Grandson performed for a sold-out crowd at The House of Blues San Diego for the opening night of his I Love You, I’m Trying Tour! Also featured on this tour is Grandson’s tour sister, K. Flay along with singer-songwriter from Houston, De’Wayne. This was the first time that Grandson has ever headlined in San Diego so it’s amazing that he sold that place out! The I Love You, I’m Trying Tour came just a week after Grandson released his second full-length album of the same name. The new release is raw and emotional, mainly focusing on internal struggles like mental health. I first saw Grandson at Blue Ridge Rock Festival in 2022 after being a fan of his since about 2019. I’ve always loved his music just because it’s different and each song has such a powerful message. He’s one of those performers that really stands out for me because he’s so passionate about his work and you can feel that radiating energy from the crowd. Opening nights of tours are always so exciting because you never know what’s going to happen!
De’Wayne kicked off the night but we unfortunately just missed him! I’m bummed we missed his set because I heard the crowd talking about how amazing his performance was. We did make it just in time for K. Flay though and I was so excited to see her as part of this bill because I’ve wanted to see her for so long! I’ve been listening to her music since about my freshman year of high school and I’d have “High Enough” on repeat forever. K. Flay opened up her set with “The President Has A Sex Tape.” Her energy is immaculate and you could tell that she kept getting lost in the music throughout her set.
She has this authenticity that I feel is so rare to see nowadays.
A little more than halfway through her set she talked about how she woke up four months ago, deaf in one ear. She spoke about the struggles of going through this new and sudden change and even asking the question of if she would ever perform again. After she told her story, she went into “Maybe There’s A Way.” I love when artists talk about the meaning of their songs before they play them because you hear that song in a totally different light. After that, she live debuted an unreleased song, “Punisher,” and said that no one had heard this one yet. She then closed out her set with “High Enough” and all my freshman-year nostalgia came in.
Grandson had such a wholesome-looking set. The backdrop was the album cover for I Love You, I’m Trying which is a forest. Then, there was an elevated park bench that had a streetlamp next to it and a street sign that read I Love You, I’m Trying. He created such a warm and safe environment with just a few props. He came out and started the night off with “Drones.” Since it was opening night of the tour for the album he just dropped, It was a night of live Debuts! “Drones,” “Something To Hide,” ”I Love You, I’m Trying,” “Enough,” “Eulogy,” “When The Bombs Go Off,” “Half My Heart,” and “Heather,” all had their live debut this night.
K. Flay came back out to sing "Zen" and "Peaches" with Grandson. During "Peaches," they sat down on the bench together and it was such a beautiful moment! You could really feel the strength of their friendship in that moment and it was something indescribable. I said it earlier, but Grandson has created something so special in being able to make a room feel like a safe space for everybody.
He kept repeating throughout his set too that “This is a show for everyone, everyone is safe here.”
During "Heather," he asked the crowd to open up so he could come down there and sing with them. Before the song started, he told a little bit of the story behind it saying it was dedicated to a fan that lost their life to mental illness. Though the entirety of I Love You, I’m Trying is vulnerable, it’s this song that really shows Grandson at his most emotional. Not only is it a tribute to Heather, but it’s a thank you to all the fans that have been there for him, supporting him, and getting him through all his battles. There was a lot of chatter going on the ENTIRE show but this was the first time of the night that the room fell completely silent.
After an impressive 24-song set, Grandson closed out with "Blood//Water." Before the song, as per Grandson tradition, he has his crew throw out waters to everybody but they weren’t allowed to drink them. When the chorus kicks in though, you open the bottles and through the water all around! Grandson’s shows are really hard to describe because he is so inclusive and makes the whole room a family. His music alone is powerful enough, but seeing him live is a whole nother story. There are still a ton of dates left on the I Love You, I’m Trying Tour so be sure you don’t miss this!
Remaining dates on the I Love You, I’m Trying Tour:
May 22nd – Tampa, Florida # May 23rd – Atlanta, Georgia # May 24th – Nashville, Tennessee # May 26th – Richmond, Virginia # May 27th – Charlotte, North Carolina # May 28th – Sonic Temple Festival
May 29th – Silver Spring, Maryland # May 31st – Boston, Massachusetts # June 2nd – New Haven, Connecticut # June 3rd – New York, New York * June 4th – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania * June 5th – Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania * June 6th – Indianapolis, Indiana * June 9th – Detroit, Michigan * June 11th – Chicago, Illinois * June 12th – St. Paul, Minnesota June 13th – Milwaukee, Wisconsin * June 15th – Omaha, Nebraska * June 16th – St. Louis, Missouri * June 17th – Boulevardia Festiva June 19th – Denver, Colorado * June 20th –Salt Lake City, Utah * June 22nd – Boise, Idaho * June 23rd – Seattle, Washington * June 24th – Portland, Oregon * June 26th – San Francisco, California * June 27th – Los Angeles, California * June 29th – Phoenix, Arizona * July 1st – Oklahoma City, Oklahoma ^ July 2nd – Memphis, Tennessee ^ July 3rd – Cincinnati, Ohio ^ July 5th – Albany, New York ^ July 9th – Portland, Maine ^ July 10th – Pawtucket, Rhode Island ^ July 11th – Hampton Beach, New Hampshire ^
* Jack Kays # DE’WAYNE ^ No Love For The Middle Child & grandson only
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