If you were lucky enough to read our Eric Hutchinson interview last week, you probably remember me mentioning the “intimate” setting that Hutchinson was seeking on his Almost Solo Tour. If you were even luckier, you got to experience it firsthand at his concert Tuesday night. The Barrymore Theatre’s pretty cozy as it is, but when the theater dimmed and the stage lit up you felt like you were looking at someone’s living room. Sure, the backdrop featured Hutchinson’s promotional logo, but on the actual stage was an armchair for guitarist Elliot Blaufuss, a bedside lamp, and a keyboard setup that seemed to be handpicked from Hutchinson’s NYC apartment. Most importantly, Hutchinson set such a casual mood that the audience felt like they were on stage with him and Blaufuss and listening to their friends jam. Hutchinson is such a genuine performer that it’s easy to forget that he’s a major international musician.
Starting off the night solo with the hit “OK, It’s Alright With Me,” Hutchinson had everyone on their feet with the first note of his keyboard. For his second song, and the rest of the evening, Elliott Blaufuss accompanied Hutchinson, adding more force and energy to the performance. Interlaced with the music, which includes “All Over Now” and the impromptu “Watching You (Eat Fish)” as opposed to “Watching You Watch Him,” Hutchinson conversed with the audience, telling us how he shared a cheeseburger with Fergie and the troubles his foot-tapping caused him while writing the new album in his apartment. Though it took my friends and me midway through the concert to realize this, we had the pleasure of sitting with Hutchinson’s road manager, who informed us that the busy singer had a radio interview in Detroit a mere five hours after the concert. Even in this time crunch, Hutchinson played a full set and signed autographs for the extremely long line of fans. Charming and humble, Hutchinson is talented both on stage and on the album. It was truly a joy to watch him perform.