They toured colleges and east coast clubs, opened for larger acts, and were videotaped for Newsweek Broadcasting's syndicated television Show, Today's Woman in April, 1982.
Aware of the pressures and stress of a decade's involvement in the industry, Grier moved to Key West (a frequent touring location for Troia/Grier) to unwind and soon rediscovered her solo career.
In 1995, London's Time Out magazine called her music “funkily melodic in a mature and assured style.” Grier returned her focus to New York City in 1996, where she produced and adapted to English an album for EMI artist Nilda Fernandez.
Time Out New York wrote, “Grier mixes folked-up blues with a political mind-set.” The Hudson Current added, “One aspect that distinguishes her from other performers is her concern with political and environmental issues, layered over that blues/rock melodic base.” The album was mostly recorded live and self-produced with back up from local studio musicians and released on her Shane Music label.
She was featured on Mag Rack’s Guitar Xpress, which has also showcased artists including: The Spin Doctors, Trey Anastasio, and Les Paul.
However, on the Feb. 4, 2009, cover of AM New York, she was juxtaposed with the headline “Playin’ ain’t Payin’,” which documents the difficulty of earning money as a street performer in the recession.
Joe’s Pub listing “local singer-songwriter and activist Cathy Grier plays a mean slide guitar and sings twice as beguilingly as pretty much any American Idol starlet half her age; at her best, she sounds like a bluesier Carole King.” A favorite performer for non-profit organizations Cathy has entertained to benefit Art For Animals, Habitat For Humanity, NY Junior League, to name a few.
An article she wrote about the process of building a healthy home was published in New York House[citation needed] and has been reprinted in various national publications.