by Andi Bricklin
Eric Hutchinson and Saints of Valory have been on a seven-week tour with Philly being their 3rd to last stop together. In that time both Eric and the Saints have dropped records so new that as Eric put it, and I’m paraphrasing, “If it were a baby, you wouldn’t even be able to bring it out yet, if you were recently sick you wouldn’t be allowed near it!” I’d say if Pure Fiction were a baby, it would have been born standing because it’s a strong collection of songs.
Saints of Valory (photo credit, Debbie Zak Cohen)
Saints of Valory were a great match for Eric as the crowd pretty much remained the same for both bands, and Philly gave the Saints a great welcome. The band came out in full force… wait, what’s that? The guitarist’s microphone was taken away with the automatic screen as it was rolling up to reveal the stage. They scrambled to get him a new one. Then after the song ended, the screen rolled back down with the microphone, stand and all. Although unplanned, it was a great icebreaker that lead singer, Gavin Jasper, said “brought us all a little closer.”
I didn’t grab a set list, but the music reminded me of Arcade Fire meets the Shins with a lot of great percussive rhythms, particularly in the last song “Kids”, when the entire band picked up a pair of drum sticks and rocked the skins in unison to powerfully close out the show. Keep an eye on these guys; there are great things ahead!
When it was time for Eric Hutchinson and his band to take the stage, the venue had filled up to a near sell-out capacity. With a voice that’ll give Ed Sheeran a little chart competition and an adorable “Julian Lennon” stage presence, Eric has won the hearts of fans all over the world!
(photo credit, Debbie Zak Cohen)
Eric kicked off the show with a song from the new record, “Love Like You”. It’s a swinging tune that had everyone in the audience singing along. In fact, the audience sang along with pretty much every song he performed. It was a very interactive audience that took advantage of the intimate setting of the TLA, and Eric played everything everyone wanted to hear. Each song was more infectious than the next, and Eric’s run out in to the audience to sing and dance with his fans was the pinnacle of the night. THIS is how he’s been able to build such a strong and loyal fanbase: great songs and meaningful show experiences.
Kudos to an excellent band (who had to break down and road their own gear after the show), and the sound and lights were spot on!
(photo credit, Debbie Zak Cohen)
