I Love You, Eric Hutchinson

Eric Hutchinson is one of my favorite people. The fact that we've never met in real life is merely a nuance.

I first discovered Eric Hutchinson via Pandora, sometime in the hazy year of 2011. "Hey, this is pretty cool," I thought, as "Oh!" and "Rock and Roll" played on my Mat Kearney station. I proceeded to listen to those two songs on repeat for eons and eventually downloaded the rest of the album. I was a fan.

Fast forward a year to May 2012. It was Tuesday, May 8, and I was in Charlotte with my father and best friend. We were leaving a college fair when I brought up the fact that Eric Hutchinson happened to be performing that evening. We decided that we were so close, we might as well stop by. We waltzed in near the end of the set, and paid half the regular admission price. Only being present for 5 songs was saddening because Eric Hutchinson is one of those performers who is better live, but worked out because I could only sing along with the classics at the end of the set. I even took some stunning photographs. 

Envious of my skills? You know you are.

I may not have gotten home until one in the morning, but I didn't care. I saw Eric Hutchinson in concert and I didn't care how many people had never heard of him.

I have continued following Eric Hutchinson for the last two years. This is odd, because I cannot stand listening to many of the artists I enjoyed in 2011. Eric Hutchinson is special. How could you not love someone with the "lamest drug story of all time"?

       

I was very excited to learn that Eric Hutchinson is coming back to Charlotte. He will be at the Visulite on April 17, and so will I. I will not scream, or wave hideous posters, or be an obnoxious "fangirl", but I will sing out every song I know and pretend to sing all the ones I don't. I will applaud and laugh and smile and thoroughly enjoy myself. In the event that spring break takes me away from Charlotte on this momentous occasion, I will be there in spirit. I will solemnly promise to blast the new album as I burn on the beach. 

Eric Hutchinson, if you ever find this in the annals of the internet, know that you are appreciated. Your music makes me dance with the gracefulness of a newborn giraffe. We should totally hang out. Also - my mother was a Hutchinson - who knows, we might be distantly related!