Eric Hutchinson: Well suited performer

Piano popster Eric Hutchinson is accustomed to playing out-of-the-ordinary gigs in the Twin Cities: He has opened for big names at the Basilica Block Party, headlined an instant free show at the State Fair after Kelly Clarkson's 11th-hour cancellation, and warmed up audiences for YouTube trendies at the Varsity Theater.

Now comes perhaps his most unusual gig: Singing solo at Macy's Glamorama fashion show on Friday.

"I think it'll be fun, but I'm a little nervous about what I'm going to wear," Hutchinson said last week from Los Angeles.

Hutchinson, 29, is usually a suit kind of guy in concert -- "like the old-school Beatles or Motown," said the singer, who will do two numbers and join Macy Gray as the musical entertainment in Macy's events in Minneapolis, Chicago, Los Angeles and San Francisco. "I have an outfit picked out, and I'm assuming they'll be fine with it. It's probably Ben Sherman, a British designer."

The Glamorama gig will mark Hutchinson's second consecutive month performing in Minneapolis in what seems like a parade of regular performances here since 2008.

"Over the last two years, I'd say Minneapolis is probably my No. 1 city," said the Washington, D.C.-born, New York-based singer, who sounds like a hybrid of Elton John and Jason Mraz. "I've gotten a lot of [radio] airplay there, and people have responded."

Yes, Cities 97 (97.1 FM), KS95 (94.5 FM) and even KDWB (101.3 FM) love Hutchinson, especially his "Rock 'n' Roll" song.

"I was underage, living in New York City for the summer," Hutchinson recalled. "Being underage in a big city is not that fun because you can't do anything. I was spending much of my time going to open mikes [at clubs] playing music, and I wrote the song about the club scene and being on the outside looking in. It was about what I thought was going on inside. Then I turned 21 and realized that I was right, pretty much."

Help from Perez Hilton

He recorded the song a few times, including on a 2006 album for Maverick Records that was never released because the company changed hands. "Rock 'n' Roll" finally garnered attention with a new version on his self-released 2007 album "Sounds Like This." Somehow celebrity blogger Perez Hilton heard the disc and did a posting about it.

"I wasn't that familiar with Perez Hilton beforehand, and I thought it would be a fun thing that I could laugh about with my sisters," Hutchinson said. "But overnight, I saw a shift in interest. It was like throwing leaves on a fire or something. But, in the same sort of way, the interest burned off pretty quickly and what I was left with was a lot of new fans but also I had a lot of work I had to do."

The work has included 400 gigs (he's on the road 70 percent of the year) and having Warner Bros. re-release the album in May 2008. Even though he's recorded 11 songs for his next album, he's still a road warrior, with the Twin Cities penciled in for the fall, Hutchinson hopes.

By then, Hutchinson may have purchased a time-share condo in the Twin Cities.

"I was actually joking that I should do that," he said. "If anyone has any good property tips, I'd love to hear them."