Expect song and story from Creed Bratton at Fulton 55 show

Some actors play music. Some musicians act. Creed Bratton does both, convincingly.

“I’ve bounced back and forth,” says Bratton, best known for playing a strange version of himself on the NBC comedy “The Office.”

Creed is also a musician.

Before trying his hand at acting, the former Fresno and Coarsegold resident was a bona fide rock star, a member of the 1960s rock group The Grass Roots. You’ve probably heard the song “Let’s Live for Today,” or “Midnight Confessions.” He recorded four albums with the band.

He’s released six albums as a solo artist and built a solid career as an actor. While touring in support of his latest record, “All The Faces,” Bratton managed a small part in the indie film “Band of Robbers;” did a guest spot in the Netflix show “Grace and Frankie” and is working on a pilot for a series called “Featherpeak.”

He’s also written several screenplays and a bunch of songs, because, artistically, music and acting are the same, he says. They are a means to an end.

“It’s still the same vehicle, the internal vehicle.”

Over the years, Bratton has played all manner of musical styles. He played the trumpet before discovering the guitar in his teenage years. His grandfather showed him a few chords. There is a line of musician on both sides of his family. His current music is a reflection of all his musical experiences.

“I’ve played pop, jazz. I’ve toured with a country band. My music is a hodgepodge of all of that,” Bratton says.

The touring show is a bit of a hodgepodge, too, he says. While he records with a band (The Rubbermen), he tours as a solo act. The show is mixture of songs (music) and storytelling (acting) delivered with Bratton’s signature bone-dry sense of humor.

“I just don’t get along with people who are very, very serious,” he says.

This story was originally published August 6, 2015 at 8:52 PM with the headline "Expect song and story from Creed Bratton at Fulton 55 show."