Correction Appended
While methods like Auto-Tune are audible in nearly all recent releases on Top 40 radio, it’s refreshing to know that some artists are still relying on good, old-fashioned vocal talent. Eric Hutchinson, best known for his hits “OK, It’s Alright With Me” and “Rock and Roll,” played the Tavern on Friday night to a packed house.
Opening band Andy Suzuki and the Method, though not well known among the audience, were met by screams and yells before they even sat down — due to their good looks. Bandmate Jason G. was even taunted by lead singer Andy Suzuki to take his shirt off, causing a ruckus among the largely female attendants. The band quickly eliminated any unnecessary attention elsewhere when they began playing their acoustic pop music. Percussionist Kozza Babumba hand-drummed every song (with an occasional bass drum beat in certain songs) while Suzuki played the keyboards and Jason G. rocked the electric violin.
Unlike most opening bands that often play unknown songs to an unwilling audience, Andy Suzuki and the Method took heed of the shortcomings of other musicians and consequently played several covers during their set. While not short on their own songs, like “Fingers Crossed” and the personal “300 Pianos” (the titular track of their album and dedicated to Suzuki’s sick father), the band also played unique versions of popular hits like Drake’s “Best I Ever Had,” Kings of Leon’s “Use Somebody” and John Mayer’s “Gravity.”
“Gravity” stood out the most among their set list, as Jason G.’s adaptation of Mayer’s guitar solo on his electric violin brought a more emotional and heartfelt aspect to the song. He didn’t miss a beat of the impressive music break as his fingers flew along the neck of the instrument, rousing yelling and loud applause from the audience.
With a short break in between sets, headliner Eric Hutchinson took the stage to great reception, playing hits from his debut album “Sounds Like This.” The audience participated in a sing-along to the effervescent (and easily memorable) “Oh!” Despite the popularity of his radio songs like “OK, It’s Alright With Me,” the audience seemed to enjoy “You Don’t Have to Believe Me” the most. The tune’s danceable rhythms and funk-laden guitar chords made attendees dance, bumping into each other in the crowd and clapping along.
Hutchinson is one of those artists who makes the audience know immediately that he is in it for the music. He danced around more on stage than most in the audience, bouncing around while playing the electric guitar and nearly knocking over his piano bench as he jumped around on the keyboard. His soulful voice translated easily from his tunes on the album, displaying his vocal range and showcasing his old school ability to capture R&B melodies with pop sensibilities. Hutchinson interacted with the audience often, encouraging them to applaud more and playing one of his “new songs,” which ended up being a joke about how those in the audience below 5 foot 6 were screwed because the stage was too low and the floor was too flat, but those who were taller were good to go. He also played actual new songs from his album.
After being recruited back on stage for an encore before playing the audience favorite “Rock and Roll,” Hutchinson sang the ever-popular “My Girl,” claiming he sang it before The Temptations did and “no one knows I wrote this.” In a surprisingly fit segue, Hutchinson then transitioned from the ‘60s smash into the R. Kelly euphemism-laced “Ignition Remix.”
Hutchinson’s concert at AU on Friday night was a subtle reminder that among the Ke$has and T-Pains of the world, there are still some artists that can be catchy without covering up their own vocal talents with the work of musical machines. With any luck, Hutchinson’s album “Sounds Like This” will only be a precursor of a long career to come.
You can reach this staff writer at cmoore@theeagleonline.com.
Correction: In an early version of this article, John Mayer's song "Gravity" was incorrectly identified as "Clarity." This version has been corrected.
