Athens, Ohio (Top40 Charts/ Marketing Technologies Group) Eric Sommer - pop Americana artist - and The Southgate House have nothing in common.
Eric Sommer is a guitar player and nationally recognized musician of some renown, and The Southgate House is where the machine gun was invented. Let's see... Bullets and B Strings? Not likely. Keep moving, keep moving, nothing to see here.
Unless it has something to do with music.
Then these two institutions are like ole' pals, long-lost friends, and it is easy to see why: The Southgate House is one of the premier showcase concert rooms in the country, and Eric Sommer - a highly acclaimed acoustic showcase performer - will be appearing there on Thursday,
September 26, in The Lounge Stage at The Southgate House - Mr. Sommers' favorite. The Southgate House is located at 111 E 6th St, Newport, KY 41071 and can be reached directly at Phone:(859) 431-2201
Even with all the national attention, Mr. Sommer is fairly elusive: Mr. Sommer will show up at an open mic when you least expect it or drop by a guitar store in Manchester, CT for a little guitar prep and play every guitar on the wall.
Just for kicks.
Or you might find him at a Dunkin' Donuts hidden by an upside down newspaper, surrounded by coffee cups and half-eaten donuts, feverishly working on a new song or a new short story. Or you might find him nursing a plate of scrambled eggs and sausage on Rt. 94 just west of Kalamazoo, trying to make it to Ann Arbor on the few dollars he has left.
Whatever it is, it is hard to ignore this artist's music and his influence on a slew of young players.
One of the noticeable standouts in any Eric Sommer show is the on-the-fly improvisational approach to many of the breaks, solo sections and dramatic lulls in an "audio-wash, wall-of-sound" presentation.
And what's a bit remarkable is that all this sound comes from six small stage amps.
Eric started his musical career in the
Boston area and has been a regular player on many national tours and showcases. He worked in
Europe for two years on Danish, German and British rock stages, returned to
Boston and formed The Atomics, a cult power-pop band in South Boston. His influences are as diverse as Townes Van Zandt, Steve Earle, Guy Clark and
Ryan Adams . Mr. Sommer's current project with power trio "The Solar Flares" shake up Chet Atkins and Merle
Travis influences with those of Shonin
Knife and
Elvis Costello - a very different mix.
With open tunings, slide guitar, lap-slap tone guitar and a remarkably aggressive fingering style approach, watching Eric Sommer will make you jump out of your seat and holler for joy. There are very few players who have maintained this authentic American style of guitar and Eric Sommer is one of the very best.
