FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: JESSE LOCKS, [email protected], (916) 548-7716 FEBRUARY 1, 2013 KNOW & GO What: Grant-Lee Phillips When: Thursday, February 21, 2013 Doors at 7:00 p.m. / Music at 8:00 p.m. Where: Miners Foundry Cultural Center, 325 Spring Street, Nevada City Tickets: Advance $18.00, Door $22.00 Tickets are available in person at Nevada City Box Office and BriarPatch Co-op, by phone at (530) 265-5462, or online at www.minersfoundry.org “Grant-Lee Phillips harks back to the earnest ambitions and expansive melodies of Bob Dylan and John Lennon, singing with the conviction that rock can still be heroic.” — New York Times NEVADA CITY, CA - The Miners Foundry Cultural Center is proud to announce a special evening with acclaimed Americana singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, Grant-Lee Phillips. Best known for his versatile voice, intense lyrical narratives and dexterity on the acoustic twelve-string guitar, he has been called “one of the most gifted songwriters of his generation” by ABC News and in 1995 named “Male vocalist of the year” by Rolling Stone. Phillips, a Stockton, CA native, founded the seminal LA band Shiva Burlesque with vocalist and childhood friend Jeffery Clark (Nevada City local and owner of The Magic Theatre). After releasing two albums the band broke up in 1990 and Phillips went on to form Grant Lee Buffalo. Grant Lee Buffalo released four recordings on Slash/Warner Bros. in addition to various soundtracks, live releases, and a box set retrospective. The endorsement of some of music’s biggest bands, REM, Pearl Jam and The Smashing Pumpkins (all of whom the group toured with) helped to fuel the band’s popularity. In 2000 Grant-Lee Phillips, released the self produced Ladies Love Oracle on his own label, Magnetic Field Recordings. It has since been licensed worldwide. He signed with the Boston based Rounder Records, releasing Mobilize in 2001 to rave reviews. As a solo artist Phillips took more of a hands on approach to studio production, playing nearly every instrument himself. The twenty-first century would find him juxtaposing his trademark guitars with string arrangements and electronic drum programming, creating a whole new sound. His follow-up, Virginia Creeper in 2004 was a live acoustic recording where all the players interacted with one another during the process, very much in contrast to the technological solo experimentation of Mobilize. Mojo magazine dubbed Virginia Creeper, “Effortless…near genius”. One of the songs, “Susanne Little” touches upon Phillips Native American roots, telling the story of his great grandmother’s struggle to overcome adversity. In 2006 Phillips released Nineteeneighties, a tribute to his favorite cult bands and songs of the era – a nod to the underground artists who blazed a path for the Nirvana generation. With barely a breath in between, Phillips released his next CD, Strangelet in 2007. “Sixteen years into one of the most joyously melodic careers of our age…Phillips is writing the most intimate songs of his career …” wrote Goldmine. Walking in the Green Corn is the newest album by Phillips. Its ten songs are drawn from his intensive investigations into his native lineage. Phillips, who is Muskogee (Creek), elliptically explores the intersection of past and present, personal and political. While the songs delve deeply into the subconscious mystery of his own backstory, they simultaneously reveal the resonance and insight of ancient myth in parallel to contemporary man’s emotions, actions, and errors. Revered for it's lyrical depth and sweeping cinematic scope, the music of Grant-Lee Phillips extends beyond the realm of recording artist. For over a decade and a half, the music of Grant-Lee Phillips has added emotional richness to a diverse range of films and television shows. His music has been featured in a diverse range of films: I Still Know What You Did Last Summer, Velvet Goldmine, Mad Love, Zigzag, Easy, Arctic Tale and television shows, from Friends, The Gilmore Girls (a show where he also held a reoccurring role as the Town Troubadour) to Roswell, Six Feet Under, What About Brian, The Return of Jezebel James, House, Men In Trees and Grey's Anatomy. Phillips has been a guest performer on such popular shows as Late Show With David Lettermen, Tonight Show With Jay Leno, Late Show With Conan O’Brien, Real Time With Bill Maher to name a few. He continues to tour worldwide, and is a fixture at his second home, Largo, the prominent cabaret hosting a diverse group of musicians, and comedians such as Aimee Mann, Jon Brion, Paul F. Tompkins, Greg Proops, Patton Oswalt, Jack Black and others. For Phillips, who cut his creative teeth in childhood as a comedian, actor, singer and magician in a Stockton vaudeville revival house, “It’s all in a good days work. I grew up around old guys who played the saw, honky-tonk piano players and escape artists. Like mercury, it stays in your blood.” Link to the making of Walking in the Green Corn http://youtu.be/c7H4tHUrNxs About the Miners Foundry: The Miners Foundry Cultural Center is a living historic treasure serving Nevada County as a cultural arts and community events center. More than a venue, the nonprofit’s mission is to preserve, enhance and utilize the historic Miners Foundry for cultural, educational and social activities in Nevada County. It is a symbol of California’s rich historical heritage, providing an educational and social bridge from our past to the present and future. To find out more about the Foundry and how you can get involved in preserving this historic treasure go to www.minersfoundry.org .