Glamorama 2010 – Eric Hutchison

 

About midway through the show Eric Hutchison took the stage for an acoustic set. He started off on the piano, playing his hit OK, It’s Alright With Me. As a classically trained pianist myself, there is no form of music I have greater respect for than an acoustic piano/vocal set. He hit every note perfectly. The lyrics struck a chord with me and his vocals soared through the vaulted Chicago Theater auditorium. He made a couple of jokes about how awkward it felt to be performing an acoustic set amongst the glitz and glamor of the fashion show, which helped diffuse the collective tension.

His second and final song was Rock & Roll, an acoustic guitar piece that he stood up to play. His personality was incredibly endearing and the audience began clapping in unison to encourage him. As my fiance Jeremy (exec. editor of Chicago Jam Scene) pointed out, the only people who clap during an artist’s performance are people who rarely see live music. Hutchison thanked the audience for the clapping encouragement, but told them it wasn’t necessary. Clapping like that actually interferes with the musician’s ability to concentrate. Hutchison was unfazed and continued to pour his soul out. This was my first exposure to Hutchison, and his heartfelt performance here at Glamorama gained him at least one new fan.