In the 80ʼs Eric Sommer broke out of the Boston folk music scene with a mixture of roots-pure fingerstyle
acoustic guitar and new wave pop, a blurred combination of Nick Lowe, The Cars and Spider
John Koerner influences. This unique alchemy created a driving, guitar-based sound backed by a
tight, infectious beat and laced with Byrds-style jingle jangle guitar work; this sound landed him and
his band The Atomics into Cantones, the hardcore, working-class punk bar in downtown Boston, just
off an area called The Combat Zone, as the house band.
First writing power pop rock songs, Eric slowly blended his acoustic feel, open-tunings and slide
guitar into a more personal writing approach, producing a wide rang of very personal songs, songs
based on years of road work, travel and observations as well as autobio material. Eric was regularly
called on by legendary promoter Don Law to fill in at the new Paradise Theatre, where he shared the
stage and a number of tours with many national acts such as David Bromberg, Leon Redbone, John
Mayall, Dr. John, John Hammond, Little Feat, The Byrds (McGuinn Clark and Hillman) and new wave
British acts like Nick Loweʼs Wreckless Eric, Brahm Tschikovsky and Gang of Four.
Sommer, who paid his guitar dues on the streets of Boston during high school, left the US for Europe
and played in Amsterdam and Hamburg, before settling in Aarhus, Denmark where he toured with
Danish bands and held steady gigs at Den Hoyle and De Gavverit, very popular clubs for American
ex-pats in Europe, and then moved to Amsterdam and lived on a houseboat while playing the Netherlands
music clubs and German concert circuit. Back in Boston, Eric took a few guitar tips from David
Landau, brother of Springsteen manager Jon landau, at Berklee from Mick Goodrick of the Gary Burton
Quartet and Steve Howe of YES, all while listening to every Joe Pass and Charlie Christian
recording he could find.
The Atomics continued to hold down the house band spot at Cantones and after shows and tours with
a number of new wave and punk acts like The Dead Kennedyʼs, The Atomics evolved into one of the
best local pop bands in Boston. The trio disbanded in the mid 80ʼs and Eric moved to New York, then
Atlanta and finally the Mid Atlantic area, settling in Adams Morgan, a hip east-village like area of
Washington DC. Eric mixed his music and visual interests together and launched the Georgetown
Film Festival in 2001 which combined indie films with a music festival. This combination led Eric into
“motion music” and he has created film scores and soundscapes for a number of short films, features,
animations and docs.
But touring and road work is Ericʼs passion, and he is a regular performer in many national venues,
and has built a solid musical and performance reputation across the country. Ericʼs goals are rooted
in what John Lee Hooker once said to him at a J.Geils show at The Catacombs in Boston : “If you
ainʼt playinʼ, then you payinʼ”.
Since 1995 Eric has been touring and playing all over the US and currently plays an average of 200 -
270 shows a year. He has been a regular performer at The Bayfront Blues Festival in Duluth, MN,
The Carrboro Music Festival in Carrboro, NC and the Eno River Festival in Raleigh, NC. His recent
shows have included bills with Mates of State, OLD 97ʼs and Jerry Douglas of Union Station.
Jim Reed of Savannah Connect said “Anyone whoʼs been in need of a fix of spectacular, percussive
and virtuosic guitar work can rest easily. Eric Sommerʼs coming to town. One of the finest American
guitarists on the road today...”
Amen.
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