News Summary

There's no denying that Griffin House has gotten to do some incredibly cool things.

He's recorded with members of Tom Petty's Heartbreakers.

He's opened for Mellencamp and chatted with Springsteen.

He recently played the Troubadour, the fabled club in Hollywood where Lenny Bruce got busted for obscenity, The Byrds debuted their jingle-jangle take on "Mr. Tambourine Man" and Neil Young first performed solo.

Oh, yeah, and his most recent album, "Flying Upside Down," officially gets released in Sweden in August.

Sweden, people.

But a week after his annual appearance at the Summer Arts Festival, the homegrown singer-songwriter looked out across the parking lot of Coffee Expressions and, through the swampy morning air, cleared his mind.

"People always talk about getting out," he explained, "but when you're out, there's something to be said about being home."

It wasn't just the humidity talking.

Four years of being on the road are starting to scratch at his brain from the inside out.

It's not that his career isn't moving fast enough.

"It's simply being gone all the time," House said, "and not having any sense of community or normalcy.

"Just being tired all the time."

The 1998 North High grad has tried to plant roots, buying a house in Nashville last October.

"I've probably slept in my bed about 15 times," he complained.

House is perfectly aware that, right now, his life is one incredibly giant catch-22.

On one hand, he wants a home. At this point, he threatened, he could even live in Ohio.

But on the other, to get where he wants to go and do the things he's been able to do, he has no other choice than to live like a singing carny.

"I can't really be too frustrated," he reasoned. "Every year I've done this, it's grown by leaps and bounds.

"I've been able to not have a regular job for the past five years of my life."

At the same time, though, the right kind of break might buy him some time to sleep in his own bed.

"I think I have my songs," he said. "It's just a matter of getting the right placement on television or on a soundtrack."

Surely, if God is just, something off "Flying Upside Down" will do the trick.

Guitarist Mike Campbell and keyboard player Benmont Tench — better known as Heartbreakers — guest on the album.

"It feels like we're getting close to a little bit of a tipping point," he said.

Well, closer.

House was booked for Letterman on May 19, but at the last minute, they decided not to have a musical guest that night.

Similarly, he was supposed to be on Craig Ferguson's "Late Late Show" in June.

"They had my name on there and everything," House said, "but they ran out of time."

Thankfully, his appearance on Ferguson was taped in advance, and now will air July 25.

But for House, all the proof he needs to keep going is found every year right at home, at the Summer Arts Festival.

After his recent show, he marveled, people stood around for 45 minutes to get his autograph and take pictures.

"They're not there because it's the cool place to be," he said. "They're there because they find the songs to be meaningful."

For a singer-songwriter, what else is there?

Well, besides sleep.

Contact this reporter at (937) 328-0352 or amcginn@coxohio.com.