Sam Burchfield at PC

Sam+Burchfield+at+PC

Lucas Pressley, Staff Writer

Friday night, PC got to experience live music thanks to the artist Sam Burchfield. Very popular with those of us who have been to Montreat, NC, Sam’s most recently garnered media attention has been his successful audition onto American Idol.

Sam was able to put on a free concert thanks to the help of Zach Wells, David Sellman and the SGA here at PC. Sam Burchfield and his band played in front of Richardson around 8 after the well-done opening act by Alex Hunnicut.

The group played through Sam Burchfield’s original work, along with a few carefully placed covers to create some variety. To describe the performance, the best words that come to mind are versatility and energetic. The band, which had our own Zach Wells playing multiple instruments, was able to play through a wide range of styles. Jumping from folk ballad to a ska groove to disco-esque funk to Disney swing, Sam and the band were able to play them all with deft and ease.

The backing band was composed of skillful artists able to switch from keys to trombone or banjo to guitar. One of the best performances came in the cookin’ jam “She Got Your Love,” which is an ode to girls falling for the wrong guy.

For an encore they played the current radio hit “Happy” by Pharrell Williams, encouraging everyone to get up close to the stage and party along to the music. One of the great things about the band is the happiness you can see on all their faces while they are playing. These are guys that truly love what they are doing and want to pass the love on to anyone willing to listen. This energy was evident in the crowd, who all had a great time.

When asked what he enjoyed best about playing, Sam replied, “My favorite part of performing live is definitely the people. Each time you play, you are playing to a completely different crowd, that will never be the same.” Sam’s EP, “Where to Run,” is out on iTunes and Spotify right now. I highly recommend it and am sure that although this may be the first, this certainly won’t be the last time you hear from Sam Burchfield.

For more information, visit his website at www.samburchfield.com.