From Boston Herald (1/2003):
"New York singer-songwriter Sam Bisbee demonstrates anew the eloquence and power of the carefully crafted three-chord rock song on 'Live at Arlene Grocery.'

Bisbee's reedy voice sounds almost preadolescent, his melodies deceptively simple and his band - including two New Englanders - direct and economical. All of this pushes the songs, most from Bisbee's overlooked debut, 'Vehicle,' to the center of the Arlene Grocery stage, where they flower like hothouse orchids.

Literate but not pretentious, emotional but never cloying, inevitable but never predictable, Bisbee's songs don't wilt in the spotlight, but flourish - a testament to the strength and staying power of simplicity." - Kevin R. Convey

From Boston Globe (12/2002):
"Sam Bisbee, 'Live at Arlene Grocery,' DCN. The Cambridge-raised, New York-based Bisbee has really come into his own. Anyone who has enjoyed his local shows at Toad and the Lizard Lounge will revel in this record. It captures Bisbee's urban anomie and deftly mixes his many influences, from '80s synth-pop (a cover of New Order's ''Age of Consent'' is featured) to ruminative guitar-rock originals and even a hip-hop cover of De La Soul's ''Eye Know. '' And the album includes earnest stage conversation that helps keep it real." - Steve Morse

From MetroWest Daily News (1/2002):
"Sam Bisbee, 'Live at Arlene Grocery,' DCN. New York singer-songwriter Sam Bisbee builds on the promise of his 2001 debut album, "Vehicle," with this charming collection of witty and earnest pop songs recorded live in New York. Right from the first song - a cover of New Order's "Age of Consent" - Bisbee and his tight band deliver the sort of clean, sharp performances that today's bands seem to so often bury underneath overproduced bombast. Songs like "Miracle Car" and "Cubicle Love Song" combine equal parts quirky humor and honest heart, and Bisbee comes off as a talented and enjoyable performer. B+" - Josh B. Wardrop

From Pop Culture Press (3/03):
"Throwing his hat in the 'singer/songwriter for the new millennium' ring, Sam Bisbee's third album is full of ringing guitar pop and frothy, melodic anthems. Bisbee's last effort, Vehicle, received quite a few raves, and placed him somewhere between Ryan Adams and Rufus Wainwright stylistically, though it's easy to spot older influences as well. Though Bisbee has only recently begun to make records, he's no newcomer, and bounced around during the 90s from demo deal to demo deal with the majors. And that experience shows on Live At Arlene Grocery, as Bisbee knows exactly how to knead his audience, with an occasional whoop here and funny bit there. With a strong, elastic band that's able to handle Bisbee's tuneful rockers (just about all of them drawn from the Vehicle album, which might be a more logical place for newcomers to start) with ease, Bisbee moves from glistening, intropsective ballad ("Shake Me") to explosive rocker ("Ride 'Em Mower") to a fine cover--New Order's "Age of Consent--which leads off the disc in style. It's nothing you haven't heard before, but Bisbee's a smart, articulate writer with a bright future nonetheless." - Luke Torn

From Mundane Sounds (11/02):
"Very rare is it that I'll hear a great record that makes me simply drop another review for that week so that I can babble on and on incoherently. This week I had one such record, but surprise! I got another one that totally bested the other great record. Two bands will have to wait. I've got this record to ramble on about! Even rarer is it that such a record is a LIVE ALBUM by an unknown (to me, at least) talent. But damn it all, Sam Bisbee is a man of great talent, and this record is a document of that.

Now, what is it about Bisbee that sets him apart from his peers? Well, that's a matter of taste, really. As for me, I am really rather keen on his lyrics; he's a funny fellow, and he's got some great stories to tell. From love in funny seats ("Bucket Seat") to love in cramped office spaces, ("Cubicle Love Song") he is witty and intelligent without ever having to dumb it down. Being from New York also throws up the Clem Snide flag, too; unlike Eef's self-depreciation in the face of learning life lessons, Bisbee's not necessarily trying to impress you with book smarts. And if you think you've heard "Miracle Car," you have; it's currently being used in a national advertising campaign.

Of course, with this being a live album, much of the music comes from his debut album, Vehicles. Two of the songs are covers, the opening (and totally spot-on) cover of New Order's "Age of Consent" and the irony-free cover of De La Soul's "Eye Know." Also with this being a live album, it's really hard to tell what he's doing in comparison to what he did in the studio. I'm hearing a bit of repetition in the music, leading me to think that he does things with tape loops, but I really can't be too sure about this. I do hear a New Order vibe throughout most of his set, but you can also hear a bit of good ole glummy boy Thom Yorke. Heck, at first I thought that the reason "Miracle Car" sounded so familiar was that it was indeed a Radiohead cover!

I like seeing bands live that impress me enough that I'm left running to the merch table to buy up their goods. Live at Arlene Grocery is the next best thing to that feeling. Sam Bisbee--I get the feelin' he's not going to be down in Texas any time soon. I also have this feeling that he's going to be thrown in to the "next big thing" lists that inevitibly appear at the beginning of a new year. Let's just hope that his talent gives him the success he deserves. One to watch, for sure!" - Joseph Kyle