Nashville singer-songwriter Griffin House returns to Marblehead

On Friday, December 12, the me&thee coffeehouses welcomes back two fine performers. Griffin House is a young Nashville-based artist whose openly emotional singing, poetic lyrics and spiraling melodies recall Jackson Browne.. Special guest Connor Garvey opens the show. Connor has won major awards at the Rocky Mountain Folk Fest, Kerrville Folk Festival, Solarfest Songwriter showcase and Falcon Ridge – come see why. Doors open at 7:30 PM for this 8:00 PM show at the me&thee coffeehouse which is located at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Marblehead at 28 Mugford Street.

Griffin House was born and raised in Springfield, Ohio. His father worked in a tire shop and his mother helped place children with foster families. In high school, the athletically gifted House landed a role in a musical and was surprised to learn that he had a natural talent for singing. House bought his first guitar for $100 from a friend, turned down a golf scholarship to Ohio University and instead went to Miami University in Oxford, Ohio and started to teach himself how to play the guitar and write songs. House began writing and recording and issued his first independent release, Upland, in 2003. His music attracted attention from Nettwerk, a Vancouver-based management company and record label, andHouse partnered with the label’s American branch to issue Lost & Found in 2004. CBS Sunday Morning, music journalist Bill Flanagan raved about this album, putting the newcomer on his short list of the best emerging songwriters in the U.S. Several self-released albums followed, and in 2008 House released Flying Upside Down, produced by Jeff Trott and featuring Mike Campbell and Benmont Tench from Tom Petty’s band. House has toured extensively, opening for artists such as Ron Sexsmith, Josh Ritter, John Mellencamp, Mat Kearney, and The Cranberries. Since 2007 House has been a national headliner.

Connor Garvey’s songs are like placing folk-funk guitar & ukulele, soulful vocals and paradoxical metaphors in an electric juicer -- you’ve never tasted it before but it’s intriguing and delectable so you have to keep drinking. His clever, rhythmic string foundations provide a background for his most prominent instrument, his voice. It is this connection with his audience that makes Garvey wonderfully successful in his live performances where he invites them to share in the beauty of the moment- the shared night of music. Time and again he is heralded for his unique voice, approach, and ability to connect with the listener- qualities that are necessary for a long career. Connor Garvey’s initiation as a modern troubadour came in 2008 by way of train; a 45 day, self booked tour by Amtrak across the country. Now, many years of traveling later, Garvey is finding his place as a seasoned folk-rock singer-songwriter touring around the US in his station wagon, playing festivals, winning songwriting competitions from Maine to Texas, wowing house concerts, and playing to full crowds at many of the country’s best acoustic venues.

Tickets for the performance by Griffin House with special guest Connor Garvey are $20 in advance and $23 at the door. Tickets are available online at www.meandthee.org and can be purchased in person at the Spirit of ’76 Bookstore or the Arnould Gallery in Marblehead. The Landing Restaurant at 81 Front Street, Marblehead offers a 10% discount on dinner if you show your ticket or receipt. Enjoy a meal before the show! As at all me & thee coffeehouse events, refreshments are available, including homemade pastries, coffee, and teas. The me & thee has a handicapped-accessible entrance and an accessible bathroom, is a smoke-free environment, and is easily reached by MBTA bus. The me & thee is one of the oldest continually running acoustic coffeehouses in New England, and probably the country. It has been and will always be a volunteer, non-profit organization sponsored by the Unitarian Universalist Church of Marblehead. For information and directions, call 781-631-8987 or check the website at www.meandthee.org.

Next concert: January 16, 2015 – James Keelaghan – Barbara Kessler & Emilia Antoniades open