More than ten years ago, my husband and I read a newspaper story about a 13-year-old kid playing piano professionally at a restaurant in Highwood, IL, on Chicago’s North Shore. I play piano myself and was mightily impressed by the account of the boy’s holding down a regular gig as a professional musician at such a young age.
A few years after that, my husband became friends with another lawyer in a Chicago law firm when they worked on a case together; they now have a standing racquetball or tennis date every weekend. Small world—turns out the kid we read about years earlier is the lawyer’s son. He’s Eric Stang and isn’t a kid anymore—he’s a very nice young man with a degree from DePaul University’s school of music and has his own band, the Eric Stang Band. They’re playing tonight in downtown Highland Park, IL, from 7-9 PM in the Port Clinton plaza off Central Street, as part of HP’s summer concert series. From the publicity flyer: “Led by local song writer/keyboard/vocalist Eric Stang, this band has built a solid reputation for high-energy musical performances that combine rock, pop, jazz, and a little bit soul.”
Having been treated to several of Eric’s informal performances as well as having seen Eric and his band in previous years, I can attest that they’re terrific and well worth the trip. Check out Eric’s website at www.ericstang.com , which has booking information as well as a link to purchase Eric’s fine CD, “Red Line.”
