Michael Grimm feeling excitement, pressure of trying something on his own

There's no place like home for the holidays.

And while there's no telling whether Michael Grimm will sing that seasonal favorite during his current Flamingo run, which continues through Dec. 11, the Las Vegas resident is definitely taking the message to heart as he settles in for his Strip showroom debut.

A one-time regular at Green Valley Ranch Resort's Ovation, Grimm has played the Strip previously; as the fifth-season winner of NBC's "America's Got Talent," he shared a Caesars Palace showcase with other contestants.

This time, however, it's Grimm being Grimm, in jolly holiday mode.

"It's my favorite time of the year," he says. Especially because the Las Vegas holiday weather means Jack Frost's nipping at your nose without freezing vital body parts in the process.

"I'm going to do everything I can to contain myself and not to make a full Christmas show," Grimm says.

But he does plan to make time for "a few Christmas songs" during a midset section featuring his trademark audience exchanges.

After all, "what I'm good at is singing and just interacting with people in the crowd."

So please, somebody, request "Please Come Home for Christmas," one of Grimm's holiday favorites.

"I love that song," he says. "The Eagles did a great version of it."

But if you happen to ask for, say, "I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas," be forewarned: "I think I'm gonna ignore that one, and pretend I didn't hear," he promises with a chuckle.

After all, Grimm knows what works for him. What audiences saw on "America's Got Talent" is what they get at the Flamingo.

"It's all about real music and keeping American music alive," says the self-described "Mississippi boy," whose mixture of "soul, blues and even country," along with rootsy rock, has found a welcome audience, live and on TV.

In Las Vegas, "a lot of shows are doing tributes to real music," he says. "I'm hoping my little show is going to make a little noise."

Playing a Strip showroom does represent "the unknown," he admits, and "the unknown is what we fear." There's a lot of excitement mixed in with a little anxiety, he says.

"It's been something, putting it together," Grimm reflects. "It is an experience -- and one that I need," so "I'm embracing it. This is my shot to try something on my own."

Although "I do feel that pressure" of playing a Strip showroom, he acknowledges, "I have to be careful. I don't want to step out of my own skin."

And to Grimm, that means "singing from the heart."

It also means singing songs from his recent self-titled album, a project that teamed him with Grammy-winning producer Don Was, whose all-star collaborators range from the Rolling Stones and Elton John to Bonnie Raitt.

During the recording process, Grimm worked with a backing band that included such veterans as guitarist Waddy Wachtel (Keith Richards, Stevie Nicks and James Taylor) and drummer Kenny Aronoff. One of the cuts, "Gasoline and Matches," features Grimm singing with Heart's Ann Wilson.

Overall, "we went for that old-school sound," Grimm explains, noting the musicians "set a groove" and played together "over and over" until they captured "the rawness" of the music on the recording.

That's the way Grimm prefers things, because "I'm my own worst critic" when it comes to recording. "I'm a perfectionist -- or as near as perfect as I can get."

Besides, he would rather perform live, because "I'm most comfortable onstage."

Following his "America's Got Talent" win, he's had a lot more opportunity to do just that.

The show "definitely took me to another level in my career," he says of the TV exposure, which he describes as "a big steppingstone. I gradually had been taking baby steps -- but this was a big one."

Noting the "added pressure" resulting from his status as the show's fifth-season champ, "I had soft skin in the beginning -- but it's thickening up," he says. "It's a matter of grabbing ahold of this beast," which is how Grimm describes the music business these days.

In part, that's why he decided to audition for "America's Got Talent" in the first place, after years of trying to get a record deal.

"I spent my life trying to be heard," he says, noting that he hoped he would have one night on TV to sing his songs.

"And I end up winning," he says, a touch of wonder evident in his voice. "It's still very surreal."

Contact reporter Carol Cling at ccling@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0272.