Eric Blackwood (born Eric Pastore) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist, known for being a member of the progressive rock band Edison's Children, which also features Marillion's Pete Trewavas and Rick Armstrong, the son of astronaut Neil Armstrong. He is also a special effects and property technician certified by the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees who has worked on more than 100 major motion pictures and in television,https://www.iatselocal52.org/ an author, baseball stadium photographer, and historian,https://isni.oclc.org/cbs/DB=1.2/CMD?ACT=SRCH&IKT=8006&TRM=ISN%3A0000000356250343 and has been an honorary member of the Marillion touring crew since 2005.Blackwood appears as such in the credits on Marillion's CDs and DVDs of "Their Montreal Weekend Concert Series" in 2009, 2011 and March 2013Eric Pastore is thanked in the Sounds That Can't Be Made album by Steve Hogarth
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 is also a cousin of actor Vincent Pastore.
Early career After graduating Pace University in 1991 with a Bachelor of Science, Blackwood began his career performing information technology 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.Pastore's first job in the entertainment industry was Supporting Howard Stern's new TV Show "The Howard Stern Show (1987)" & the broadcast team of "The New York Mets" at WWOR-TV as their IT-Computer guy. Eric was adored by the Howard Stern cast because he was usually the one printing & delivering the paychecks when "The Eagle Had Landed". Taken From IMDB's Trivia section of Eric Blackwood.
Pete Trewavas (of Marillion and Transatlantic) 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 Company2023Rick ArmstrongChromosphereSynth Guitar on "Spheres of Influence"Random Disturbance2019Edison's ChildrenThe Disturbance FieldsVox • Guitar • Synth Gtr • Bass • ComposerRandom Disturbance 2019Edison's ChildrenThe Disturbance Fields (Double 180g Vinyl)Vox • Guitar • Synth Gtr • Bass • ComposerRandom Disturbance2015Edison's ChildrenSomewhere Between Here and ThereVox • Guitar • Synth Gtr • Bass • ComposerRandom Disturbance2015Anthony J. Foti & Closenuf"In The Eyes Of The Rose - The EP"Acoustic Guitar on "In The Eyes of The Rose" *Produced by Steve Jerome MixWreckords Records2014Edison's Children / MarillionDeStressed (Soundtrack)Vox • Guitar • Synth Gtr • Bass • ComposerWillowCreek Ent2013Edison's ChildrenThe Final Breath Before November Vox • Guitar • Synth Gtr • Bass • ComposerRandom Disturbance2012Edison's Children"In The Last Waking Moments (EP)Vox • Guitar • Synth Gtr • Bass • ComposerRandom Disturbance2012Edison's Children w - Iluvatar"Live @ The Strand” (For Hurricane Sandy) Vocals • Guitar Random Disturbance2012Closenuf"...To Our Universeco-composer on "Buy The Boat" • Acoustic Guitar "In The Eyes of the Rose"Wreckords Records2012Edison's Children"In The First Waking Moments” (Making Of ITLWM)Vox • Guitar • Synth Gtr • Bass • ComposerRandom Disturbance2011Edison's Children"A Million Miles Away (I Wish I Had A Time Machine)” (EP)Vox • Guitar • Synth Gtr • Bass • ComposerRandom Disturbance2011Edison's Children"In The Last Waking Moments”Vox • Guitar • Synth Gtr • Bass • ComposerRandom Disturbance2011Edison's Children "Dusk” (Pre-Album released Single)Vox • Guitar • Synth Gtr • Bass • ComposerRandom Disturbance2009Closenuf...To A New Beginningco-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 Records2005ClosenufClosenufco-composer on "At Night", "Buy The Boat", "Music Man" / Rhythm Guitar & Backing Vox "At Night / Acoustic Guitar "In The Eyes of the Rose"Wreckords Records2000Eric Blackwood & The Alley Cats"Growing Down In Brooklyn" (Soundtrack) Co-composer • Vocals • Guitar • Co-Producer • Music Director Avenue H Productions1999Sunblister”Approaching Indignation” (2nd Album) BassLouis Diluzio Esq.1997Sunblister”Simantik” (1st Album) Bass Louis Diluzio Esq.1996Anthony J. Foti”Fourward” Co-composer/Guitar/Backing Vox "At Night" • Acoustic Guitar "In The Eyes of the Rose" Wreckords Records1992Blackwood & Foti”Haunted Memories”Vox • Guitar • Co-ComposerWreckords Records1991Blackwood & Foti"Through The Ages" Co-composer • Vocals • Guitar • OrchestrationEve Nelson Esq
Compilation Appearances Year Compilation Band Song Instruementation Rroduction2019"PROG - Lifting Shadows Of A Dream P105"Edison's Children "The Tempest"Vocals • Lead Guitar • Synth Guitar • Bass • Co-Conmposer & Co-ProducerPROG! Magazine Sampler #105 ROP101CD-08-192016"PROG - Dance Of The Dawn P49"Edison's Children "Welcome To Your Nightmares"Vocals • Lead Guitar • Synth Guitar • Bass • Co-Conmposer & Co-ProducerPROG! Magazine Sampler #49 ROP71CD-11-042016"PROG - Dance Of The Dawn P49"Edison's Children "Silence Can Be Deafening"Vocals • Lead Guitar • Synth Guitar • Bass • Co-Conmposer & Co-ProducerPROG! Magazine Sampler #49 ROP71CD-11-042015"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 CrimsonPROG! Magazine Sampler P40 / ROP62CD-12-152015"Voices For Hospice"Edison's Children"Haunted Memories"Vocals • Lead Guitar • Synth Guitar • Bass • Co-Conmposer & Co-ProducerSteve Hackett & Hats off Gentlemen, It's Adequate / Charity for Hospice Organizations2015"PROG - Resiste 77"Edison's Children "I Am Haunted"Vocals • Lead Guitar • Synth Guitar • Bass • Co-Conmposer & Co-ProducerPROG! Magazine Sampler #772015"PROG - Resiste 77"Edison's Children "The Morphlux"Vocals • Lead Guitar • Synth Guitar • Bass • Co-Conmposer & Co-ProducerPROG! Magazine Sampler #772012"PROG - A Wilderness of Mirrors P22"Edison's Children "Seventh Sign (Single Edit)"Vocals • Lead Guitar • Synth Guitar • Bass • Co-Composer & Co-ProducerPROG! Magazine Sampler ROP44CD-03-142012Marillion "Playing Away"Edison's Children "The Awakening"Vocals • Lead Guitar • Synth Guitar • Bass • Co-Composer & Co-ProducerCompilation 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-ProducerPROG! 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
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