Revealing ‘The Good Parts’ of Andy Grammer’s music

Ni Len Armea

Kuha ni Jovelyn Bajo

Unang beses pa lamang nagtanghal ang American pop artist na si Andy Grammer sa Pilipinas subalit agad na niyang nakuha ang kiliti at paghanga ng mga fans na dumayo sa Music Museum sa San Juan, Greenhills kamakailan para siya mapanood.

Hindi naman ito kataka-taka dahil sa bukod sa pagbibigay ng “high energy performance” sa kanyang mga fans, ipinakita rin ng 35-taong-gulang na laking Los Angeles, California ang kanyang galing sa pag-awit ng mga madamdaming kanta na siya mismo ang nagsulat.

Sa huling bahagi ng concert ay ikinuwento niya ang naging inspirasyon niya sa isinulat na kantang “The Good Parts,” na siya rin titulo ng kanyang ikatlo at bagong album na inilabas Disyembre nang nakaraang taon.

“Basically, it [The Good Parts] stems from one of the biggest wounds that I had – I lost my mom when I was 25 – and every time I’ll have a conversation with someone new if I bring it up I share my deepest wound.

“I just feel like we all have this incredible, personal stories and some of the deep stuff we don’t share so I wish I have an hour-long coffee with every single person in this room to get to know you, get to know your real stuff so this is my song about wanting that,” pahayag ni Grammer.

Tahimik na nakatutok ang fans kay Grammer habang kinakanta ang The Good Parts at tumutugtog ng piano dahil sa emosyonal na pag-awit nito na ginantihan ng masigabong palakpakan.

“Again, thank you very much for coming; it means the world to me,” dagdag pa ni Grammer.

Hindi rin nawala ang pagkanta niya ng “Fresh Eyes,” na isa sa kanyang mga hit songs Aniya, isinulat niya ang kanta para sa kanyang asawa.

“The whole idea of Fresh Eyes is redefining love with someone you want to grow old with. Me and my wife we’ve dated for nine years now and what’s most fun is when you find things that surprises you still,” pahayag ni Grammer.

Kabilang sa kanyang mga kinanta sa concert ay ang “Good to be Alive (Hallelujah),” “85,”

“Always,” “Fine By Me,” “Blame It on the Stars,”  “Spaceship,”  “Freeze,” “Keep Your Head Up,” Working on It,” “Grown Ass,” “Smoke Clears,” “Back Home,” at “Honey, I’m Good.”

Ipinarinig din niya ang kanyang sariling rendisyon ng “All Time Low” ni Jon Billion, “One Dance,” ni Drake, “Stay” ni Zedd at Alessia Cara, “Sorry Not Sorry,” ni Demi Lovato, “Don’t Let Me Down ng The Chainsmokers ft. Daya, at “Chasing Cars” ng Snow Patrol.

From street performing to international stage

Kakaiba ang istorya ni Grammer kung paano siya nakapasok sa international scene dahil nadiskubre siya noong siya ay 26-taong-gulang habang kumakanta sa mga kalye ng Santa Monica, Los Angeles. Street performing ang pinagkakakitaan noon ni Grammer kung saan kinakanta na niya ang ilang mga awitin na siya mismo ang sumulat.

“I started as a street performer for about four years when I lay my guitar case open in a little place in Santa Monica, Los Angeles where there is a whole street flocked out, pretty much every day I’d pay my rent by going out, playing music, selling CDs. And it’s amazing to go from something like that to coming out as far as people knowing my songs,” pahayag ni Grammer sa presscon na dinaluhan ng Pinoy Gazette sa Marco Polo Ortigas, Pasig City isang araw bago ang concert.

Ang kanyang pagtugtog sa kalye ang naging dahilan kung bakit lagging bigay todo siya sa pagtatanghal.

“I think that it’s a great way to get started because your standard of what has to happen is really high. In street performing, when someone’s walking by, it’s the only chance you have to get them to stop, you have to pull them away. Like that level of how good has to be really high and I take that with me now when I play,” ani Grammer na aminadong si Stevie Wonder ang isa sa kanyang music influences.

Ngayon ay isa na si Grammer sa multi-platinum selling pop artist na nakapaglabas ng self-titled album noong 2011, “Magazines or Novels” noong 2014, at ang “The Good Parts” nitong 2017.

Winning the heart of Pinoy fans

Minahal ng Pinoy fans si Grammer dahil sa kanyang mga kanta na karamihan ay puro masasaya at nagbibigay ng positibong mensahe.

“They say write what you know and I’m not happy all the time but I believe that you got tests in life to grow and so you’re not probably write a song that says life sucks and that’s it. That’s not what I want to write. I have hard times and some of the music I wrote when I was 25 had a big impact on me so I know pain, it’s just that I don’t believe that pain is just there to hurt. I believe that it helps you grow,” paliwanag ni Grammer tungkol sa kanyang pagsusulat ng kanta.

Kaya naman ang kanyang kantang Fresh Eyesay naging certified gold sa Pilipinas kaya naman ibinigay ng personal ng Warner Music Philippines ang plake na lubos na ikinatuwa ni Grammer.

“This country and these people have fully won me over and I freaking love it here. Everywhere I turn is someone smiling and singing a tune under their breath. There is a musical spirit here that is truly amazing. It’s still a pinch myself moment any time I get plaques like this but it’s extra special for it to be coming from a country so far from home,” ani Grammer.