It’s a good thing Eric Hutchinson doesn’t mind jet lag.

This singer-songwriter, who describes himself as “Paul Simon meets Michael Jackson,” is coming to the Maintenance Shop by way of San Diego. After his Ames performance, he is heading to Virginia for another.

And while Hutchinson says traveling solo can be hectic and lonely, he says not having a band to cart around has its advantages.

“It’s easy to get around, and I’m definitely starting to see some progress made,” Hutchinson says.

The progress, he says, is people recognizing him in public.

Hutchinson is trying to keep things in perspective and says he’s just enjoying doing what he’s doing.

This will be Hutchinson’s second show at the M-Shop.

“Playing as an opening act in October and coming back as a headliner is a big achievement in my eyes,” he says.

Hutchinson’s brand of folk rock hearkens back to the great artists of the genre Paul Simon and James Taylor.

Hutchinson says, however, he wants to stay away from being typecast.

“It’s frustrating in that way, but then again it’s a lot more people that will give it a chance,” he says.

Hutchinson says his comparison to Jackson and Simon fits because he has Jackson’s energy and Simon’s intelligence and introspectiveness.

He says his varied music tastes — ranging from Prince to Eminem, — will be reflected in his upcoming material, which he hopes to have completed by the end of the year.

One thing Hutchinson says he readily embraces is crowd interaction.

Between songs, Hutchinson says he finds himself cracking jokes and having the audience participate.

When he started performing, Hutchinson says he would find himself looking at his shoes and being quiet during his performances.

“It’s fun for me to talk to the audience — I know when I go to a show that I like to be involved with what’s going on onstage,” he says.

His humor also carries over to his merchandise, offering T-shirts that say “Eric Hutchinson is pretty good” emblazoned in capital letters and available to all his ardent fans — who, he says, have been affectionately titled “Hutchheads.”

“I don’t like being called Hutch very much, but everyone seems to call me it, so I thought I would just embrace it,” Hutchinson says.

Getting people to listen is always an arduous task for an up-and-coming musician, and Hutchinson says he finds himself in the same boat.

He says he wants to find a label that will let him be in control of what his music sounds like and not pass it through focus groups.

“It’s definitely a challenge to get my music out there,” Hutchinson says.

Hutchinson says he’s just enjoying touring and doesn’t stop smiling along the way.

He says he even finds himself sentimental about his fans.

“Freaks and weirdos come out to my shows,” he says.

Who: Eric Hutchinson

Where: M-Shop, Memorial Union

When: 9 p.m. Friday

Cost: $7 Students, $9 Public