Nu este nici Jimi Hendrix, nici Robert Johnson, dar a imprumutat de la ei ce este mai bun. Luni seara, Eric Sardinas a adus blues-ul in Becker Brau Live Music si a dat viata unui show cum numai americanii sunt capabili sa faca: a cantat fara microfon, fara a avea chitara conectata la boxe, a aparut la bustul gol, si-a aratat tatuajele si si-a pus chitara pe foc. La propriu.

La 19:20 au aparut pe scena George Baicea si al sau Electric Blues Band, pentru o deschidere interesanta de peste jumatate de ora, cu un repertoriu din care nu au lipsit piese de referinta, precum If 6 was 9 sau Voodoo Chile. Publicul l-a recunoscut, desigur, pe Jimi Hendrix in spatele acestor compozitii.

Totusi, concertul asteptat de toata lumea avea sa inceapa abia in jurul orei 20:15, cu un Eric Sardinas intr-o forma de zile mari, cu un look mai boem ca niciodata. Luni seara, chitaristul american s-a aflat pentru a doua oara in Romania, la noua ani de la aparitia acestuia pe scena Salii Palatului, ca opening act la concertul sustinut de Steve Vai.

"It doesn't matter if the club is as big as in here, you get the same from me, the show... really doesn't on the size, it matters on us making music for one reason: because we love playin', so if this is the party right here, this is the show, you're gonna get the same show from me, if it's 20 people, or 20 000, it doesn't matter", declara artistul cu o ora inainte de inceperea concertului.

Inconjurat de fum, foarte mult fum, misterios mai ales prin aspectul sau boem, Eric Sardinas a cantat piese atat de pe noul album, Eric Sardinas & Big Motor, lansat in 2008, cat si piese mai vechi. Ajutor a primit de la basistul Levell Price ("my brother from another mother"), de la bateristul Bernie Pershey, dar si de la palmele romanilor care au tinut ritmul pieselor cantate fara sonorizare.

"Are you guys ready for little rock'n rolling? Let me ask that question one more time. Is anybody here who loves the blues? Is anybody here who loves the blues? Is anybody here who loves the blues with a little rock'n' roll? So, I think we are all in the right place tonight. This is the place to be. And I've to say thank you so much for being here tonight and I hope you guys are ready to have least as much as half fun as we're having tonight."

Piese ca I Can't Be Satisfied, Get Down To Whiskey sau This Time au aratat ca urma o seara speciala. "This is a party, so there's no stage and there's no audience. So you guys wanna get up, you wanna get crazy, you wanna hang out, have a good time, do that", i-a indemnat Eric Sardinas pe fani.

"So I know one thing for sure. There are some people here that love the blues just as much as I do. So I'd like to play a song who's one of the first songs I've heard from Robert Johnson when I was six years old", a spus chitaristul si a dat tonul pentru Hellhound On My Trail.

Publicul a devenit si mai entuziast cand a fost declarata starea generala de "party time", sustinuta de piese ca Texola, As The Crow Flies, dar mai ales de 8 Goin' South ("it's just about me", marturisea artistul despre acest cantec): "Everybody has a drink, everybody's havin' a good time, everybody knows that dinner set is over! Now it's time to party. No more food. What time is it? It's party time!"

A contat foarte mult sprijinul spectatorilor, mai ales ca fanii au suplinit tobele prin batai de palme, ori de cate ori artistul s-a decis sa cante fara amplificare, deci fara a avea chitara conectata la boxe si fara a canta in microfon. Drept rasplata, Eric si-a reamintit de primul concert in Romania, in urma cu noua ani, si a adaugat ca "It's a pleasure to be right here. Thank you very much every single one of you. You know how much that means to me? That means everything.

We work hard and we care about each other and we love life. Let me tell you somethin': life is a beautiful thing. And I'm not tryin' to be cheesy here, but one thing I know for sure: music is the one thing, whether you know it or not, or you think about it or not, it's the one thing that makes you get through the day. When you've got that music in your heart, those songs... no matter if you have a bad day at work, or you have a problem with your girlfriend or your boyfriend or whatever... is that music that keeps you together."

Reactia lui Levell Price, spre finalul serii, avea sa spuna totul: "You guys rock. I have a question. I have a big, big, big fat question. My question to you is: do you think we should come back here to Romania?", pentru ca reactia fanilor sa fie rasplatita pe masura: "Romania rocks, baby!"

"This is a party and you're still here, let me here you, come on!", au cerut Eric Sardinas si colegii sai, desi nu era nevoie, caci Becker Brau cerea cu frenezie un bis.

"I'd like to say one thing for sure: is that maybe if you look at the stand, I don't know what you see, but all I know is I make music because I love music. No bullshit, no rock'n'roll egoes, no MTV, no nothing. Just because I love music, this is why I'm gonna do music until I die. [...] And... it comes from the heart, ok?" ne-a asigurat Eric si a inceput sa cante, la bustul gol, un bis care avea sa dureze 20 de minute.

Tot acum a venit si momentul cel mai spectaculos al serii, caci Eric Sardinas s-a prefacut ca ia o inghititura dintr-o halba cu bere (cel mai probabil neofalina), a varsat continutul, i-a dat foc, apoi a cantat avand chitara asezata intre flacari, pret de cateva secunde. Gestul a innebunit sala, fie ca era vorba de spectatori cu palarii, batrani, oameni cu maini in ghips, folkisti (Ovidiu Mihailescu), sau nume cunoscute din muzica autohtona (Alexandru Andries, Adi Manolovici, Hanno Hoefer - Nightlosers, Marcian Petrescu).

Cele peste doua ore de Eric Sardinas s-au dovedit insuficiente pentru un public avid de muzica buna, astfel ca cei trei au trebuit sa reapara pe scena pentru un al doilea bis, care a durat inca 10 minute. Intr-adevar, cum surprindea bateristul Bernie Pershey, inaintea concertului, "People will return to blues in times of trouble and pain".