Past perfect
Guitarist Eric Johnson playing 1990 album ‘Ah Via Musicom’ on tour
ERIC JOHNSON WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 6 WHERE: KiMo Theatre, 423 W. Central HOW MUCH: $20-$36, plus fees at holdmyticket.com
Revisiting an album can be a treat for an artist. In Eric Johnson’s case, it was an opportunity he didn’t want to pass him by.
The award-winning guitarist is heading out on tour on which he will perform the 1990 album “Ah Via Musicom” in its entirety.
“I listen to the fan feedback and comments as I plan my projects and tours,” Johnson says. “That’s how I got into the recording and subsequent tour with Mike Stern. Same thing with the acoustic recording and tour, because I kept hearing, ‘Hey, when are you gonna do that acoustic record you’ve been talking about for years?’ But by far, the most feedback I’ve been getting from fans is to play the entire ‘Ah Via Musicom’ record live, so I figured I’ve put this off for too long. The time is now, and the timing worked out for Tommy Taylor and Kyle Brock to be involved too, so here we go.”
The national tour gets to Albuquerque on Tuesday, Feb. 6 at the KiMo Theatre.
Over the course of 40 years, Johnson has become well-known and respected for his guitar playing.
Whether it’s acoustic or plugged-in, Johnson is a maestro, often paying homage to those who came before him.
“The guitar is special,” he says. “There’s so much you can unlock with the proper playing. I don’t think I’m a rock god. I just keep playing. It’s fun, and I’m glad people enjoy it.”
His current tour is also includes music from his most recent album, “Collage,” released at the end of 2017.
The album combines five new original songs with five covers that reflect both his inspirations and range.
It includes an acoustic version of
Jimi Hendrix’s “One Rainy Wish,” The Beatles’ “We Can Work It Out” in a Caribbean groove, B.B. King’s “Rock Me Baby,” the surf rock classic “Pipeline” and Stevie Wonder’s 1966 pop hit “Uptight (Everything’s Alright).”
“I had some guest artists come in, and we cut it all live and recorded twice as much as we needed,” he says. “With this album, I tried to learn to play and perform live in the studio more. This is to capture a performance rather than building it from scratch in the studio.”