Spring Break
Phil Vassar visits old fave Theatre
DREW HALL
Issue date: 2/8/07 Section: Out & About
- Page 1 of 1
Phil Vassar returns to the Georgia Theatre tonight for another show filled with awe-inspiring piano melodies and vocals of his original hit songs, as well as a few popular hits that others made famous on the radio.
Vassar said he always looks forward to playing at the Theatre and described the show as "one of the most enjoyable shows of the year, which is always a great time."
The Athens show will be a stop among a hectic week of performances, including stops in Valdosta, Mexico, Alabama and Mississippi.
Vassar said at the beginning of the tour schedule, he and the rest of the his band members like to perform at smaller venues to work out the kinks before going on in front of the less-forgiving, larger audiences.
While Athens may be a smaller stop on the tour for Vassar, fans from near and far will fill up one of the Classic City's largest venues over the years that Vassar has played Athens.
Many attendees are loyal followers of the singer/songwriter whose latest album, "Phil Vassar's Greatest Hits Vol. 1," which was released last July. The album was named one of the top 10 albums in 2006 by The New York Times, The Pittsburgh Post Gazette and CMT. It also debuted on the country album sales chart at No. 2.
Vassar is a brave man, being one of the few piano playing artists in a genre dominated by stringed instruments. Vassar said he never took piano lessons but started playing piano when he was about 13 or 14 years old. He began writing songs soon after.
After graduating from James Madison University in Virginia, Vassar decided to not "prolong the inevitable" and make the move to Nashville.
He continued playing and writing for seven years before catching his first break and receiving a record deal from Arista Records. He said the labels just didn't like his songs until after some songs he wrote for other artists such as Jo Dee Mesinna's "Bye, Bye" and Tim McGraw's "My Next Thirty Years" got big.
"After the fifth or sixth song I'd written were hits, the labels decided maybe my songs were better than they'd thought," Vassar said.
Playing with Matt Moore
When: 9 tonight
Where: Georgia Theatre
Cost: $15 at georgiatheatre.com, Junkman's Daughter's Brother and Schookids Records
Although Vassar couldn't pick just one of his songs to be his favorite, he said his most recent songs usually remain his favorite.
Not even a year since his latest album was released, Vassar continues studio recording on 25 to 30 songs of which he'll pick the best to be his next album - or even to possibly play at tonight's show.
"I think the best songs I've ever done as a writer and an artist will be on this album," he said.
Vassar will follow opening act Matt Moore, who starts at 9 p.m.
Tickets are available online at www.georgiatheatre.com, Junkman's Daughter's Brother and Schoolkids Records downtown.
Vassar said he always looks forward to playing at the Theatre and described the show as "one of the most enjoyable shows of the year, which is always a great time."
The Athens show will be a stop among a hectic week of performances, including stops in Valdosta, Mexico, Alabama and Mississippi.
Vassar said at the beginning of the tour schedule, he and the rest of the his band members like to perform at smaller venues to work out the kinks before going on in front of the less-forgiving, larger audiences.
While Athens may be a smaller stop on the tour for Vassar, fans from near and far will fill up one of the Classic City's largest venues over the years that Vassar has played Athens.
Many attendees are loyal followers of the singer/songwriter whose latest album, "Phil Vassar's Greatest Hits Vol. 1," which was released last July. The album was named one of the top 10 albums in 2006 by The New York Times, The Pittsburgh Post Gazette and CMT. It also debuted on the country album sales chart at No. 2.
Vassar is a brave man, being one of the few piano playing artists in a genre dominated by stringed instruments. Vassar said he never took piano lessons but started playing piano when he was about 13 or 14 years old. He began writing songs soon after.
After graduating from James Madison University in Virginia, Vassar decided to not "prolong the inevitable" and make the move to Nashville.
He continued playing and writing for seven years before catching his first break and receiving a record deal from Arista Records. He said the labels just didn't like his songs until after some songs he wrote for other artists such as Jo Dee Mesinna's "Bye, Bye" and Tim McGraw's "My Next Thirty Years" got big.
"After the fifth or sixth song I'd written were hits, the labels decided maybe my songs were better than they'd thought," Vassar said.
PHIL VASSAR
Playing with Matt Moore
When: 9 tonight
Where: Georgia Theatre
Cost: $15 at georgiatheatre.com, Junkman's Daughter's Brother and Schookids Records
Although Vassar couldn't pick just one of his songs to be his favorite, he said his most recent songs usually remain his favorite.
Not even a year since his latest album was released, Vassar continues studio recording on 25 to 30 songs of which he'll pick the best to be his next album - or even to possibly play at tonight's show.
"I think the best songs I've ever done as a writer and an artist will be on this album," he said.
Vassar will follow opening act Matt Moore, who starts at 9 p.m.
Tickets are available online at www.georgiatheatre.com, Junkman's Daughter's Brother and Schoolkids Records downtown.
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