erick baker at the square room

This post is by Jed (blogger name TBD) who is an avid Knoxville concert goer and actually writes about it, unlike our current stable of lazy writers. In an effort to get our vibrant music scene to be a bigger part of the Wigshop, we bring you Jed's first post:

If you haven’t discovered The Square Room then you're missing out on one of Knoxville’s most accommodating music venues. I've yet to see a show there where the artist hasn’t commented on what a great place it is to play music.

You have to be on your game when looking to see a show at The Square Room as they don’t advertise their concerts in the Metro Pulse, which we all know is the lifeline for all Knoxvillians looking to see live music in the Knoxville area.


Friday night I joined a sold out crowd to see Erick Baker. Opening the show was a duo out of Nashville opting for the simple name of Sam & Ruby. My concert partner, Kristen, swears Ruby sounds like a young Dolly Parton with the way her voice leans towards a sultry bluegrass sound. I prefer to describe them as a mix between Norah Jones and a smooth Ben Harper. My personal favorite from their set was, “The Suitcase Song.” The lyrics are thoughtful, the music soothing; perfect music for a rainy day sitting inside with a book and a cup of coffee.


The main man Erick Baker, who I am not terribly familiar with, played to a crowd that knew almost all of the lyrics to all his songs to the point of having a crowd sing-along for the majority of Erick’s most recognizable song, “My Two Left Feet.” Erick put on a great show, playing until right before midnight. The rasp in Erick’s voice is comparable to that of crooner Ray LaMontagne’s, especially on the his last song, “Stay Awhile.” Overall, Erick’s songs have more jam to them, resulting in a more upbeat feel to his music. On the whole, two artists/groups worth checking out.