It's easy to think that an artist is shining you on with an admission like, ?I've been looking forward to this show for a long time.? But at IOTA on Thursday night, Grant-Lee Phillips sounded nothing less than completely sincere. Arriving with a new album, a new three-piece backing band, and his well-traveled blend of narrative lyrics and engrossing melodies, the singer played to an eager crowd who had not seen him play with a band in over two years.

The first portion of the set was devoted to a collection of tunes from his newly released Virginia Creeper album. A mostly pensive record featuring sparse acoustic arrangements built around Phillips' singular voice, these performances were well fleshed out by the live band. Mona Lisa , a plea to da Vinci's eternally smiling lady, created a warm reflective atmosphere while songs such as Lily-A-Passion and Calamity Jane were able to gather a rollicking juke joint energy that is never quite reached on the album.

While about half of the show covered Phillips' solo career, the second half was entirely devoted to a crowd pleasing selection of songs from the singer's landmark 90's band, Grant Lee Buffalo. It was at this point that the true range and power of Phillips' talent was displayed. Playing highlights from all four of GLB's albums, Phillips showcased his wide vocal range effortlessly swaying between a growling baritone and a soaring falsetto. The near hits Fuzzy and Dixie Drugstore had audience members reeling as the singer reached notes hovering somewhere near the rafters. Other more somber tunes like Lone Star Song and Bethlehem Steel rang with a thunderous intensity that was punctuated by Phillips' pitch-perfect guitar work. Playing his trademark acoustic twelve-string that was occasionally fuzzed out with a distortion unit, he managed to create a dissonant chorus-like effect that nicely complemented the pitch and roll of his vocal lines.

Seeing Grant Lee Phillips at a venue like IOTA is a bittersweet experience. On the one hand this cozy club with its brick walls, wooden rafters, and close confines perfectly reflects the timbre and feel of his songwriting. But it is always somewhat dismaying to know that despite his enormous talent and critical accomplishments the large popular appeal experienced by more recent singer-songwriters, still eludes him. However, for the faithful who squeezed through IOTA's doors that night the payoff was huge as they, just like the singer, had been looking forward to this show for a long time.