I first met Garrin Benfield in 2000, in NYC, at the GLAMA
Awards, where he was nominated in the Out Recording category, for “What You’re
Hiding,” from his debut CD “Living a Dream.” [ He and the Indigo Girls, Mary
Gauthier and the Aluminum Group lost to Melissa Etheridge’s “Scarecrow.” ] To my
regret, he was not a performer at the event, and I’ve spent the last 12 years
gobbling up his five CD releases, but never having a chance to see him perform.
That changed last week when I drove (from Houston) to
Austin for the day to go to the SXSW Bent Compass showcase. I was very pleased
to finally be able to see Garrin do a live show, but I was NOWHERE prepared for
my reaction. I was…okay, this is a trite expression…totally blown away by his
performance. I mean, (I may gush a little) I have not been so impressed by a
live performance in a long time. I knew that he was known for his intricate
loop-driven guitar work, and I’ve seen a couple other artists dabble with this
live. But Garrin has got to be the master. His singing and playing are
mesmerizing. And, oh yeah, I got to hear him do my early favorite, “What You're
Hiding.”
Latest CD: The Wave Organ Song (2011)
Garrin with other performers at the Bent Compass event:
Above, Kiya Heartwood; below, Michelle Critin and Avi Wisnia
JD, I hear you. I'd been a fan of Garrin for many years before I got to see him, and I swear it was so amazing, I was on a high. He has such a gift! And I am honored to see the video...
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