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Barefoot on the Mall to feature Shwayze, Eric Hutchinson

By Kristin Day
kday@coxnc.com

Thursday, April 09, 2009

Each spring, organizers with East Carolina University's Barefoot on the Mall bring in some of the hottest rising stars in music. And this year's roster should keep you rockin' out on the brickyard all evening.

The one-day event, held this year on April 23, will feature hip-hop duo Shwayze (best-known for last summer's hit “Corona and Lime”) and Eric Hutchinson, one of VH1's “You Outta Know” artists and recognizable through his single “Rock & Roll.”

Hutchinson self-released his album “Sounds Like This” in August 2007 after a deal with Maverick Records — Madonna's creation — disappeared along with the label. After celebrity blogger Perez Hilton posted a link to Hutchinson's music on his site, the singer suddenly found himself on iTune's Top 10 and “Sounds Like This” became the highest charting album by an unsigned artist. The buzz brought back the attention of Warner Bros., who gave him a record deal. Then in late 2008, VH1 spotlighted Hutchinson as a “You Outta Know: Artist on the Rise.”

“That was a really exciting moment for me,” he said just after landing in Washington, D.C. for a one-week break from touring. “Because it's a real stamp of approval.”

The video for “Rock & Roll,” which you can catch on the network and Web site, features Hilton and his dog Teddy at a spontaneous, ice cream-induced block party.

“When we were making the music video, I thought it would be fun to bring everything full circle,” Hutchinson said about featuring the gossip blogger.

Toward the end of March, Hutchinson had just finished a eight-week tour with OAR and with G. Love & Special Sauce, meanwhile keeping fans updated by posting random photographs on his site, like one of a spoon attached to a paper towel dispenser in a Subway (“It was just really weird,” he said.). He says he's basically been on the road for the last year and a half and is booked through June.

But besides touring, he's into food — a lot — and getting ready for his favorite sports season.

“I'm really big into fantasy baseball and I have a draft this weekend. That's taking up about 70 percent of my energy,” he joked (we think).

Perhaps even more exciting are his upcoming performances with Jason Mraz through Australia right before he heads to Greenville, but his dream collaboration is with Kanye West, his favorite musician.

“I would love to be a part of something he worked on,” he said.

But you may have known that had you kept up with Hutchinson's monthly “Favorite Things” blog posts.

“It's fun for me because fans wanted to know a little more,” he said. “And it's fun for me to take stock in what's been going on.”

A preview for April's Favorite Things: Athens, Ga., he said.

“It's great. It's a lot of fun and it's laid back ... a lot of good food ... Food is always no. 1 for me.”

Contact Kristin Day at kday@coxnc.com or (252) 329-9579.