The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Gavin DeGraw comes back to town playing hit songs with trio
Pop star Gavin DeGraw bringing his hits to Playhouse Square with lean-and-mean trio
After arriving on a “Chariot” more than a decade and a half ago with a slew of hits, Gavin DeGraw this summer is scaling back for his “Raw Tour.” Touring as a trio, the popular multiplatinum artist will play his hits — No. 1 tune “I Don’t Want to Be” and radio songs “In Love With a Girl,” “We Belong Together.” “Not Over You,” “Best I Ever Had” and “She Sets the City on Fire” — when he returns to Northeast Ohio for a show Aug. 16 at Playhouse Square’s Ohio Theatre.
The News-Herald talked to DeGraw about his upcoming gig, one of the greatest compliments he ever received and what people can expect from the “Raw Tour” experience.
Q
Over the years you’ve played the Rock Hall City numerous times. Any memories come to mind?
A
I’ve done a lot of great shows in Cleveland. I remember a particular show that was very special to me. It was a (2005) Rock & Roll Hall of Fame event for Sam Cooke. On the bill were Solomon Burke, Aretha Franklin, Taj Mahal and Elvis Costello. It was very special for me to be there. I was walking backstage and I heard somebody say, “Hey, Gavin.” It was Solomon Burke, who is a legendary R&B singer. He introduced me to L.C. Cooke, Sam’s brother (who died in July). Solomon said, “Gavin, LC and I were just talking about you. We wanted to thank you for keeping our music alive, being a proper student of our music and learning how to sing it correctly.” I said, “Whoa. Thank you so much.” That compliment meant the world to me.
Q
Wow, what a moment.
A
It makes me think about how my brother used to box when we were teenagers. One day he asked me to play at the gym. After performing, his trainer handed me two albums. He said, “I want you to listen to these, you’re going to love them. And if you learn these, the girls are going to do this and that to you.” (laughs) He had some choice words. I realize now what he was saying was, “Hey kid, you suck. You should sound more like this.” The albums turned out to be Ray Charles and Sam Cooke. Of course, I fell in love with the stuff immediately. So years later when I got invited to do the Sam Cooke tribute, it was a tremendous honor to have Solomon and L.C. Cooke say that to me. It absolutely floored me as a person and as a musician.
Q
Does that moment still embolden you today?
A
Absolutely, because that’s validation, and validation is a very powerful thing to get from people you respect. It completely changes your feelings. It takes you from doubt to confidence. I was reading a comment Ed Sheeran said — it was something about his idols respecting him. It was potent what he said, that when you have the people who you look up to, giving you respect as a musician and saying, “You sound great, come sit with us,” that’s a big deal.
Q
Regarding your “Raw Tour,” what was the decision behind touring as a trio?
A
We’re so excited about it. We just got back from Europe as a trio, and it was awesome. There’s more room sonically for us as players. When I’m sitting at the piano, I can just play more. My guitar player and my drummer come out, and these guys are just topnotch — They can really play. And we go out and we do the songs that people recognize, and we’ll dabble in other songs they may have heard — maybe some Ray Charles or Beatles. We may give people a reference point here and there. The trio is just as exciting as a full rock show or a full band show. We’re not up there putting people to bed.
Q
What are a few tunes getting totally reworked in the trio format?
A
We make both “I Don’t Want to Be” and “In Love With a Girl” very funky and super up-tempo. This tour we’ve even done Ray Charles’ “Hallelujah I Love Her So” so people can shake it.
Q
Is it safe to assume the “Raw” experience is setting you up for your next album project?
A
Absolutely, this concert design, this approach to performance, is also a step forward towards the type of record that I hope to be making in the future. A deviation from the approach to pop music. I don’t necessarily believe pop music has to sound like it was made in a can. You know, good music and live performances on albums, on records, on songs, are completely valid still. I still believe in the power of a great song.
Q
Speaking about the power of a great song, you know it’s conceivable one day a talented young artist will be told to listen to Gavin DeGraw to learn how to do it right.
A
(laughs) Isn’t that the hope of every musician to be regarded in that way. What a huge compliment that would be.