I saw Josh Rouse again on Saturday night with Grant Lee-Philips (of Grant Lee Buffalo).
Grant played 1st, and it was just him and his acoustic guitar. Very singer/songwriter and folky of course. I probably know or would know him best from his appearances as the roaming Troubadour in Stars Hollow in Gilmore Girls.
And I do slightly recall a video from Grant Lee Buffalo on Beavis and Butt-Head in the 90's.
I enjoyed his stuff, namely the tunes he did extending his vocals, by wailing a bit. "San Andreas Fault" probably being the biggest highlight.
So Josh Rouse, whose last show(s) my wife and I saw back in May at The Dakota, were awesome with his incredibly tight band. But Saturday night it was only Josh and his electric guitar. He even donned a suit, looking almost like Kyle MacLachlan from Twin Peaks in some ways, especially without his signature hat on.
But Josh was really great, both from a performance and set list standpoint especially. I mean certainly many of the tunes were stripped down, or re-arranged a bit. But they still worked.
Winter in the Hamptons being a tune I have been enjoying more and more lately, may have been the biggest highlight for me.
And the encore duet with Grant doing The Church cover Under the Milky Way, really was great. Especially per The Church were just at The Turf Club last Monday and I missed them unfortunately.
Anyway, the set lists below ARE NOT 100% ACCURATE as they are guessed and taken largely from some other recent shows per setlist.fm
I was thankfully able to chat with both Grant and Josh after the show. I even got to ask Josh about Pete Finney who has recently been playing Pedal-Steel guitar with Michael Nesmith and the National Band. But Pete played on Josh's album Subtitulo in fact. I asked Josh if he ever wanted to work with Pete again, or maybe have him out with his band live, etc. And he mentioned how Pete may be pretty busy (besides with Nez) and actually how there are tons of guys IN NASHVILLE who people hire like him. Not that Pete is bad, as he remembered his playing being great, but that given Josh lives in Nashville, there are a lot of highly talented Pedal-Steel players there.
One he mentioned to me was named Fats Kaplin in fact.
But the other thing I mentioned given he lives in Nashville now (moved back a year ago, after living in Spain for like a decade), is Matt Mahaffey aka sElf. He I guess knows Matt, and I just asked if he ever might want to work with Matt. Maybe have him produce something, and Josh mentioned he might be interested.
My jaw might drop through the floor if that happened.
Anyway, great show, my 4th Josh Rouse, and 8th for my wife. And it was cool being the final night of this tour.
Josh Rouse Set List (not 100%)
Come Back (Light Therapy)
Businessman
It's the Nighttime
1972
Love In The Modern Age
Dressed Up Like Nebraska
Middle School Frown
Salton Sea
Julie Come out of the Rain
Winter in the Hamptons
Saturday
It's Good to Have You
Love Vibration
Encore:
Under the Milky Way (The Church cover) (with Grant‐Lee Phillips)
Empire State (with Grant‐Lee Phillips)
Grant Lee-Phillips Set List (guessed per taken from another show on setlist.fm)
The Wilderness
Something's Gotta Give
Far End of the Night
Smoke and Sparks
Mighty Joe Moon (Grant Lee Buffalo song)
Honey Don't Think (Grant Lee Buffalo song)
Mockingbirds (Grant Lee Buffalo song)
San Andreas Fault
Buried Treasure
See America
Lily-a-Passion
Walk in Circles
It Ain't the Same Old Cold War Harry
