After an unsuccessful Athens venture this summer due to a power outage, Eric Sommers will finally make it to the Jackie O’s Pub & Brewery stage Saturday.
“I couldn’t even get to Athens,” Sommers said. “I was coming from Kent State and I got down to Parkersburg and all the gas stations were closed because the electricity was out. It was terrible.”
Junebug, the open-mic operator at Jackie O’s, said that the guitarist has been a regular at the bar through the years.
“I’ve known him for years and he is a road dog,” he said. “He is a true road dog and I feel like he is finally getting his due. He is a real energetic, fingerpicking rock guy with a full stage of guitars. He is the bluesman of the new age.”
Sommers recently signed a three-year deal with Sony Music Entertainment and is currently preparing to release a new record that will reach the U.S., Europe and Australia.
“I’ve been working at this for a long time and I’ve had records before … but this is a new direction and it’s very exciting,” he said. “It’s just the right studio, the right producers and the right sounds.”
The musician claims that his pop-rock sound has a unique twist, unlike the other bands around today.
“It seems that the combination of the guitar plus the pop-rock sensibility is really connecting with folks,” Sommers said. “I’d say that’s very different than any other band around, with high-energy acoustic and a rock solid rhythm section.”
Sommers also added that the purpose of his message is to inspire a sense of responsibility, action, and making a difference.
Mike Corbee, the bar’s event planner, says that the artist is always welcome at the bar and is guaranteed to generate a great response from the audience.
“He is a solo guitarist that sounds like he has a full band behind him,” Corbee said.
“He is an excellent guitar player and he fits real well in the brewery for people who just want to sit down and listen to some good music. “
Sommers added that he is excited for his long-awaited return to Athens.
“Everyone needs to support live music,” he said. “It’s a wonderful thing and one of the things that makes Athens so great and unique is that a lot of people get it. It’s very powerful and different than other cities.”
lf328610@ohiou.edu
