In the dark listening room of the Flat Iron, 3 musicians took stage as the crowd waited in anticipation. With no announcements or fanfare, the guitarist hit a nasty blues guitar lick that snapped the room into immediate attention as the band synced into play. Ragged blue melodies ripped through the
space like a hurricane on a warpath, propulsing a force through the crowd. And in its eye stood Eric Johanson. When the music eased to an end, he apologized for the sudden start and sheepishly told the crowd “I just felt like playing some blues.”
space like a hurricane on a warpath, propulsing a force through the crowd. And in its eye stood Eric Johanson. When the music eased to an end, he apologized for the sudden start and sheepishly told the crowd “I just felt like playing some blues.”
Johanson brought his New Orleans sound to a sold-out crowd In the Flat Iron on a midweek night. Hailing from the House of The Rising Sun, Johanson has been at the forefront of modern blues and rock, traveling the southern United States and even across the pond in European venues with his signature raw music. His travels brought him to Greensboro, North Carolina, to share his sound. In true blues fashion, Johanson delivered a powerful gale-force energy to his show that backs up his reputation.
From the second the show kicked off, the power of the blues rock performance was palpable in the air. Johanson treated the audience to originals like "Undertow" and “Don’t Hold Back” off his original album “The Deep and Dirty”, clearly showcasing his upbringing in the New Orleans blues scene.
Alongside bassist Will Repholz and drummer Jake Gartenstein, Johanson tore the stage up with his technical guitar skills and added to the performance with his rugged vocals, weaving folk and soul additions, all culminating to the storm of heavy blues being rocked on stage.
Johanson delivered lovely renditions of blue classics as well, selecting a few choice performances that can be found in his cover album cheekily titled “Covered Tracks Vol. 2”. His cover of Muddy Waters' "Champagne & Reefer" especially hit just right in the venue as Johanson masterfully arranged the lyrics to propose a cheer to the Greensboro crowd, coaxing out cheers, whistles, and applause from the captivated crowd. In the end, Johanson delivered exactly what he set out to do that Wednesday night. He carried the New Orleans blues in a guitar case, popped open the lid, showcased its power under the Flat Iron lights for all those who would take a seat and listen to the electrifying wonder down from the swampy lands of Louisiana. And Johanson doesn’t plan to stop doing so any time soon.
GALLERY
