It’s the day before September 11, 2026, the 25th anniversary of the devastating terrorist attacks on the United States. Singer/guitarist Eric Jerardi is Zooming from what looks like a dimly lit underground bunker. But is actually a storage room, surrounded by various wooden bottle crates in the Dayton, Ohio gourmet food/wine shop that he owns and operates (more on that later).
Jerardi has only got a certain amount of time to talk about his upcoming new album, The Game, though. He’s got to make a big food delivery this afternoon to a business client whose late leader was once on the Forbes Billionaire’s list.
And then he’s got to hop on a plane to Washington, D.C. because he’s playing a show with his band at The Kennedy Center (yes, that Kennedy Center) on September 11 itself.
“I keep telling myself I have to remember how many people we lost at the Pentagon because everyone just thinks of New York. And then there’s Pennsylvania because that was headed to D.C. I need to get that together so I can at least honor those people when I’m doing my set,” he says.
The Game is actually the eleventh full-length album Jerardi has put out since 1997. But its origin is unlike any other in his discography, and it takes its title literally. That stems from when a friend in the music industry put out a challenge to Jerardi and several other songwriters.
Every Wednesday morning for a period of time, they received an email with a topic prompt for a new song or a phrase that had to be included in a lyric. Said tune had to be completed, recorded, and uploaded before midnight the following Tuesday.
The entry fee was $120, and writers were fined a $20 “song tax” for being one day late, or $40 for two days. Three days and you were kicked out. In the end among the survivors, Jerardi got back his $120 from the pot, and only lost $20 for being late once. It’s those 12 “challenge songs” that appear on The Game. And the best money he’s ever spent.
“My music friend just bugged the shit out of me until I agreed to do this!” Jerardi laughs. “I knew I needed to exercise a [creative] muscle that had atrophied a bit. COVID kind of devoured my music, and this took all of my energy because these dipshits closed all the restaurants. So, I had to make food for people to take home. And because I sell wine, I was deemed essential!”
Many of the songs were initially submitted just by Jerardi singing and playing into his smartphone, sent to co-producer Michael James.
Most of the tracks showcase Jerardi’s bluesy (but not straight blues) style that have an easygoing, laid-back feels with some deep tempos like “I Don’t Belong with You,” “Unexpected Connections,” “Thorns & Roses,” and “Count on You.” “Lies and Truth” and “Dig Down Deep” go more uptempo. Jerardi sees them all part of his evolution and progression as an artist, not content to “do the same thing in the same box over and over.”
“I am the Poster Child for AD something or HD or TV or whatever. But I work best when there’s a deadline. And I drive people around me nuts!” he says.
Death haunts the fringes of some of these songs, as several touch directly or indirectly on the passing of Jerardi’s father, brother, and two close friends. The first manifests itself mostly in the gospel tinged “A Man Ain’t a Man Until His Father Dies.”
“My dad and I were extremely close. I lived next door to my parents, and I would see him every day. He went to bed [one time] and that was it. It’s so strange for me,” Jerardi says. “I observe things and I write down stuff on these little pads and that was a phrase that struck me as holy shit! I thought the world was going to end, and I wasn’t sure how to go forward. You have to grow up immediately, and there’s no one to lean on.”
Jerardi is heartened to say that among his friends, associates, and people who have heard The Game, every one of its 12 songs is at least one person’s “favorite” of the entire record.
The music scene of Dayton, Ohio and surrounding area is surprisingly diverse. And with a fist of the funk Jerardi notes, rattling off groups like the Ohio Players, Zapp, Lakeside, and Slave that hail from the area. And from the alternative rock world, the Breeders and Guided by Voices.
But back to that food and wine bit. In addition to his music career, he’s owned and operated Jerardi’s Little Store in Dayton for more than three decades. Serving gourmet deli good with a curated selection of wines from all over the world, it’s an extension of his own passions and interests.
“It was not a goal or purpose to do this. I got it when somebody got injured and had to sell it. This place has been here since the ‘40s and in the middle of a high-end rural neighborhood. It was before zoning and it got grandfathered in. So, there’s these big houses and then this dump of mine!” he says.
“I knew nothing of wine and I wasn’t a cook. I was exposed to good food and good manners. I learned about wine just by traveling and tasting it. I probably taste 30 different wines a week, mostly European. It’s staggering. But that’s how you learn. Plus, I’m Italian!”
Finally, we ask the oenophile a local question: What does he think of Texas wines?
“I’ve never actually had Texas wine! Though I’ve heard from some people that it’s cool and people are doing good stuff with it,” he says. “I just haven’t been exposed to it!”
For more information on Eric Jerardi, visit EricJerardi.com
