Eddie 9V is kicking off a run of Florida dates with two chances for Shows I Go To readers to win tickets: Ponte Vedra Concert Hall on Saturday, October 10, or Jannus Live in St. Petersburg on Sunday, October 11, 2026. The Atlanta-born guitarist, singer, songwriter, and producer is bringing his deep blend of Southern soul, blues, rock, and funk back to Florida just ahead of the release of his new album, DOWN HERE, out November 6 via Easy Eye Sound. Enter to WIN TICKETS BELOW or SECURE TICKETS HERE 

Below, Eddie talks with SIGT’s Mitch Foster about recording live with Dan Auerbach, the energy he gets from Florida crowds, the drummers and grooves behind his sound, his first concert, the healing power of live music, and the one guitar he would save in a fire. Enter either giveaway—or both—then read the full interview.

See Eddie 9V’s full 2026 tour schedule at Eddie9V.com.

Listen before the show

DOWN HERE arrives November 6 through Easy Eye Sound. Start with Eddie 9V’s newest official video, “Rock Your Baby,” then hear the country-fried funk and greasy slide guitar of “Blowin’ Up”—the song Eddie, Marcus King, and Dan Auerbach wrote together and discuss in the interview below. Pre-save or pre-order DOWN HERE.

WATCH: Eddie 9V — “Rock Your Baby”

WATCH: Eddie 9V — “Blowin’ Up”

▼HOW TO WIN TICKETS▼

 

▼HOW TO WIN TICKETS▼

 

▼HOW TO WIN TICKETS▼

We’ve teamed up with AEG Presents SE to give you two chances to see Eddie 9V live in Florida. Choose your show below. Daily entry is allowed, and both giveaways close Monday, October 5, 2026 at 1:00pm ET.

► ENTER: PONTE VEDRA — OCT 10 ► ENTER: JANNUS LIVE — OCT 11

Tickets: Ponte Vedra Concert Hall | Jannus Live

Eddie 9V Interview

Recorded: September 14, 2026
Interviewer: Mitch Foster, Shows I Go To
Guest: Eddie 9V
Duration: 15:13

► LISTEN NOW: EDDIE 9V INTERVIEW

Listen to the complete 15-minute conversation, then follow along with the transcript below.

Editorial note: This is a lightly cleaned, machine-assisted transcript. Repeated words and a few false starts were reduced for readability, and names, venues, and song titles were corrected using the interview context.

Opening

SIGT Mitch: Hey, what’s up, Eddie?

Eddie 9V: Hey, how you doing, man?

SIGT Mitch: Good, man. Thanks so much for doing this last minute.

Eddie 9V: No problem, man. I’m in the garage. Let me turn off my—I got this old, old fan that’s got metal blades on it, so it’s loud as hell.

SIGT Mitch: Oh, yeah. Can’t give that up.

Eddie 9V: I call it the old Darwin Award, because people probably lost a lot of fingers to that thing.

SIGT Mitch: Damn. That’s vicious. Good, man. How are you doing today?

Eddie 9V: I’m doing good, man. I got one more day off. Me and the wife are going to go have a little dinner date night tonight, and then tomorrow I head down to Atlanta and get ready to travel to Canada.

SIGT Mitch: Hell yeah. That sounds awesome, man. I appreciate you taking the time to do this and fitting it in, especially last minute. We’ll try to make it nice and quick.

Florida audiences and the upcoming tour

SIGT Mitch: You recently toured with The Black Keys, and you played several shows down here across Florida, including the St. Augustine Amphitheatre and The BayCare Sound over in Clearwater. Those are two of my favorite venues in the world. What did you learn about Florida—or our crazy Florida audiences—on that tour? Did any particular crowd or city surprise you?

Eddie 9V: You know, I’ve always wanted to play that place. I’ve heard really good things about it. My buddy Lamont played there with Alabama Shakes. Lamont Landers. He told me how cool it was and all that. I was really stoked about it. It was a great show.

Eddie 9V: I had a fan who brought me a Jacksonville Jaguars custom jersey that said “Eddie 9V” on the back.

SIGT Mitch: Hell yeah. Duval!

Eddie 9V: Exactly. I said that, and the crowd went nuts.

SIGT Mitch: Oh, you’re speaking our language.

Eddie 9V: Ever since the Falcons played the Patriots, I’ve lost all hope, so I root for a new team now. Honestly, anybody’s doing good except the Falcons.

SIGT Mitch: Fair. I love that. You’ll be right up in Jaguars territory at Ponte Vedra.

Eddie 9V: Yeah, that’s what I heard. And I mentioned it on stage because we knew that we were coming back to that place. I think we’re going to have a good crowd, man. Tickets are selling pretty good.

SIGT Mitch: Yeah, it’s a beautiful new room. It’s been there for a while, but they went through a pretty significant remodel. I think they finished it last year and reopened at the beginning of this year, so you’ll be one of the first players to play it.

Eddie 9V: That’s awesome. Hell yeah.

SIGT Mitch: You must love us, because you’re kicking off your whole tour in Florida. You’ve got four dates: October 8 at Buckingham Blues Bar down in Fort Myers, and then you’re going all the way up to Suwannee Roots Revival at the most magical place, Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park in Live Oak, Florida.

Eddie 9V: Yeah.

SIGT Mitch: And then, of course, Ponte Vedra on October 10 and Jannus Live—one of my personal favorite venues—in St. Petersburg over in Tampa Bay. If you haven’t been there, it’s an outdoor venue smack in the middle of downtown. There’s this tree, and that tree makes the magic.

Eddie 9V: Oh, hell yeah. Glad you let me know about the tree. I might rub it or something.

SIGT Mitch: Yeah, definitely put your hand on it. Give it a good hug.

SIGT Mitch: We’re giving out tickets to both the Ponte Vedra and Jannus Live dates. People can enter to win at ShowsIGoTo.com. Some of the people entering may be discovering you for the first time if they missed you with The Black Keys. Which song—or songs—would you play for someone as an introduction to Eddie 9V, and why?

Eddie 9V: That’s a good question. I think there are two songs. “Saratoga” is a great song. It’s always a fan favorite. And then probably our new song, “Blowin’ Up,” that we just put out earlier this year—earlier this summer, I think.

Eddie 9V: We had learned a lot of the new songs on the record for The Black Keys tour, just to see how people really liked them. I was beyond shocked by the response. We were getting way bigger cheers for the new songs than all of our old songs. So that’s a good sign.

LISTEN: Eddie 9V — “Saratoga”

DOWN HERE and recording live

SIGT Mitch: That’s awesome. The new album, DOWN HERE, comes out November 6 via Easy Eye Sound, which is Dan Auerbach from The Black Keys’ label. From what I read, it was recorded live in a room with Dan and a bunch of incredible musicians. The first single, “Blowin’ Up,” was written by you, Marcus King, and Dan Auerbach. What do you remember about the moment that single first began taking shape?

Eddie 9V: Like a lot of songs that we wrote at the little roundtable with Dan and everybody, we had so many great songwriters—everybody who had written for Bonnie Raitt to Jackson Browne and stuff like that. It was crazy.

Eddie 9V: We basically recorded a quick demo on the iPhone. Then, before we went into the studio, we all sat in the control room and listened to it. All the smart musicians, man—I could never do this; this is that Nashville school—they were writing down all the charts. They had it all done.

Eddie 9V: Literally, we just went out and cut it with the vocals live and everything. We didn’t do more than probably two or three takes per song.

SIGT Mitch: Wow. That’s incredible, man. That’s the soul…

Eddie 9V: We did add some overdubs, like conga and background vocals, but everything else was cut live.

SIGT Mitch: Awesome. You mentioned getting some big reactions from the new songs. Are there songs you’re playing that hit differently live than they did in the studio?

Eddie 9V: Oh, definitely. “Whole Lot Coming for You,” man. We used to close with “Saratoga,” but now it’s like we can’t close with anything else. It’s just big. We do a drum solo in the middle of it, and it’s unreal. I really love playing this one.

WATCH: Eddie 9V — “Whole Lot Coming for You”

SIGT Mitch: That’s the magic, man. That’s truly the goal with every new album you’re making—having that new encore closer.

Eddie 9V: Exactly.

Drummers, grooves, and early influences

SIGT Mitch: Who’s playing drums for you now?

Eddie 9V: In the studio, that was Chris St. Hilaire. He played with The London Souls and the live band. But my drummer is David Green. He’s from Gadsden, Alabama, and he’s a hell of a drummer, man. I tell you what, that’s why I have to keep getting bigger and bigger amps—it’s hard to keep up with him.

SIGT Mitch: Man, I watched some live videos—some fan-recorded, bootleg stuff on YouTube—and he’s crushing it. He hits those drums with purpose. I love that.

Eddie 9V: Oh, yeah. Like I said, you’re not ever going to not hear David.

SIGT Mitch: I respect that so much. I’m a drummer myself, so I immediately noticed that. I was like, “Hell yeah.”

SIGT Mitch: What was the very first show you ever went to, and how old were you?

Eddie 9V: It would probably have been Drivin N Cryin. I probably would have been 12 or 13, something like that. Since then, I’ve gotten to meet Kevn Kinney. He’s awesome. What a hell of a songwriter, man. He’s just unbelievable.

WATCH: Drivin N Cryin — “Fly Me Courageous”

SIGT Mitch: How did you pick that show? Did you go with your parents, or—?

Eddie 9V: My uncle is the one who got me started in music. He was a massive Drivin N Cryin fan, and we used to play their songs at family get-togethers—“Fly Me Courageous” and stuff like that—because I was originally on drums. So I was playing drums.

Eddie 9V: He said, “Let’s go to this free outdoor concert.” Then, a few years later, I got to meet Kevn at a bar show in Atlanta. I think since then he’s sobered up, but at that time, man, he came out backstage and the promoter came out and gave him a handle of Jack Daniel’s and a bag full of weed. I was like, “This is just like a rock star.”

SIGT Mitch: Hell yeah. Did you start out playing drums? That was your first instrument?

Eddie 9V: Yeah. We were in various metal bands. We played everything. A lot of my songs before this new record—I would say probably over 50 percent of it is me on drums.

SIGT Mitch: Dude, hell yeah. I’m a drummer myself, and I’m curious: when you’re writing songs on guitar, how much do you think about the drums?

Eddie 9V: I’m thinking about the groove. I would say I come from an R&B background, but I’m sort of addicted to R&B—from the Motown rhythm sections to the Hi Rhythm Section in Memphis. I’ve always kind of written songs with the bass and drums first.

Eddie 9V: A long time ago, me and my brother—for the longest time, my brother was a bass player—he would sit on a Wurlitzer and I would sit on the drums, and we would just come up with grooves all day.

Eddie 9V: Now we’ve all kind of moved out. I’m in South Carolina now and he’s in Kentucky, so it’s kind of tough to write songs together now. But, yeah, it’s pretty cool.

Realizing music could become a life

SIGT Mitch: Was there a particular show—or a moment during a show—that made you realize you wanted to spend your life making music?

Eddie 9V: The metal shows we used to do, we used to play in front of just the bands. We were playing at churches and stuff; that would be the only place we could play where I grew up.

Eddie 9V: Finally, my buddy asked me if we could do a little ’50s rock gig at this little bar. We were doing Buddy Holly and Elvis shit, and I was dressed in some Back to the Future shit. I was 13 or 14 years old, and I was behind a mic with the guitar for the first time.

Eddie 9V: We killed. So many people from our school were there, and we made $600 in tips. I thought, “I might be pretty good behind the mic.”

SIGT Mitch: At that age, that’s a fortune.

Eddie 9V: I know. That was real money.

The healing power of live music

SIGT Mitch: Shows I Go To, the company we run, is a nonprofit as well. Our mission is to help people experience the healing power of live music. Has there been a moment when live music—either performing it or experiencing it from the crowd—helped carry you through something, or in essence healed you?

Eddie 9V: Oh, yeah. Take this year, for example. We basically toured from February to the end of August, and we had September off. During June, I was getting pretty—let’s just say overworked. I was getting pretty mentally exhausted.

Eddie 9V: The only thing that really kept me going was the energy of the crowds. Before I went on, I might be shaking with exhaustion, but those people singing the words to the songs—that’s what makes it all worth it, man. We couldn’t do it without the crowd and the audience that shows up.

“The only thing that really kept me going was the energy of the crowds… We couldn’t do it without the crowd and the audience that shows up.” — Eddie 9V

SIGT Mitch: That’s it, man. That’s what raises your hairs and gives you those chills.

Eddie 9V: Ain’t nothing like it.

Records and artists Eddie is digging

SIGT Mitch: How about some artists you’re digging lately? Are there any newer records you can’t stop playing, or some oldies that are absolutely bulletproof from beginning to end that you go back to?

Eddie 9V: One of my favorite records is probably Link Wray. I can’t remember what it’s called. It’s the one where he’s got the Native American headdress on.

Eddie 9V: And then definitely J.J. Cale’s first solo record. That was a massive one that I always go back to.

Eddie 9V: For new artists, obviously I love Marcus King. I think he’s the only one who really intimidates me when it comes to playing guitar next to him.

SIGT Mitch: Oh, he’s awesome.

Eddie 9V: He’s unbelievable, man. There are some new bands, like Improvement Movement. I like those guys. They’re some friends of mine.

SIGT Mitch: I’m going to check that out. I like the alliteration. Hell yeah.

Lightning round

SIGT Mitch: What would be the first guitar you’d save in a fire?

Eddie 9V: Probably my old—I just got it—a ’66 Gibson Hummingbird. The wife didn’t like me getting it because it was a pretty big purchase. But since I bought it, I’ve written probably 30 songs on it. It’s absolutely crazy. It has so many stories in it.

Eddie 9V: All the new guitars I’ve got can be replaced. I would definitely probably grab that one—and probably my Strat that my dad got me when I was a kid.

SIGT Mitch: Oh, man. Or would you be going for drums?

Eddie 9V: I have a pair of ’65 Ludwigs that I love. I’ve used them on a lot of records. That would be tough, man, but there are plenty of Ludwig kits out there.

SIGT Mitch: How about the best late-night food after a show?

Eddie 9V: Oh, man, I try absolutely not to do that because I’m trying to watch my weight. It’s bland, but meat and cheese, man. I try to lay off the bread, and I try to lay off the chips and salsa late at night. I just try to get protein and something as healthy as I can.

SIGT Mitch: I’ve been doing the same thing. I’ve got a Blackstone. I throw chicken on that and cook it. I eat that three or four nights a week. It’s that protein. Sometimes I’ll make rice. So, yeah—protein-forward. I’m with you there.

Eddie 9V: I just got a rice cooker, man. It’s changed my life.

SIGT Mitch: Oh, you do? Yeah. I can’t figure out how not to get the film on the bottom, though. Every time I get the rice out, there’s that little crusty part.

Eddie 9V: I haven’t really had that issue yet. Maybe it’s because my rice cooker is so new.

SIGT Mitch: Probably.

Eddie 9V: I’ll definitely give you a ring to tell me what I should do.

SIGT Mitch: I hope you never experience it, honestly.

SIGT Mitch: If you could summarize DOWN HERE in one word, what’s one word for DOWN HERE?

Eddie 9V: Comfort food.

SIGT Mitch: Well, that’s two words.

Eddie 9V: I know. It’s hard to do it in one word.

SIGT Mitch: Maybe hyphenated: comfort-food. Hell yeah, I’m here for that. I got you thinking about food. You’d better go get dinner with your wife.

Eddie 9V: I know. You’re making me hungry, man.

SIGT Mitch: Yeah, I’m hungry too now. Shit. All right, man. I appreciate you. We’ll see you in Florida next month. Thank you so much.

Eddie 9V: All right, brother. You take care and have a good week, and I look forward to seeing you.

SIGT Mitch: Yes, sir. Take care.

Eddie 9V: Thanks. Bye.

SIGT Mitch: Bye.

Eddie 9V interview by Mitch Foster for Shows I Go To.

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