Glen Phillips house concert in Mill Valley on August 3

Of the many highpoints I can remember over the past 3 years of hosting house concerts, having the leader of Toad the Wet Sprocket perform in Diana Parker’s living room has to be the pinnacle. I’ve been a fan of Glen’s music since I first heard the album Fear back in 1991.

For smart, subtle songcraft, Glen has few equals. Sometimes his songs are hilarious (see the YouTube video of “Drive By” above), sometimes they’re uplifting (see the YouTube video of “Courage” below). But no matter what he’s singing, it always sounds authentic and true. He simply has one of the most distinctive voices in pop music. It was actually a bit surreal to hear that voice coming directly from the man himself singing without a microphone in a living room (rather than on TV or your iPod or a giant PA system at Great American Music Hall)—probably the aural equivalent of seeing an actor at the grocery store when you’re used to seeing their face two-dimensionally on the screen. As he was singing and chatting up my roomful of friends, I kept thinking what a lucky music fan I am to get to present a show like this.

I owe a big thanks not only to Glen for including this house concert in his tour, but also to Diana and Craig Parker for opening up their home and making this special event happen. Thanks also to all of you who attended. I’m working on putting together another show with Glen in 2008. Stay tuned.