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Erik Christian : Highland Grounds
Stepping bravely up after a blistering set from the previous 6-piece band, Erik Christian took the stage at Highland Grounds at 11pm. Dressed in slacks, shirt and tie, Christian looked as many have seen him before around town, humble, looking as if he came straight from his optician "day" job. Backed by a bassist and drummer that he introduced as "Wayward" Mike and "Wayward" Jeff, Christian"s sound noticeably benefited from the backing band's skillful touches. Although he could gain in the layering of sound from the addition of a lead guitarist and back-up harmonies.
Christian confidently handled the first song with his "Bryan Adamseque," rough-hewn vocals, and pop song-writing sensibilities. By song #2, "What's Not to Love About Her," the audience had begun to contribute to the upbeat vibe by nodding in rhythmic encouragement.
The fourth song's refrain, "it's okay if you don't want me..." in which Christian entertains, "handling rejection gracefully," keeps finding its way into my head, suggesting it's potential as a radio-friendly tune. It would be in his best interest to capitalize on the strong pop tendency of songs such as this, to aid his search for a publishing deal. Launching acoustic and solo into the next song, "Heaven to Me," Christian shows his vocal strength. He uses this song to create a personal repoire with the audience, detailing his, "what the bloody hell is [he] doing here?" attitude towards Los Angeles (c'mon, you know everybody has an LA song). It is by this point that Christian's voice warms-up beyond the one or two-song open-mike constraint, and reveals a throaty vibrato.
As the set winds down for the evening, the ever-approachable Christian, an avid supporter of the local, unsigned music scene, jokes that he, "doesn't have a rap," and that he needs to, "feed his nicotine addiction." This proceeds the last song, the catchy but ever-since-his-Behind-the-Music-retro/cool, Rick Springfield classic, "Jesse's Girl". Everyone's face lights up, as nostalgia and foot-tapping familiarity falls over the crowd, leaving everyone on an undeniable, childlike high.
Erik, who cites his main influences as the Beatles, showcases a resurgence of the catchy, "old school power pop," and asserts that he owes much to his hometown song-writers circles, based in Chicago. Watching Erik is like a guilty pleasure, a bit of pop without the Britney slapstick glitz. I think his ability as a songwriter, and his obvious dedication to developing his craft would be a valuable asset to a publisher. I wish him luck, and thank him for allowing me to interview him after the show.
Article by: Nicole Janson
Submitted: June 11th, 2001
Email: n.janson@thelamusicscene.com
Photo's by: Currently Not Available
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