Before this concert, I didn’t know much about Eric. A few of my twitter friends raved about him though, so when I saw that one of the local radio stations was holding a contest to see him I decided to enter and check him out if I won. Of course, I ended up winning. Then Friday we had the terrible tragedy in Connecticut and Sunday night I went back and forth on whether or not I should go but ultimately decided it would probably do me good to go out and have fun.
Before the show started, there was announcement on the PA and we had a moment of silence for the victims from Newtown.
The opening act for the evening was Jessie Payo. She came out and said that she wasn’t sure how to perform for us in a time like this and wasn’t sure she should perform but ultimately decided as a performer it was her job to take us away for a little bit and entertain us and she hoped she could do that. She has a great voice and I really liked her set. She was funny too, teasing that she’d love to meet us after her set but that we should know that she is smaller than she appears and that she isn’t playing a guitar, but a ukelele and if we looked for Dora the Explorer in a polka dot dress we’d find her.
Then there was some sound checking going on and Eric took the stage and the piano. As his set went on, I decided that my friends who raved about him were absolutely right and that I absolutely made the right decision to go to the show.(Even though I somehow always end up with the rudest people EVER behind me here! How I got water (i hope) splashed on my neck when no one was directly behind me, I don’t know. Why people think they can talk through the openers set and that is ok, I don’t know. Why people think it is ok to kick the person in front of thems seat over and over throughout the whole set, I don’t know.) I also recognized his first song and last song – though I’m not sure from where or why.
Eric had a lot of great stories about the songs and how they came about – one in particular that he said he wrote in NYC in his new apartment and that his neighbor downstairs complained to the landlord and the landlord said that he couldn’t have band practice, he said he wasn’t. The landlord said it sounded like someone was getting guitar lessons and he said – no, that’s just me. And that it sounded like a full drumset was being played – and he said no – the more I like a song the more I tap my foot, and I am just THAT good that I sound like a full drum set. And the landlord said – well what about the lady singing? And Eric said – no – that’s me too. haha. (He ended up giving the neighbor downstairs a copy of the new album when it was done and a not so nice note.)
He also had another story about how Snoop has sold the rights to the song “Drop Its Like Its Hot” to Hot Pockets and it will be used in commercials. He said that he pitched to Red Lobster and that his song “Watch You Watch Him” has been rewritten for use in their commercials as “Watch You Watch Shrimp” and went on to sing a few (hilarious) verses of it.
After he left the stage everyone gave him a standing ovation. And the moment I knew I loved him? When he came back out and asked that we continue standing and then sang a “hit song he wrote a few years back” and broke into I WANT IT THAT WAY. Apparently exactly what I needed was a huge boyband sing a long with everyone in the theater.
His tour is over now – but definitely check him out on his next tour if you get the chance – I highly recommend him!
Setlist (I apologize if any song titles are wrong)
Ok, It’s Alright With Me
Best Days
Talk Is Cheap
All Over Now
Watching You Watch Him
Food Chain
Alcatraz
Back To Where I Was (w/ Jessie Payo)
Not There Yet
Breakdown More (dedicated to Newtown)
Shine On Me
Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic (The Police, dedicated to Fergie)
The Basement
Oh!
Outside Villanova
I Want It That Way (Backstreet Boys Cover)
Rock + Roll