Written by Priscilla Tasker
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| Photo courtesy of Kathleen Grace Kazsmer |
Rob Geer made his final Grog Shop appearance as The Conductor and The Creator Sunday, September 18, before he traverses the nation to settle in Denver, Co., in October. Ever-loyal friends and fans appropriately gathered for a send-off show, which featured Humble Home, who organized the event, and The Lighthouse and The Whaler.
The indie-folk-inspired rock lineup showcased distinctive talents while keeping with a style of music compatible to the tone Geer set for the evening.
"I loved every second of it. It was a good set of bands. There's always an oddball in the line up but not tonight," Geer told Humble Home's Nick Wise in post-show conversation.
Geer led the night with a six-song set. Waiting in line to enter the venue, I heard the bass and guitars signal the start of the band’s first song – a sound which incited an anxious desire to cut the 10 to 15 people in front of me. I waited patiently. Yet, as if he read my mind, the man ahead of me offered reprieve by holding the door and saying, “You can go ahead.”
Grateful chivalry lives on, I made my way to the stage. Geer’s vocals enveloped the space. Seemingly effortless projection is a talent Geer has honed well – and one of the artistic traits that caught my attention the first time I’d heard him play at Nemeth’s Lounge in Painesville, Ohio, earlier this year.
Geer was backed by his “Conductor” counterparts, whose soulful flavor enlivens the singer-songwriter's sound. [Watch this video from February 5, 2011 for an extraordinary example of the band's abilities.] Lead guitarist Matthew Augusta and bassist Dan Thompson played a bluesy, soft jazz teaser leading into "It Might Be" and an R&B interlude before "Under Devil's Skin."
