Local radio station Y101 revived its Unplugged series at The Standard restaurant with “American Idol” season 11 winner, Phillip Phillips, performing an acoustic set on Wednesday night.

Phillips packed the place and the fans clapped and sang along as he performed many of his best-known songs.

There were those sitting in the lounges, occupying the bar, and crowding close to the stage. The Y101 crew was there, as well. Nicole Giordano from “After Hours with Nicole” took the stage, hyped up the crowd, and introduced Phillips.

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It was just him and his guitar. It was a short setlist highlighted by “Gone, Gone, Gone,” “Love Like That,” “Raging Fire,” and his career-defining single, “Home.”

He chatted with the crowd, making it personal atmosphere. He welcomed questions from the audience, which they obliged. He answered questions about how he met his wife, his son’s favorite song from him, and his favorite band (AC/DC).

Phillips’ Musical Journey

I asked him to describe where he is at musically and artistically and what territories he’d like to explore in the future.

“I try to write good music. That’s always the goal. I don’t know how it’s going to end up sounding,” Phillips said. “The song ‘Dancing with Your Shadows’ became a different song then how it first started. I would like to make an instrumental album, that would be fun. I try to let the music guide me.”

The inevitable question, which came from the audience, was about “American Idol.” He answered with one word, “Stressful.”

A pleasant surprise to the evening was the cover songs he played. He did his own rendition of the Hall and Oates classic, “Maneater,” and performed a passionate interpretation of Michael  Jackson’s “Thriller” to close out the set.

Reviving the Unplugged Series

Giordano said that Phillips was the perfect choice to revive the Unplugged series, which had been dormant for several years.

“He’s an American favorite. We play all of his songs that have been hits. You can sing along to them. He’s perfect in terms of connectivity with the listeners and how the station represents him on the air,” she said. “He’s a transparent, genuine, honest artist, and that makes for a really fun, authentic show.”