Grant Lee Buffalo

“For me, it really brought it all back home… why I do what I do and the thrill that I get from the privileged role of being an entertainer,” said singer/songwriter/guitar player Grant Lee Phillips. “It all made sense again in that context. No matter how big the venue gets, I’m desiring to maintain that kind of intimacy. I’d like to think that we’ve always aimed for that kind of connection.”

For Phillips, that’s what it’s all about: making that connection and acknowledging that each night is a fleeting moment and not simply a routine. “That small tour was one of the funnest we’ve done so far because anything could happen. We tore away all the barriers that are typically erected between a band and the audience,” he said.

The current state of the group certainly isn’t routine. Something changed between the making of 1996’s Copperopolis and the new Slash/Warner Bros. album, Jubilee. For years, GLB had consisted of Phillips, drummer Joey Peters and bassist Paul Kimble, who also handled most of the production duties. When it came time to work on Jubilee, Phillips wanted to record as a live band, which meant Kimball would have to be playing with his bandmates, not sitting behind the board. It didn’t work out that way. Kimball split the band and GLB became a duo. Phillips and Peters finished the album with the help of some friends, including bassist Dan Rothchild and guests Michael Stipe, Robin Hitchcock and Wallflowers keyboard wiz Rami Jaffe.

The result is a different kind of GLB record. Jubilee is loaded with nuance and idiosyncracy, the kind of things that often get smoothed over in the studio. “We wanted it to be a more physical, more human endeavor,” said Phillips. “Typically, I’ve looked at recording and performing as two very separate things, but these days, I’ve acknowledged that I’m at my best when I’m flying by the seat of my pants.”

In order to bring that kind of spontaneity to the stage, Phillips and Peters were obviously going to need some help, and not any ordinary help, either. All sorts of archaic instruments and vintage keyboard sounds are essential to the new material. Plus, they were still missing a bass player to hold the whole thing together.

The solution came as a package deal. Peters put in a call to Phil Parlapiano, a multi-instrumentalist with the Brothers Figaro whom he hadn’t spoken to in years. He was hoping Parlapiano could recommend someone who could play with the band, but he wound up signing on himself. Later, the other half of Brothers Figaro, bassist Bill Bonk, asked if GLB could use his services and the touring band was complete.

Phillips wouldn’t say if the two new guys have officially joined the band. “Having said that, I have to add that I can’t imagine a better chemistry than what Joey and I have found with Phil and Bill. To begin with, the two of them have played music together since they were 13 years old and they have the kind of psychic rapport that you can only dream of. We couldn’t have found two musicians who were better matched. It’s really comfortable.”

There are four band members on the road but several other personalities have joined them in the guise of all the old-fashion instruments. Parlapiano plays “about 1,000 different things,” so the first challenge was figuring out how to fit all his gear in the bus. Then there are a lot of crossed fingers and silent prayers going out to the patron saints of persnickety instruments.

“In the back of my mind, I’m hoping that the wiring which is held together with duct tape will hold,” said Phillips. “I don’t mean to encourage disruption or chaos in terms of playing live, but I’ve seen shows that would have been so-so take a dramatic turn and become our greatest because an amplifier exploded. You have to be able to adapt. You have to realize you have nothing but the illusion of control.”

It all comes back to a fascination with the unexpected for the GLB frontman. Phillips’ affinity for quirkiness and odd juxtapositions doesn’t end with his music. He’s long been into acquiring old theatrical props, the kind you’d expect to see in a circus sideshow museum or an old-time magic show. In this century, they seem made for a Grant Lee Buffalo performance, and that’s why he combs the classifieds, looking to add to his collection.

“It’s a do-it-yourself production,” he said. “So far, I’ve got a couple of injured cherubs, a wrinkled red velvet curtain and a bubble machine. By the time we get to Cleveland, we could be the want-ads version of Siegfried and Roy. Only, instead of using big trunks to make the exotic cats disappear, we’d just have small cat carriers and your basic domestic cats.” And don’t be surprised if everyone is flying by the seat of their pants. “That would be a dream come true.”

Grant Lee Buffalo tours the U.S. into September, then they take a break before heading to Europe. Phillips is looking forward to playing some old-world burlesque halls, which will provide a perfect setting for his particular brand of musical theatre.