Sundilla will welcome Griffin House to Auburn on Friday, April 8. Showtime at Pebble Hill is 7:30; advance tickets are just $20 and can be found at Spicer’s Music, Ross House Coffee, and online at sundillamusic.com. Admission at the door will be $25.
Since first breaking into the music scene almost 20 years ago, Griffin House has been considered a “rising star,” which might be one reason that “Rising Star” is the tile of his latest album. And part of his career definitely fits the definition: he had been in Nashville just a few months when he signed a record deal, saw his first album lauded by critics, was noted on national TV as “one of the best emerging songwriters,” and found himself touring with John Mellencamp and The Cranberries, and meeting the likes of Bruce Springsteen and Willie Nelson. Some might consider that a path to “overnight success,” but “I’ve been a “rising star” for the past 15 years” House jokes, “It’s a slow rise.”
That slow rise has seen the Ohio native release more than a dozen albums, enjoy plenty of success as national headliner for over a decade, and earn a great deal of respect as a well-known performer and singer-songwriter. And he shows no signs of slowing down. Maybe American Songwriter says it best: “If you are looking to be blown away by raw talent, then look no further than Griffin House.”
So who is Griffin House? First and foremost, Griffin House is a performer. The Ohio native possesses a talent for literally sucking the background noise out of a concert venue, turning it into his own musical vacuum.
Go to a show in any city, and you’ll find House playing a small, crowded venue. You’ve probably never heard his oddball name (is it one guy or a band?) before, but decide to pay attention between trips to the bar. An intense House approaches the mic, sings a few lyrics over a simple chord progression, and instantly you’re locked on him. You can’t look away, you can’t think of anything else and wouldn’t want to if you could.
The room is silent, save the frequency from the amplifiers. Interrupted only by his own nervous chatter, House plays an immaculate set of folksy rock tunes that sends you dashing to the merchandise table to buy up all the CDs you can get your hands on.
This is how most fans, including VH1 Senior Vice President Bill Flanagan, have come to pay him accolades.
“I bought (House’s) CD (after a show in New York City), and this never happens. I took it home and must have listened to it 20 times that weekend,” Flanagan said on “CBS Sunday Morning.” Flanagan put House on an esteemed list of the five best emerging songwriters in the U.S., alongside Ray Lamontagne and Joseph Arthur.
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