling a tour date at Whelan’s with Howe Gelb, he’s remembering a tale of writing a song upstairs at the venue while waiting to be called onstage for a previous gig. Tonight, his excellent vocals are front and centre with an impressive display of his guitar prowess and technique, as the extensive back-catalogue is opened up to include many memories throughout a storied career, either as part of Grant Lee Buffalo or as a solo artist.
Album number twelve was released in late 2025 and In the Hour Of Dust stands as a testament to the superbly crafted work that runs throughout the solo career of this prolific artist. Five songs are included from the new album with Little Men, She Knows Me (a tribute to his wife), Closer Tonight, Last Corner Of the Earth, and Did You Make It Through the Night OK?, all leaving a positive reaction to their performance; the latter song representing his Native American heritage (he’s a citizen of the Muskogee (Creek) Nation), and a translation of the greeting “Good Morning,” as there are no equivalent words in the Muskogee language.
Die-hard fans of Grant Lee Buffalo are eager to sing along to old favourites taken from the band’s run of four albums over a six-year period in the 1990s, and Grant-Lee doesn’t disappoint with a total of nine old songs performed. Five are taken from the Mighty Joe Moon album from 1994, and the title track is accompanied by renditions of Mockingbirds, Honey Don’t Think, Happiness, and The Last Days Of Tecumseh – the shortest song Grant-Lee has written and one that honours a Shawnee Indian Chief.
The song Mona Lisa dates back to the Virginia Creeper album (2004) and this is played, along with three choices from the Little Moon (2009) album, with Buried Treasure, Nightbirds, and It Ain’t the Same Old Cold War Harry all featured. A highlight was the inclusion of Loaded Gun and the superb rockabilly rhythm on guitar is augmented by Grant-Lee including a sample of Get Rhythm, a song that Johnny Cash originally wrote for Elvis. Ending the night in a sing-along with the appreciative audience, Grant-Lee played Fuzzy from the 1993 album of the same name, and the wide smiles displayed by everyone were proof positive of the special place that this consummate performer holds in the hearts of those who were fortunate to be part of this special evening.
Review and photo by Paul McGee