The Georgia native did not come dressed in leather, but he sure can rock.

Phillip Phillips, the 2012 “American Idol” winner, took to the Luhrs’ stage Thursday, Sept. 18. The 24-year-old’s unique ton and rock ‘n’ roll style earned him a nationwide tour and a multitude of fans after his “Idol” win.

Before Phillips got on stage, singer Christian Burghardt warmed up the audience with his vocal stylings. One of his songs, “Safe Place to Land,” was especially popular with the audience.

Burghardt recorded his extended play (EP) with Gregg Wattenburg, the same producer who worked with Phillips on several of his songs. From there, Burghardt became involved with Phillips tour.

“He’s a super cool guy…we’ve spent a lot of time just watching YouTube videos and hanging out in the back rooms,” Burghardt said of Phillips.

After the musicans set up for the main show, the lights went up and Philips began to play his acoustic guitar.

Phillips head-banged his way through his first riff surrounded by red stage lights. Within the first 15 minutes the crowd was on its feet. Phillips turned the mic to the audience and let it sing out the lyrics. “Unpack Your Heart” was one of the first songs of the night. The electric guitarist took to the front of the stage and struck some power cords.

People of ages attended the concert. Teenaged girls gathered at the front of the stage, a little boy danced in the balcony and college students cheered along with their families.

Throughout the show, each of the musician’s in Phillips band preformed a solo piece. The keyboardist played a jazzy tune and the trumpet/trombone player backed up each piece of the night with some brass undertones.

In addition to the improvised music, Phillips played the songs that brought him to the top of the charts, like “Gone, Gone, Gone.”

Toward the end of the show Phillips walked off stage at the end of the evening, but the crowd begged for more. “It was the best when he cam back out and did two songs for us,” said Billy Jean Lohr, a sophomore attending the concert.

When Phillips got into his music, he bent so low over the guitar his body was shaped like the letter C.

He was not satisfied until the audience lost its voice singing along with the music. Even when Phillips began a quiet ballad, the crowd would not settle. Phillips finished the concert off with “Home” and threw his guitar pick into the audience.

Phillips began his music career in Leesburg, Georgia, with his first band. His older sister and her husband were a part of the band that focused on classic rock music.

More photos at: http://www.theslateonline.com/gallery/phillip-phillips-rocks-luhrs

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