# Eric Blackwood (musician)

Eric Blackwood (born as Eric Pastore) is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist and musician with the progressive rock band Edison's Children starring Marillion's Pete Trewavas and the Son of Astronaut Neil Armstrong, Rick Armstrong as well as an IATSE certified special effects and property technician of over 100 major motion pictures and television noted author & baseball stadium photographer & historian and has been an honorary member of the Marillion touring crew since 2005.

## Early life

Blackwood was born in Brooklyn, New York, on July 24, 1968, the youngest of four siblings. He was raised in the Great Kills neighborhood of Staten Island, and graduated from New Dorp High School in 1986. Among his siblings are musician Sonny Pastore (of the band The Reluctant Reasons) and actor Garry Pastore. He's also the cousin of actor Vincent Pastore.

## Early Career

After graduating Pace University in 1991 with a Bachelor of Science, Eric Blackwood began his career performing IT support at the WWOR-TV Superstation in Secaucus New Jersey supporting The Howard Stern Show - Episodic TV Program, the New York Mets "Channel 9" broadcasting team and their in house talk show People Are Talking where Blackwood's Band "Blackwood & Foti" was invited to perform "Through The Ages" live on air, his first Nationwide Television performance.
Pete Trewavas (of Marillion and Transatlantic) first formed the progressive rock duo Edison's Children in 2008, and recorded the album In The Last Waking Moments..., released on 11 November 2011, by Random Disturbance Records, and distributed in Europe by Marillion's Racket Records. It spawned the U.S commercial radio Top 40 hit "A Million Miles Away (I Wish I Had A Time Machine)" on the FMQB Hot A/C Commercial Radio Charts on 18 September 2012, and remaining in the Top 40 for ten straight weeks, returning to its peak position at number 32 on 12 October 2012. In 2013 they released a second album, The Final Breath Before November, featuring drummer Henry Rogers. Rick Armstrong, the son of Neil Armstrong, joined Edison's Children as a synth guitarist, lead guitarist and bassist in Montreal in 2011. He stayed on as a permanent member, finishing up their third album, Somewhere Between Here and There, which included new mixes by King Crimson's Jakko Jakszyk of songs from The Final Breath Before November.
The song "At Night", penned during Blackwood's previous effort Blackwood and Foti and remixed by the band Closenuf, has received an Official Grammy Ballot Placement.
Blackwood collaborated with Trewavas on more than a hundred songs for films and for Edison's Children between 2008 and 2012, but stopped recording and performing in 2013 after an injury he suffered while working on James Gandolfini's final film left him disabled. He also contracted Lyme disease, for which he was treated with intravenous therapy for over a year. Edison's Children has been on hiatus ever since, though Armstrong is working with Edison's Children's back catalog for future releases.
Blackwood is the webmaster and photographer of the website Digitalballparks.com, and has authored and photographed for the top-selling book 500 Ballparks (Thunder Bay Press, Baker & Taylor) with his wife, photographer Wendy Farrell.

## Discography

| Year | Band Name | Album Title | Instrumentation | Record Company |
| 2023 | Rick Armstrong | Chromosphere | Synth Guitar on "Spheres of Influence" | Random Disturbance |
| 2019 | Edison's Children | The Disturbance Fields | Vox • Guitar • Synth Gtr • Bass • Composer | Random Disturbance |
| 2019 | Edison's Children | The Disturbance Fields (Double 180g Vinyl) | Vox • Guitar • Synth Gtr • Bass • Composer | Random Disturbance |
| 2015 | Edison's Children | Somewhere Between Here and There | Vox • Guitar • Synth Gtr • Bass • Composer | Random Disturbance |
| 2015 | Anthony J. Foti & Closenuf | "In The Eyes Of The Rose - The EP" | Acoustic Guitar on "In The Eyes of The Rose" *Produced by Steve Jerome Mix | Wreckords Records |
| 2014 | Edison's Children / Marillion | DeStressed (Soundtrack) | Vox • Guitar • Synth Gtr • Bass • Composer | WillowCreek Ent |
| 2013 | Edison's Children | The Final Breath Before November | Vox • Guitar • Synth Gtr • Bass • Composer | Random Disturbance |
| 2012 | Edison's Children | "In The Last Waking Moments (EP) | Vox • Guitar • Synth Gtr • Bass • Composer | Random Disturbance |
| 2012 | Edison's Children w - Iluvatar | "Live @ The Strand” (For Hurricane Sandy) | Vocals • Guitar | Random Disturbance |
| 2012 | Closenuf | "...To Our Universe | co-composer on "Buy The Boat" • Acoustic Guitar "In The Eyes of the Rose" | Wreckords Records |
| 2012 | Edison's Children | "In The First Waking Moments” (Making Of ITLWM) | Vox • Guitar • Synth Gtr • Bass • Composer | Random Disturbance |
| 2011 | Edison's Children | "A Million Miles Away (I Wish I Had A Time Machine)” (EP) | Vox • Guitar • Synth Gtr • Bass • Composer | Random Disturbance |
| 2011 | Edison's Children | "In The Last Waking Moments” | Vox • Guitar • Synth Gtr • Bass • Composer | Random Disturbance |
| 2011 | Edison's Children | "Dusk” (Pre-Album released Single) | Vox • Guitar • Synth Gtr • Bass • Composer | Random Disturbance |
| 2009 | Closenuf | ...To A New Beginning | co-composer on "Airline Bags & Luggage Tags", "At Night", "She's Leaving", "Buy The Boat", "Music Man" • Rhythm Guitar & Backing Vox "At Night (Al Pitrelli Mix)" • Acoustic Guitar "In The Eyes of the Rose (Jerome Mix)" | Wreckords Records |
| 2005 | Closenuf | Closenuf | co-composer on "At Night", "Buy The Boat", "Music Man" / Rhythm Guitar & Backing Vox "At Night / Acoustic Guitar "In The Eyes of the Rose" | Wreckords Records |
| 2000 | Eric Blackwood & The Alley Cats | "Growing Down In Brooklyn" (Soundtrack) | Co-composer • Vocals • Guitar • Co-Producer • Music Director | Avenue H Productions |
| 1999 | Sunblister | ”Approaching Indignation” (2nd Album) | Bass | Louis Diluzio Esq. |
| 1997 | Sunblister | ”Simantik” (1st Album) | Bass | Louis Diluzio Esq. |
| 1996 | Anthony J. Foti | ”Fourward” | Co-composer/Guitar/Backing Vox "At Night" • Acoustic Guitar "In The Eyes of the Rose" | Wreckords Records |
| 1992 | Blackwood & Foti | ”Haunted Memories” | Vox • Guitar • Co-Composer | Wreckords Records |
| 1991 | Blackwood & Foti | "Through The Ages" | Co-composer • Vocals • Guitar • Orchestration | Eve Nelson Esq |

### Compilation Appearances

| Year | Compilation | Band | Song | Instruementation | Rroduction |
| Year | Compilation | Band | Song | Instruementation | Rroduction | 2019 | "PROG - Lifting Shadows Of A Dream P105" | Edison's Children | "The Tempest" | Vocals • Lead Guitar • Synth Guitar • Bass • Co-Conmposer & Co-Producer | PROG! Magazine Sampler #105 ROP101CD-08-19 |
| 2016 | "PROG - Dance Of The Dawn P49" | Edison's Children | "Welcome To Your Nightmares" | Vocals • Lead Guitar • Synth Guitar • Bass • Co-Conmposer & Co-Producer | PROG! Magazine Sampler #49 ROP71CD-11-04 |
| 2016 | "PROG - Dance Of The Dawn P49" | Edison's Children | "Silence Can Be Deafening" | Vocals • Lead Guitar • Synth Guitar • Bass • Co-Conmposer & Co-Producer | PROG! Magazine Sampler #49 ROP71CD-11-04 |
| 2015 | "PROG - Fantastic Voyage P40 | Edison's Children | "Where Were You (Jakko's Mix)" | Vocals • Lead Guitar • Synth Guitar • Bass • Co-Conmposer / Mixed by Jakko Jakszyk of King Crimson | PROG! Magazine Sampler P40 / ROP62CD-12-15 |
| 2015 | "Voices For Hospice" | Edison's Children | "Haunted Memories" | Vocals • Lead Guitar • Synth Guitar • Bass • Co-Conmposer & Co-Producer | Steve Hackett & Hats off Gentlemen, It's Adequate / Charity for Hospice Organizations |
| 2015 | "PROG - Resiste 77" | Edison's Children | "I Am Haunted" | Vocals • Lead Guitar • Synth Guitar • Bass • Co-Conmposer & Co-Producer | PROG! Magazine Sampler #77 |
| 2015 | "PROG - Resiste 77" | Edison's Children | "The Morphlux" | Vocals • Lead Guitar • Synth Guitar • Bass • Co-Conmposer & Co-Producer | PROG! Magazine Sampler #77 |
| 2012 | "PROG - A Wilderness of Mirrors P22" | Edison's Children | "Seventh Sign (Single Edit)" | Vocals • Lead Guitar • Synth Guitar • Bass • Co-Composer & Co-Producer | PROG! Magazine Sampler ROP44CD-03-14 |
| 2012 | Marillion "Playing Away" | Edison's Children | "The Awakening" | Vocals • Lead Guitar • Synth Guitar • Bass • Co-Composer & Co-Producer | Compilation of Marillion's Side Projects (RACKET46) |
| 2012 | "PROG - Suits You Sir P4" | Edison's Children | "Fracture" | Vocals • Lead Guitar • Synth Guitar • Bass • Co-Composer & Co-Producer | PROG! Magazine Sampler CD #4 |

## Feature films

As a special effects technician, on-set property technician and/or set dresser unless otherwise specified:
* Spider-Man 3
* American Gangster
* Bourne Ultimatum
* The Adjustment Bureau
* I Am Legend
* Men in Black 3
* What Happens in Vegas
* Baby Mama
* Salt
* Wanted
* Percy Jackson and The Olympians: The Lightning Thief
* Friends With Benefits
* Violet and Daisy
* The Drop
* The Back-up Plan
* Sherlock Holmes
* Cop Out
* Julie and Julia
* For One More Day
* World Trade Center
* The Wrestler
* Black Swan
* The Taking of Pelham 1-2-3
* The Other Guys
* August Rush
* Mr. Popper's Penguins
* Perfect Stranger
* Assassination of a High School President
* A Walk Among The Tombstones
* The Hoax
* The Rebound

## Television

As a special effects technician, on-set property technician and/or set dresser unless otherwise specified:
* Person of Interest
* Boardwalk Empire
* Rescue Me
* 30 Rock
* Smash
* Law and Order: SVU
* Law and Order: Criminal Intent
* Law and Order: Trial By Jury
* CSI: NY
* Kings
* White Collar
* America's Next Top Model
* New Amsterdam
* Ugly Betty

## Consultant

* 42: The Jackie Robinson Story (baseball stadium expert and locations advisor)

## Music Director

* DeStressed
* Growing Down in Brooklyn