That's Phillips (Not The Crab Cakes)

Gerritt, Josh, and I caught Glen Phillips at Jammin' Java in Vienna last night. Thanks to the Post's daily free Express commuter paper, I noticed Glen's name in a small blurb in the lower-left corner of a page. Slowly, the realization dawned on me that he was playing in Vienna, a few scant miles from my apartment. Shortly after that, I noticed that the show was that same day!

This is the kind of thing I've been waiting for after moving up here. Where I grew up, the prospect of just going down to the local coffee shop to hear an open mic night or see an up-and-coming artist was just not possible, because there weren't any. So this whole notion of being able to catch live music at your whim, without having to drive an hour to get there, is still pretty new and exciting to me. With that being said, I couldn't have wished for a better guy to start out my northern Virginia / DC concert-going experiences than with Glen Phillips. Thanks also to Gerritt and Josh for coming along even when they hadn't really heard many of the songs before.

I've mentioned Glen before on this site, alluding to his side project with Nickel Creek. I wasn't into Toad The Wet Sprocket that much during their heyday (I'm only starting to look into their back catalog), but I became an instant fan of Glen's when I picked up his first solo record, Abulum, in a going-out-of-business sale at the NRV Mall's old music store. My admiration of his work continued with his recent album, Winter Pays For Summer, which is, quite simply, fantastic.

Watching Glen as a solo act, I was expecting some heartfelt performing, and he certainly delivered. Humbly taking the stage, sporting a beard and setting up his own mic stand and guitar, Phillips was friendly and interactive with the audience from the start. His songs can be disarmingly simple, but at the same time, they speak to the everyday emotions that normal people feel. This is the kind of songwriting I always wanted to be able to do, because I think this is the kind that reaches the most people and achieves greatness without holding on to any pretense.

Just look at some of the lyrics from "Duck And Cover:"

"Everybody here has got a story tell Everybody's been through their own hell There's nothing too special about getting hurt Getting over it, that takes the work"

Or from "Courage":

"There's an ocean of unlatched windows And a world of unlocked homes The only reason anybody can still feel safe Is most people still knock on the door"

I could probably go on for a while picking out snippets of lyrics, but it still wouldn't really do the songs justice. Check out some of his albums or see him live when you get a chance. If nothing else, if you were a fan of Toad the Wet Sprocket, you'll get to hear solo versions of a few of their hits at his live shows. Not all of Glen's songs are necessarily uplifting, so watch out for that if you're not in the mood for thinking deep - but by golly, the man knows how to craft an interesting song, he performs it well, and he clearly enjoys doing it. What more can you ask for?