After three hard years, Phil Vassar is back at the Birchmere and feeling good

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Phil Vassar first walked into the Birchmere as a college student, years before he had anything to promote.

"I remember going there for the first time, I think I was in college or something. It was about 100 years ago," he said. "But man, it was just awesome."

He watched Gordon Lightfoot there. Vince Gill. Artists who sat down with an instrument and played.

That is roughly what he intends to do on Oct. 22, when he returns to the Mount Vernon Avenue venue a year after headlining it on his 25 Years of Paradise tour. The 7:30 p.m. show is billed as acoustic, with Talbot Mayo opening, and he is leaving most of the band home.

"We're not bringing the full band, the whole thing, like we usually do," Vassar said in an interview with The Alexandria Brief on Tuesday. He expects to have Jeff Smith, his longtime lead guitarist and tour manager, and his bass player with him, enough for harmonies. "I really like the intimacy of just being a singer-songwriter. I love that part."