Adam McGrath travels the state highways and byways of New Zealand and parts beyond, slinging songs and offering up low rent barroom philosophy with his band of misfits and chancers, The Eastern. He hopes for the best, prepares for the worst and believes in the poetry of Smokey Robinson and the Miracles and the fury of word on the page. He lives alone, cooks infrequently and is scared of flags that blow to the right.
McGrath’s been nominated for a couple of serious music awards (including the Apra Silver Scroll), Graham Reid from the NZ herald called him ‘NZ’s toughest minded songwriter’ and Barry Saunders from The Warratahs simply described him as “The Truth”.
Although the gathering of such plaudits makes him blush behind his rapidly graying beard, McGrath is very thankful and hopes that in someway this might help him in continuing to pay his rent through his roundabout stories and admittedly pretty crappy guitar playing.
This time he’s going solo, working through some new songs, filling in the instrumental breaks in old songs and, of course, telling ridiculous stories. This will likely be the last time we see The Eastern (in any form) in Auckland for a few months, as they shrug up for a winter break, so shake off that jacket, slip your feet into smart shoes and cruise on down to the Wine Cellar.
The ever happy and chatty Callum Gentleman will be opening up the evening, and it’s sure to be a who’s who of country, alt-country and folk musicians. Tickets can be purchased from here, or on the door.
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