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From the road to the stage, a smile on just one face….it feels like home…..
Music has shaped Eric’s life since the day he was born. As a cranky infant he was quieted by the early 90s sounds of Country Music Television. As he learned to walk his first steps were to the cassette player where his favorites were The Allman Brothers and Stevie Ray Vaughan. Childhood piano lessons soon turned into Blues jams and before long he picked up his first Fender Stratocaster. There was no looking back….. After sitting in with some of the finest performers in his Pennsylvania hometown, Eric's passion for music enabled him to share the stage with many nationally known Blues artists. With a feeling and natural ability that could not be explained for someone so young, Eric delivered a Freddie-BB-Albert King influenced performance with an intensity and skill that belied his youth. The Eric Steckel Band's debut CD, "A Few Degrees Warmer", was recorded live in April 2002 when Eric was just 11 years old. A Few Degrees quickly became a top selling Blues album at CD Baby as the record delighted Blues Guitar fans across the globe. In November 2003 the "ESB" appeared at the Sarasota Blues Festival where Eric’s powerful set and cameo appearances became the talk of the day. Before the night was over Eric was introduced by John Mayall as the youngest person ever on stage with the Bluesbreakers. Eric left a lasting impression on Mayall and in 2004 Eric appeared in Sweden, Norway and Denmark with Mayall and The Bluesbreakers during their Scandinavian Tour. In early 2005 Eric traveled to Los Angeles where he joined Mayall for session work on the "Road Dogs" record. The ESB developed a faithful fan base through years of club gigs and festival appearances including opening sets in support of Tommy Castro, Shemekia Copeland and B.B. King. The band released a studio record titled "High Action" in 2004 and traveled to Holland and Belgium in 2005 for a 10 concert tour. After relocating to Jacksonville, Florida, Eric was introduced to Duane Trucks who joined the band in late 2005 on drums. In celebration of Duane's arrival, the ESB released their third record, "Havana". Deeply rooted in the Blues, this live recording recalled the sound of the 60s and 70s Blues Rock era. With the European release of "Live at Havana", the ESB returned to Holland in 2006 where they opened for Johnny Winter at The Paradiso in Amsterdam and appeared at the Tegelen Blues Rock Festival. The Summer of 2007 marked another milestone as the ESB played several major American music festivals and earned rave reviews and new fans during tours in Holland, Germany, Belgium and Italy. The Italy tour was highlighted by a main stage performance at the legendary Pistoia Blues Festival where Eric shared the prime time bill with John Mayall and Gregg Allman. Eric greeted 2008 by emerging from the recording studio with a host of new songs and an all new record titled “Feels Like Home”. Supported by solid session performances from Duane Trucks on Drums and Mike Esposito on Bass Guitar, “Feels Like Home” was an impressive achievement for Eric as the once teen Blues phenom developed into a matured guitarist with an equally impressive talent on the Hammond B3 organ. The international release of “Feels Like Home” was well received with several tracks receiving regular airplay on XM Radio Bluesville. Eric developed a new road band with Craig Thatcher and toured "Feels Like Home" in Italy, Holland, Belgium and Germany. With Don Plowman on Drums and Wayde Leonard on Bass the band also cut a few demo tracks now known as "The Soundmine Sessions". In 2009 Eric was back in Europe for a Blues Guitar Heroes Tribute Tour with Bas Paardekooper. The Heroes Tour was a significant success and by popular demand an extended 2010 Tour is already booked. Eric now lives in the St. Augustine, Florida area where he spends his time working on new music for an upcoming record and attending college full-time. Stay tuned..... 21st Century Blues. Eric has been featured in The Allentown (PA) Morning Call, The Doylestown (PA) Intelligencer, The Philadelphia Inquirer, The (NY) Times-Herald Record, Music Head Magazine, The Warren (NJ) Reporter Forum, Guitar World Magazine, The Easton (PA) Express, The Bridgewater (NJ) Courier Times, The Sarasota (FL) Herald-Tribune, the Lancaster (PA) Sunday News and The Florida Times Union. International press includes features in the Haagshe Courant, De Telegraaph and a MusikMaker (NL) feature. Eric was also featured in a Comcast CN8 TV News Extra and he has appeared on NBC 10 in Philadelphia, Comcast CN8, Fox Philadelphia, SNN6 in Sarasota and Reuters TV. |