Eric Hutchinson: Calling In the Sitters

Eric Hutchinson
Neptune Theatre, Seattle, Wa
05.04.14

A barrage of pop hits and a talented opening act surged the Neptune Sunday night, along with a jovial crowd ready to send off their weekend proper. Embarking this spring on his Tell the World Tour, Eric Hutchinson hitched camp in Seattle for his eleventh stop on a 23 city run. And, with a new record in hand, Hutchinson has taken Pure Fiction to the open embrace of eager fans waiting for another shot in the arm.

The cheers were so loud during the pause of their second song, Watching You Watching Him, that Hutchinson and his band were unable to continue the breakdown. With a smile on his face, he pleaded, “We love listening to this and could do it all night, but we would never be able to finish our set!” Focus, people, focus. This energy continued for an hour and a half, as Eric Hutchinson and his band ripped through a 20 song set, sugared with hits one after the other. Hutchinson likened his new album to a baby that remains awake through the night, constantly needing to be fed and having its neck supported. That’s one way to put it, I suppose. He asked for silence before starting an acoustic version of Forget About Joni, a song he said made him feel most vulnerable. Hutchinson may want to start bringing reinforcements, because this crowd wasn’t ready to slow down any time soon. He lightheartedly told the fans to elbow each other into compliance. While this may work with the easygoing folks in Seattle, he may want to rethink that one for his Detroit stop…

Electricity aside, he’s going to have to learn how to take the earnest complement. This is how we do.

The opening band, Saints of Valory, boasts an eclectic mix of musicians coming together from around the globe. Very cool. Their core was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and eventually they found themselves in Austin, Texas. After releasing their work independently, Saints of Valory signed to Atlantic Records last year. They have cultivated a growing fan base and continue to dole out the punches with their most current release, the Possibilities EP. Leading the forefront is their single Neon Eyes (Into the Deep).

Eric Hutchinson set list:
Love Like You
Watching You Watching Him
All Over Now
Best Days
Oh!
Food Chain
Oh! (reprise)
Goodnight Goodbye
The Basement
I Don’t Love U
Ok, It’s Alright With Me
Outside Villanova
Forget About Joni
Breakdown More
Back To Where I Was
A Little More
You Don’t Have To Believe Me
Forever
(Encore):
Rock & Roll
Tell the World