Eric Sommer at Purple Fiddle, West Virginia Oct 29 & 30

Eric Sommer at Purple Fiddle for Fred Fest!!

The Purple Fiddle is a perfect setting for Eric Sommer. He is a singer, performer, and one of a handful of consistent ramblers who have made music and troubadourin’ his life’s work. In true road player fashion, Mr. Sommer is a chronicler of the common man. And one of the finest touring guitar players in the land. Guitarin’ and singin’ are this guy’s bywords and professional tools. Seeing Eric Sommer LIVE will make you jump out of your seat and Hollar for Joy! And he does that wherever he goes!…

Eric Sommer

Which is all over! He’s been everywhere and done just about everything! That includes Tours with Nick Lowe, Steve Earl, David Bromberg. And British Pop icons Wreckless Eric and Bram Tschicovsky. And for East Coast fans, Stockton College brings Eric Sommer to Fred Fest on July 30th!

Front Singer for The Atomics

October festivals are winding down! And The Purple Fiddle is the premier West Virginia setting for this legendary artist! He has played all over West Virginia from Huntington to Charleston! In the process, this former rocker has returned to his acoustic roots of slide and open-tunings. The transition has been seamless and produced a remarkable body of work.

As the frontman for the ATOMICS, Eric guided the band through three national tours. The Atomics joined Mission of Burma, Gang of Four, and The Dead Kennedys on many tours – putting the ATOMICS squarely in the center of the Post Punk and New Wave cyclone…

His New Wave roots caught up with his acoustic shadow. As we said, The Purple Fiddle brings Eric Sommer to Thomas, West Virginia. This master player and songwriter has moved into the red-hot center of the Americana Music Scene.  He has four brilliant records and completed 5 international tours.

Texas and Chicago Influences

Eric is an established national artist, and calls Texas, Chicago, and Chapel Hill home, at least for the moment. This creative musical powerhouse is well worth the price of admission – whatever it may be!

Singer, Songwriter, Road Poet… looking at the world thru this artist’s eyes is revealing.  And at times an unsettling experience. His recent short stories “Cigar of Wooden Shoes”, “Ripple Effect” and “Lift Tickets, Please” have garnered literary attention. And has led to exclusive publication deals in top literary journals and reviews.

Road Poet and The Common Man

His four collections of Road Prose are available on the Ericsommer.com site. These titles include: “Red Dress“, “Blue Turtle“, “Black Pancake” and “New Debris” which are all available for download. Writing and playing and traveling the US and Europe produces exciting, fresh work!

Share the new record “TURNING POINT” on your playlists! Check-in at www.ericsommer.com • Merch, Schwag, and CD’s plus downloads are all available at www.ericsommer.com! And remember: The Purple Fiddle brings Eric Sommer to Thomas, West Virginia on October 29th & 30th!..!

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“How do you call this sidekick to unique personalities ranging from Nick Lowe to John Koerner an underachiever? This multi-instrumentalist bad boy could easily be a superstar in his own right…” Midwest Record, Lake Zurich, IL

“Eric Sommer is an astounding guitar player, a virtuoso on acoustic and electric… Eric has worked with everybody who is anybody; His resume’ reads like a musical encyclopedia…” Nashville Music Reviews, Don & Sherry’s Blog

Not to be missed!” Austin Record, Steve Barron

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CityBeat/Best of Cincinnati

Guitarin’ and Singin’ is what Eric Sommer is all about.

Singer/songwriter Eric Sommer is an unbelievable intersection of improbable influences and experiences channeled into an amazingly diverse catalog and a résumé that reads more like a musical adventure novel than a series of career bullet points.

Sommer emerged from the Boston music scene with a vengeance, a Folk-Rock guitarist with a percussive, open-tuning style adapted from the likes of David Bromberg, Steve Howe, Townes Van Zandt, and Brit Folk legend Davy Graham. Boston was also a hotbed of New Wave, Power Pop, and Punk at that point. Sommer absorbed those influences as well, creating a Byrdsian jangle sound with inventive lyrical content. The new sound earned him opening slots for national touring acts and regular bookings – over 40 appearances – at the renowned Paradise Theatre.

From Punk to New Wave to Pop Folk

Sommer eventually relocated to Europe where he scored tours with Bram Tchaikovsky, Wreckless Eric, and Nick Lowe, calling Aarhus, Denmark, and a houseboat off the Dam Square in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, home for a while. Eric honed his personal songwriting style and polished his presentation. After playing every conceivable club on the European circuit, Sommer returned to Boston homeless and broke.

Power Pop and The Atomics

Returning from 2 years in Arhus, Denmark, Eric was flat broke. He started writing and played every available open mic he could find. Along the way, he went to Berklee College of Music and studied with David Landau and Gary Burton sideman Mick Goodrick. This led to the formation of a trio called The Atomics, which offered up an American version of Elvis Costello, Joe Jackson, and Nick Lowe during its very successful run and national tours.

The Atomics toured relentlessly and shared the bill with the Dead Kennedys and Gang of Four. In the process, they became one of Boston’s best local New Wave outfits. Along the way, Sommer was finding constant inspiration in the works of Jeff Beck, Pat Martino, Joe Pass, and Charlie Christian.

Life After The Atomics

With The Atomics’ dissolution, Sommer’s wanderlust took him to New York. Then to Atlanta, and finally to the suburbs of Washington, D.C. In Georgetown, he founded the Georgetown Film Festival. The Festival experience led to a phase of independent film scoring. After playing well over 300 gigs a year for the past 10 years, he’s re-imaging his music. Slowing down just long enough to record a handful of brilliant albums, new ones are planned. Recent releases include “Turning Point” and legacy efforts continue to draw attention. These include Rainy Day Karma and his Brooklyn effort produced by Ted Young, Brooklyn Bolero. 

The Future is Sparkling…

If there’s any lingering doubt about Sommer’s supernatural versatility, consider that he’s shared the bill with Old 97’s, Nickel Creek’s Sara Watkins, Bluegrass icon Jerry Douglas, Mates of State, Dr. John, Leon Redbone and Built to Spill. Catch him in a band or one-man form (which nakedly showcases his amazing acoustic Blues guitar stylings). Sommer is a living history of contemporary music and a musical force of nature. 

Amen.