Press | Daily Nebraskan - Sardinas brings unique guitar style to Zoo Bar

"We're playing as much as humanly possible," said Sardinas, referring to his band's constant touring efforts to get public recognition.

The new album maintains the band's live performance energy on the first album, "Treat Me Right," but pushes Sardinas' talents further as a guitarist, Sardinas said.

"I'm pushing the envelope ... and showing where I've grown," he said.

Sardinas, who opened for Vai in a show at the Royal Grove two years ago, pushes the barriers of live performance. He sings in the old Delta-blues style. He dances with the crowd while finger-picking solos on his Dobro. He slides his guitar with beer bottles, sprays himself and solos more. He's a performer, but he doesn't let his raucous on-stage behavior interfere with the quality of his music.

"I draw energy from where I find it in myself," Sardinas said of his concert shenanigans. "The music brings out a different aspect of me.

"If the audience feels (the performance), it comes right back to me."

Sardinas' influences cover a broad span of blues and rock artists. Delta country blues, Barbeque Bob, Muddy Waters and classic rock groups such as Led Zeppelin and Cream have all had an impact on his own fast finger-picking style, said Sardinas, who is left-handed but plays the guitar right-handed.

Sardinas said he never learned to flat-pick well because of this switch in playing style, so he just learned to play his own way.

Said the Los Angeles Times of Sardinas' performances: "Sardinas finger-picks his guitar into a frenzy ... In a dizzying display, his is nothing short of a wild man."

The new album and tour capture Sardinas after a world tour taken with Steve Vai, who has developed his own unique soloing style.

Although his style and background differs from Vai's, Sardinas said the two had one thing in common.

"We both play passionately," he said.

Sardinas said he enjoyed playing in Europe.

Not often does a guitarist surface in Lincoln with enough talent to carry an entire show on his or her back.

Not often is a guitarist crazy enough to open for a musical genius like Steve Vai, or tour with him for that matter.

Tonight, the Zoo Bar hosts a guitarist with such credentials, the blues/rock, energy-packed Dobro-sporting Eric Sardinas.

Sardinas, who is from Southern California, will take the stage at the Zoo Bar with his three-piece band at 9 p.m. Tickets to the show are $6.

Sardinas is currently taking his "style of blues" on tour to promote his new album "Devil's Train," which will be released Aug. 28.

"Overseas, the channels are open to music - the spirit of music," he said. "Music has the power to cut across all the barriers, especially the language.

"Everyone really loves to feel the music."

The Zoo Bar celebrated its 20th anniversary this summer. The bar hosts live music six nights a week.

Pete Watters, owner and manager of the Zoo Bar, said the Zoo calendar was open to all sorts of musicians - reggae, rock and blues.

Watters said representatives of Sardinas contacted the Zoo Bar to set up the performance.