Jan 3 2025 - 7:30 PM
Tyler Grant is a National Flatpicking Champion and renowned guitarist, singer, songwriter, storyteller, producer, and educator. His adventurous career has spanned the better part of thirty years, and has taken him from his roots in East County San Diego to sideman to bandleader, and from young hotshot to mentor in the bluegrass, Americana and jam band scenes. His sixth solo release, Tryin’ To Have A Good Time, captures the image of a life-long wanderer staking out musical roots which extend to a canopy of song, inviting the listener into a home long sought after.
Tyler founded the Cosmic Americana band Grant Farm® in 2010. After five albums, a collaborative release with Fruition (the celebrated Meeting On The Mountain EP), eleven episodes of the Meeting On The Mountain LIVE Broadcast®, and hundreds of concerts and festival sets around the United States, the band called an indefinite hiatus, seeking new directions during the “Great Pause” of 2020. Those new directions included Tyler becoming a river rafting guide and hosting musical raft adventures.
When not on the road, the stage, the river, or keeping up with students on ArtistWorks, Tyler spends most of his time in Colorado and California, searching for that perfect combination of song and story, and practicing the heck out of his guitar.
Opening for Tyler, Travis Oliver is an acoustic guitarist, singer, and songwriter who specializes in flatpicking guitar and roots music. Currently based in Ocean Beach, he was raised between the mountains and swamps throughout the southeastern United States, taking in musical influences along the way. Those influences include Doc Watson, Tony Rice, Reno and Smiley, The Allman Brothers, Jimi Hendrix, and Phish. He began learning the art of acoustic roots music at an early age and spent many years honing his musical voice and style. As a tenth generation Appalachian, he comes from families rich in musical heritage, like his cousin and International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame inductee Arthur Lee “Red” Smiley. Travis’ performances strategically balance fiery guitar picking, tone filled melodies, heartfelt ballads, and witty song selections to entertain the listener.