Andy Grammer bringing solo show to Iowa City’s Englert Theatre

After a spin of Andy Grammer’s latest album, the surprising “Monster,” no one could blame a fan for recalling John Lydon belting out Public Image LTD’s “Rise,” which features the phrase, “Anger is an energy.”

Grammer, 40, has built a loyal fan base courtesy of crafting light, upbeat positive songs, including “Honey, I’m Good,” “Fresh Eyes,” “Don’t Give Up on Me” and “Keep Your Head Up.” “Good to be Alive (Hallelujah)” could be the Up With People’s theme song.

Grammer, who will perform his one-man show of songs, poetry and stories Wednesday at Iowa City’s Englert Theatre, is so up that it’s almost surprising that he didn’t write the Bobby McFerrin smash “Don’t Worry, Be Happy.”

The consistently content singer/songwriter has taken a left turn with “Monster,” which isn’t the focus of his tour.

The mandolin-driven album is the deepest, darkest and most vulnerable Grammer album to date.

Some adversity inspired the project.

“I went through a tough moment in my life where I realized I was settling in certain areas,” Grammer said. “It happened over time, but then I woke up one morning and had the ‘aha’ moment that I needed a change. My guitar and piano have always been there to help me process the big shifts I’ve been through.”

Monster mandolin

The sonic trauma is delivered by a new instrument for Grammer, who has embraced the mandolin. Fans were taken aback, but the mandolin is what Grammer needed to express himself.

“I had a little artistic whisper one day that my hands wanted to be holding a mandolin,” he said. “Without judging it, I just ran out and got one. The mandolin became a new, weird, interesting friend. It’s not the same as the guitar. It is — but the chord shapes are different. It was just different enough that I could play it, but couldn’t use all my old bag of tricks I use on the guitar.

“It was the key to a door I haven’t been through yet. And that was super exciting.”

The latest batch of Grammer tunes sound fresh and are some of the most moving songs the Los Angeles native has penned to date. He compares the mandolin to his pals.

“It’s like friends,” he said. “Some people you hang out with make you laugh harder than you do with others. With some friends, the night always ends in a deep philosophical conversation. As a card-carrying people pleaser, anger was something I hadn’t really expressed in my music ... until I met my good friend the mandolin.”

Give Grammer credit for not being complacent. It’s easy to replicate the same sound ad nauseam. But Grammer went out on a limb and the tunes flowed, and the clever entertainer released his first full album since 2019.

“Once I started messing with the mandolin I was like, ‘Stop everything. I want a whole record of this,’ and these songs came quick,” he said. “The line ‘There’s a monster in me who shut down went to sleep and forgot who he really was ... but he’s waking up.’ Once I wrote that, I knew that was the opening track and the rest flew out faster than anything I’ve ever done.”

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It’s not easy for a songwriter to be as vulnerable as Grammer is throughout “Monster.”

“I think once you reach a place of facing your own truth it becomes much easier to share it with others,” Grammer said. “In general, it just feels and sounds like fresh air to me.”

It’s fresh and it’s bold. Grammer could have taken the easy way out and just been complacent. Her has a strong group of fans. He has accumulated more than 3 billion global streams and has an enviable social media group of more than 4 million fans. But it’s not just about hits for Grammer.

He covets longevity.

“I want to be out doing this for a long time,” he said.

Engaging the audience and putting considerable effort into the live show is important for Grammer.

“I think part of the way to keep this going is being able to cut it live,” he said.

Grammer has always put considerable effort into his live show, with a balanced set list and quite a bit of energy.

Background

Aside from the mandolin, Grammer plays trumpet, guitar and piano. He began writing songs at 15. At 20, he left Binghamton University in Vestal, N.Y., and returned to Los Angeles. In 2007, he graduated from California State University, Northridge, with a bachelor’s degree in music studies. That’s where he met his wife, singer Aijia Grammer, and they now have two daughters.

“I’ve been incredibly fortunate with my career and my personal life,” Grammer said. “I love what I do, but I have had ups and downs just like everyone else. Everybody goes through bad things, but when I look at what I have, it’s pretty amazing.

“It’s been a really great life so far ... and I look forward to seeing what comes next.”

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