Just like Zack Morris from “Saved By the Bell,” acoustic rocker Eric Hutchinson finds himself using clever wordplay and a sense of humor to win people over.

“I love ‘Saved by the Bell.’ I just got the Seasons 1 & 2 DVD. They aren’t including the Ms. Bliss years, so that’s awesome. I could watch ‘Saved by the Bell’ for about 12 hours straight. Which is good, because that’s exactly how long all five DVDs take. I think I’ll go watch some right now, in fact,” he said, according to his Web site.

Hutchinson, a regular at the Maintenance Shop, will be returning soon on his current college tour, much to the delight of his Ames fans.

“It is always so much more exciting to see and hear music performed live, especially if it is one of your favorite artists,” said Lisa Martin, sophomore in interior design and Hutchinson fan.

According to an interview on Discoveringartists.com, Hutchinson does not have an ego to match his fame – he said he just loves to meet his fans.

“Touring is fun. It’s always humbling to go somewhere and meet someone I don’t know and have them like my music. It’s a weird, flattering feeling,” Hutchinson said.

Although he claims that not taking enough guitar lessons have caused him to be “not quite as good” as he should be, Hutchinson has always been more interested in creating through trial and error rather than learning how to play music from a book. He has been playing guitar for eight years.

Hutchinson is modest about his talent, but fans seem to disagree with Hutchinson’s idea that he needs more practice.

“I really enjoy the strong acoustics in all of his songs. I also feel that he has a very soothing voice, great for study music,” Martin said.

A popular song of Hutchinson’s, “Subtitles,” is claimed by Hutchinson himself to have been ripped off from Fiona Apple’s “Paper Bag.” Rip-off or original, “Subtitles” remains a hit among his fans.

“I actually just got introduced to Eric Hutchinson a couple of months ago, but already feel that he is going to become one of my top favorites,” Martin said. “My favorite song of his so far has to be ‘Subtitles.’ I love the rhythm and it is a great song about relationships in general.”

Although Hutchinson said he wouldn’t mind being on the cover of “Rolling Stone” someday, the largest goal he has for his music is to earn respect. He would like to have a modest fan base and be able to pay the bills comfortably. Although he wants people to like his songs, Hutchinson is unsure how he would deal with the fame aspect of being a singer.

“I’ve always wanted my music to be well-known, but not my face,” he said, according to Discoveringartists.com.

Abbey Schmoll, senior in mechanical engineering, said she enjoys Hutchinson’s fresh attitude.

“He’s very funny live, and usually makes up a song at least once during the show, which is related to the people attending the show,” Schmoll said. “His songs are fun and he makes the crowd laugh, so that’s why I keep coming back for more. And in my opinion, he’s not too bad on the eyes, either.”

Hutchinson’s boyish charm even has guys taking notice.

“Girls like Eric Hutchinson. I like girls. Therefore, I like Eric Hutchinson,” said Brice Pattison, senior in management.

Hutchinson has developed a loyal fan base at Iowa State, several of whom would not hesitate to recommend his show. Vanessa Hansen, sophomore in pre-journalism and mass communication, said she loves seeing Hutchinson’s M-Shop performances.

“Eric Hutchinson is amazing,” she said.