Life in the Lost and Found Bin: Tell the World: Hutch is in Town

Five o’clock is approaching. It’s somewhere in the mid-eighties. The summer sun is beating down on the lakeside lawn, covered with Eric Hutchinson fans awaiting his arrival. Us the Duo already rocked the stage with their innocent smiles and adorable stage presence. If you haven’t heard of Us the Duo, they are an adorable married couple just making their way into the spotlight. I would check them out, because I have a feeling they are going to make a bit of a splash. They just kicked off their first ever tour in Saint Paul, and you can check out the 6-second-covers that made them famous on vine.

So I am here with my friend, Lauren, and one of my best college friends, Kenzie, texts me “So I just saw you…” She brought her friend over to watch Us the Duo with Lauren and me, and we basically “aww-ed” over how cute and good they were. But now it’s a quarter to five, and people have started forming a crowd around the stage—a.k.a. if we stay in the same place we won’t even get a glimpse of Eric. So Lauren and I decided to go join the crowd.

Once upon a time I actually met Eric Hutchinson, and admittedly, it was the first time I had ever really heard his music. It was five summers ago, and he was opening for Kelly Clarkson at our State Fair. Unfortunately, Kelly got sick and they canceled the show after her sound check. Fortunately, Eric decided to still play for free and have a meet and greet after. And that’s the story of how I fell in love with his music.

Let’s tell the world all the things we’ve done
Falling in love in the setting sun
Three albums later, here we are, waiting to see yet another free show by Hutch at Oake on the Water. (If you haven’t heard of Oake on the Water, Brian Oake who hosts the Cities 97 morning-show hosts it. Even if you are not a Minnesotan I recommend getting the iHeart Radio app, and listening to Oake and Kerri—Kerrie Noble—on Cities 97 on a weekday morning sometime. * They are my favorite.) It’s that sticky kind of hot out, and like at any concert the people around us are pushy and oblivious. But like any other concert, I ignore it, because there is something more important that I am here for.

He walks up onto the stage in red pants and a checkered blue shirt, and the crowd is elated. This is the reason we all willing camped out for a few hours in the grass in this heat. “Watching You Watching Him” is his first song, and I am reminded of why I fell so madly in love with his music. He ended with “Tell the World,” and I’ll tell you a secret: I was already planning on titling this after that song. So it was a pretty perfect ending to a wonderful day. To all of those who missed Eric Hutchinson today, I am sorry. You won’t want to miss him next time he comes, because he is truly an incredible artist.

I got a song and smile so bright
I’ll make you wish you were here tonight