If you know the 39-year-old, it’s likely not for music but his role on the megahit “Yellowstone” as Kayce Dutton, the complicated and hotheaded son of Kevin Costner in the series (and yes, he has the good looks to make that work. But if his 25-minute Sunday Stagecoach set was any indication, it might not stay that way for long.)
In a interesting move that I don’t think I’ve seen before, he started his set a few minutes early in what I almost wonder was a subtle nod that this is an artist who will soon be demanding of a longer time slot. Even more interesting, he opened with his most popular song, “No Horse To Ride,” which has racked up nearly 10 million views on Spotify since it was released a few months.
I must say, I was slightly disappointed to arrive when he was already well over halfway through the tune, which sounded great. But I needn’t have been too bummed as the rest of the set, which he explained consisted mostly of new songs, provided an intriguing view of an artist who is only just getting started.
I particularly enjoyed his new single, the emotional “Lean On” which was released earlier last week. The guitarist who joined him on stage was no slouch either as he demonstrated with some slicker shredding than anyone has a right to expect this early in the day on another recent release “Oh Ohio.”
Turns out, despite looking he came straight out of Jackson Hole with his long locks and beard, Grimes is an Ohio native.
During the short set, Grimes also displayed some of the wit and charm that surely first endeared him to those who the casting in Hollywood.
“Are you guys melting out there?” he quipped at one point. “Same here. Let’s melt together.”
But it was Grime’s raspy, but versatile, voice that truly marked him as one to watch, as he demonstrated on a closing song that appears to be unreleased as I can’t find any sign of it online after searching a strand of lyrics.
Pretty good for a TV star who only released his first music last year.