Eric Clapton Concert Reviews : Summer 2004 Tour

Posts: 1695 · Posted: Sun Jul 04, 2004 7:59 pm

Two chances to be in the presence of Clapton's genius

by Denise Miller
(fan review courtesy of whereseric.com)

I could not resist two chances to be in the presence of Clapton's genius. Saturday night in Phila truly satisfied my passion to witness the living legend. I best enjoyed the first part of his show knowing he was sharing his favorite songs with us, but enjoyed every hit song he gave to us. Knowing that I would leave wanting more, I carefully planned tickets for Tuesday in NYC. Tonight's show in New York .... well... who could ask for more??? From his first solo in LET IT RAIN it was instantly clear that this was going to be a show to rival his own best! Solo after solo poured out of his powerful fingertips as he shared with an adoring crowd how much fun it can be to play with a guitar. Eric's high strung emotions radiated from his well known facial expressions. Beneath his weathered face he danced and rocked about in that way that makes me swoon. It was during his seated Robert Johnson set that he moved about the most, (his legs flying about like a young Elvis), the passion of his playing and singing bypassing his acclaimed MYV UNPLUGGED work. I love to watch this man play. And there were some other guys on stage with him...just kidding I love his band too!

Posts: 1695 · Posted: Sun Jul 04, 2004 8:12 pm

Clapton Rains Down on the Garden

By Aram David
The New York Opinion
Published July 1, 2004

Eric Clapton’s performance last night at Madison Square Garden was enough to turn even the most passive music fan into a screaming Clapton lunatic…just imagine what it did to a long-time devotee.

As Robert Randolph neared the end of his opening performance, the odds of matching that level of enthusiasm were slim; you could see Randolph was having the time of his life, having given up touring with Dave Matthews to tour with Clapton, and showing so much love for his home city and the music.

But Clapton rushed right to the stage (“Crash One” in hand) punctual and persistent, chopping away at the opening chords of “Let It Rain,” a lost gem that now sparkles as bright as the countless others in Clapton’s crown. And by the middle of the song, the whole audience felt like they had been there for hours, since Clapton took no time to pull out the big guns. There was more excitement in “Let it Rain” than in Clapton’s entire performance at the Garden for his Pilgrim tour 6 years earlier. And that set the stage for a very rewarding pattern: every single song out of his 18 song set would receive no less, if not even more of a solo than the song before it. Dare I even say that half the night was spent between Clapton and his guitar; to him, none of us were even in the room. That might be why Clapton laughed out loud at our screaming ovation after he finished Let It Rain.

This is a giant leap for Clapton, a man who once performed in a reserved manner and kept his soloing to a controlled portion, just filling the requirement while still wowing audiences. But in this show, I was more than satisfied by the time he got to “I Wanna Little Girl,” and by then we were only 4 songs into it.

We might not have been deep into the show, but Clapton was neck-deep into his playing, and had taken his glasses off so that he could scoop sweat out of his eyes.

Previous reviews nailed Clapton’s performance of “I Shot The Sheriff;” the solo from which might have actually resurrected the “Sheriff,” and the deputy as well, with so many notes fighting to get out, even Django Reinhardt would have been jealous. After Sheriff, Clapton’s shirt was soaked with sweat, and he took a seat on stage up-front with Nathan East and Doyle Bramhall II, quickly going into the Robert Johnson set. Clapton was in such a great mood, that the roadie was waved off when he tried to mic Clapton’s black acoustic guitar properly; Clapton just wanted to play, he was having a good time.

Like every rollercoaster, the home stretch is always the most uncontrollable and unpredictable part, and even knowing the set-list ahead of time, I was still surprised when the songs began. Somehow, of all the classic songs that Clapton played, I can’t get last night’s version of “Got To Get Better In A Little While” out of my head. But when I really think about it, the trio of “Have You Ever Loved A Woman,” “Badge,” and “Layla” really resonate with true emotion and importance, not only because of their classic status, but because of their history and connection with one of Eric Clapton’s best friends, the late George Harrison.

Lastly (in the formal sense), Clapton played Cocaine with such force and power that I may never be able to listen to a recorded version of that song ever again, unless it is a bootleg from this tour. Clapton rocked back and forth violently while playing his solo (as he did for most of the show), and with his eyes closed carved though a massive solo that I dare to say put his famous performance of “Crossroads” (with Cream) to shame. Shame.

He thanked us with a grin the size of Cleveland, and left the stage. When he returned to do “Sunshine Of Your Love,” the audience was on their feet; some even leapt off their feet and dove into strangers when they heard the opening chords. And then Robert Randolph got up on stage, squaring off with Clapton, leaving our ears in the most pleasurable deadness imaginable.

I left the concert wondering what could possibly affect this change in Clapton, and I realized that the same thing that was making him smile was the same thing that was pushing him over the edge and into a completely new realm. Clapton was so happy, so thrilled to be playing, and just – as corny as it sounds – so thrilled to be alive, that he played like there was no tomorrow.

Where once he channeled the emotions of his late son to get him through the night, now – it seems – Clapton is instead focusing on the happiness he feels from his new family. Before, it felt like Clapton was performing because he was supposed to, now it feels like he is playing because he needs to.

I thought I loved Clapton the first two times I saw him (’95 and ’98 ), and through the hundreds of Clapton recordings I own (both official and unofficial), but now I feel more inclined than ever to spray-paint “Clapton is God” on a wall… and we all know I would not be the first one to do so. I would be the first one to graffiti Clapton’s name on a wall since the 60’s…but if fans knew Clapton would ever reach this peak, they might have never stopped.

Posts: 1695 · Posted: Sun Jul 04, 2004 8:20 pm

Guitar god Clapton gets `Mojo Working'
By Dean Johnson
Boston Herald
Published July 4, 2004

This just might be the tour that allows legendary guitarist Eric Clapton to finally come to terms with his lengthy, distinguished career.

The last few years have been restless ones for Clapton. The last time he played the area he'd just announced he would no longer tour.

An earlier tour featured a Clapton who said he was no longer going to do any of his pop and rock songs.

Well, he obviously has decided to tour again, and last night's muscular two-hour concert featured plenty of his pop material, including the opening ``Let It Rain,'' ``Wonderful Tonight'' and ``Badge.''

But nearly half of the 18-song set was the blues and nothing but the blues, including a five-song semi-plugged segment smack in the middle of the night comprised of Robert Johnson songs from Clapton's most recent album.

That mix seemed to satisfy him, and it kept the near-capacity crowd deliriously happy.

Clapton long ago eschewed his sheer gunslinger days and now prefers to use his guitar talents to seduce rather than knock down his listeners.

Nevertheless, there were moments last night such as the flamethrower solo in ``I Want a Little Girl,'' a taut ``I Shot the Sheriff,'' a snarling ``Got to Get Better in a Little While'' and a wailing ``Layla'' when Clapton got out the heavy artillery and did serious collateral damage.

Some of his most inspired playing was saved for the double encore of ``Sunshine of Your Love'' and ``Got My Mojo Working,'' when he swapped murderous licks with opening act Robert Randolph.

Clapton's vocals were in fine shape and still showed the influence of Ray Charles more than any other singer.

He also was generous to his backing band and made sure guitarist Doyle Bramhall II, organist Billy Preston and pianist Chris Stanton had plenty of solo space. All three made good use of the opportunity.

Robert Randolph and the Family Band began the night with a frantic set, maybe even too frantic. The jams were so upbeat and frenzied there was little time or space for much of the music to sink in. Randolph did, however, do things - good things - on the pedal steel guitar that most rational musicians wouldn't even think of attempting.

Posts: 1695 · Posted: Mon Jul 12, 2004 2:22 pm

Clapton leaves T.O. fans happy

By Mark Daniel
JAM! Music

He didn't strike that imposing a figure when he took the stage in front of a sold-out crowd at the Air Canada Centre, but when Eric Clapton picked up his electric guitar and strummed the first notes to "Let it Rain," it was clear that there was a legend in the house.

Touring behind his recent release "Me and Mr. Johnson" -- his tribute to blues great Robert Johnson -- last night's 18-song, 120-minute set, presented a sweet mix of the old and the older.

Absent were the radio-friendly hits like "My Father's Eyes" and "Change the World."

Instead, after an opening that let both Clapton and his slick backing musicians flex their musical chops, the 59-year-old singer muscled his way through a catalogue that spanned over 40 years.

As he proceeded to pick his way through a raucous version of "Hoochie Coochie Man," followed shortly after by a plaintive "I Want a Little Girl," the adoring crowd was soon treated to a funked-up version of "I Shot the Sheriff" and a sumptuous five-song set featuring tunes from the recent album.

After abandoning the acoustic guitar he used to elegantly resurrect "Me and the Devil Blues," a seated, eyes closed Clapton and fellow guitarist Doyle Bramhall II electrified the audience with rousing renditions of "Milkcow's Calf Blues" and "(If I Had) Possession Over Judgement Day."

Both keyboardists Chris Stainton and Billy Preston had plenty of opportunity to shine during "They're Red Hot" cutting loose from Clapton and Bramhall's guitar solos in wild flourishes.

On a night where Clapton was content on letting his music do the all talking, he avoided witty stage banter and continued to make the melancholic sound sweet with "Got To Get Better In A Little While," "Have You Ever Loved A Woman" and "Badge."

And while the singer finally gave the audience what they had come for with a gracious "Wonderful Tonight" followed by boisterous takes on "Layla" and "Cocaine," the highlight came with an encore that was blazing and relentless both in its intensity and energy.

With the crowd already on its feet, opener Robert Randolph joined Clapton for "Sunshine of Your Love" and "Got My Mojo Working." Clapton led an electrifying call-and-response-exchange between himself and Randolph that left both with grins as wide as Lake Ontario by the end.

And it seems that although Eric Clapton had come to play the blues, the crowd went home feeling anything but sad.

Posts: 1695 · Posted: Mon Jul 12, 2004 2:35 pm

Relaxed Clapton puts on spirited show

By JEFF SPEVAK
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
Published July 10, 2004

The road from rock to the rocking chair takes about three decades.
That was the journey that “Layla,” one of the great rock anthems of all time, took from Derek & the Dominoes to Unplugged.

Yeah, Eric Clapton's playing these days is more amiable, sentimental and contemplative than the night he first bared his electric soul in pursuit of another man's wife: Why'd he have to go and castrate “Layla,” launching 1,000 pointless lightweights?

He's been criticized as being overly studious in recent years. Yet at 57, Clapton was hardly doddering at Buffalo's HSBC Arena.

A tight, energetic half hour of Robert Randolph & the Family Band set the table. Randolph, a young pedal-steel guitarist, is a fan of Rochester's own Campbell Brothers, and there's a similar gospel element to what he does. But it's also rock and soul, and Clapton fans seem to appreciate the wailing guitar riffs and caterwauling jams offered by Randolph on the likes of Jimi Hendrix's “Voodoo Chile.”

So he was a perfect fit when Clapton brought him out later in the show for some dexterous string pulling.

But Clapton, looking like he'd just come from a relaxing shopping spree at Land's End, is a long way from being fitted for his first round of Depends.

This was a classic-rock crowd, in mood and in pear-shaped profile. From Clapton's opening number, “Let it Rain,” and its soaring arpeggio guitar solo, 12,000 people were frequently singing along with Clapton, a feel-good moment that was heard throughout the evening.

“I Shot the Sheriff” received such a dynamic reworking in the opening moments that its slow-hand reggae rhythm went virtually unrecognized until the signature, cascading riff.

Steve Gadd, an Irondequoit native and Penfield resident who is regarded as one of the greatest rock drummers on the planet, seemed so mesmerizingly locked into the rhythm that taking your eyes off him was like walking away from a Swedish deep-muscle massage.

Songs like “Badge” remained compelling. As did “Sunshine of your Love,” a first encore that howled around the bowl of the HSBC like it was 1969 all over again.

Let's see Nickelback write one of those.

Blues covers like “Hoochie-Coochie Man” were well-suited to Clapton's slow blues howl. This was just a preamble for a few songs later, and the sort of acoustic Robert Johnson set, featuring “Kind Hearted Woman Blues.”

Clapton's latest album, Me and Mr. Johnson, is a tribute to the old blues legend. Clapton has always played Johnson's songs, but his arrangements are more lush and easier on the ear.

Yet not lounge-lane. Near the end of the show, Clapton blew the Unplugged mold from “Layla,” letting Doyle Bramhall II take the lead guitar, and rocked into the encore with the anthemic J.J. Cale classic “Cocaine.” The crowd sang along a little too enthusiastically on that one.

Posts: 1695 · Posted: Tue Jul 20, 2004 11:15 am

Rock-god status revived

Eric Clapton plays what he wants, lets band display talents at Gund Arena show

by Malcolm X Abram
Akron Beacon Journal
Published July 11, 2004

Eric Clapton's fans may no longer be vandalizing walls to spread the word that ``Clapton is God,'' but the man himself made a pretty good argument for the revival of the decades-old proclamation Saturday night at Gund Arena.

Clapton announced his retirement from the road a few years ago, but he showed that he still had the desire to perform during this two-hour concert, ripping off several fine solos.

After nearly 40 years in music, Clapton has nothing to prove. Throughout the show he gave his excellent eight-piece band -- including longtime bassist Nathan East, veteran drummer Steve Gadd, keyboardists Billy Preston and Chris Stainton and new guitarist Doyle Bramhall II -- ample room to display their abilities.

He also didn't feel compelled to fill his set with hits as he eschewed much of his '80s and '90s output (including Tears In Heaven), for old album tracks such as the midtempo set opener Let It Rain from his self-titled 1970 release.

Casually dressed in a blue button-down shirt and matching jeans, Clapton didn't unleash his thick guitar tone until the fifth song, a funky, slowed-down arrangement of Bob Marley's I Shot The Sheriff.

After the second verse the band broke it down, and Clapton took his time constructing a solo with all the familiar trills and triplets that built to a climax that brought the sedate crowd out of their seats.

That early high point was followed by a semiacoustic set of five cuts from Clapton's most recent Robert Johnson tribute, Me & Mr. Johnson. Tunes such as They're Red Hot were played with more energy than was conveyed on the recorded versions.

Clapton pulled out a few gems from his Derek & the Dominoes days, turning Got To Get Better In a Little While into a foot-stomping funk workout.

Clapton may not have played all the hits (what?! no Crossroads?) but he ended the show with four crowd-pleasers in a row: A grooving Badge, Wonderful Tonight (that had the folks on the floor of the arena slow dancing), the original arrangement of Layla, and the old war horse Cocaine.

Opener Robert Randolph and the Family Band generated a power plant's worth of energy with their infectious upbeat gospel-inflected jams and Randolph's amazing steel guitar technique.

Posts: 2 · Joined: 29 Jul 2004 Posts: 2

Lightning Strikes Thrice in the Rose Garden Tonight

Reviewed: Eric Clapton at the Rose Garden Arena
July 28th, 2004 * Portland, Oregon *
By: Todd “ToJo” Johnson, I.M.C. (Independent Music Critic)

They say that when you’re about to be struck by lighting, the hair on your arms and the back of your neck stands up straight just prior to the jolt. On Wednesday night, I finally understood how this might feel, when the first bolts of pure guitar lightning hit me right between the eyes, as Eric Clapton poured on the electricity in the opening strains of “Let It Rain”. Looking more like the guy sitting next to you, in jeans, short sleeves and blue Nike’s, Clapton threw bolts of lightning from “Crash 3” - his so-named Fender Stratocaster – like Zeus standing on Mt. Olympus, towering over his delighted audience below.

Seated just 3 rows from the right side of the stage, we had a perfect view of the rock-and-roll storm bringer known to many fans as simply “E.C.” Like a “thunder-boomer” rolling through the Cascades on a hot summer’s night, E.C. “(Electric Conduit?)” and his stellar band drenched the eager Portland audience with a torrential downpour of hits, rarities and blues tunes spanning more than 37 turbulent years.

Sliding appropriately from “Let It Rain” into the Muddy Waters classic, “Hoochie Coochie Man”, everyone in the Rose Garden knew that this was going to be a very special night for Slowhand fans of all ages. Seemingly staying course with the precipitation theme, Clapton and Company continued to douse the house with the Dylan nugget “Walk Out In The Rain” from his 1978 Backless album. In a beautifully orchestrated version, the female vocalists let loose a flood of honey-coated harmonies, saturating the song with a hint of gospel-tinged righteousness.

Backed by the best tour band in years, Clapton shared both the stage and the spotlight with Doyle Bramhall II on rhythm and co-lead guitar; long-time (and ever smiling) bassist, Nathan East; power-house drummer Steve Gadd; and not one, but two great keyboardists – Chris Stainton on the ivories and the incomparable living legend, Billy Preston, on the beloved Hammond B3 organ. Completing the octet with Sharon White and Michelle John, the two gospel-inspired divas on back-up vocals, the night’s musical baptism was underway.

Clapton clearly showed why he is regarded by many as the greatest rock guitarist alive today, and possibly ever. With deceptive ease and fluidity, he and the band flowed effortlessly from the gritty blues of Waters, Dixon and Johnson, into the smoky jazz-tinged strains of “I Wanna Little Girl”, finally slipping into the funky syncopation of Marley’s classic “I Shot the Sheriff”. It was during this song, deftly reworked by Clapton with a groovier hook and truly ethereal riffs, that I was struck by the second Zeus-bolt of the night. As many times as I have heard this song performed, both studio and live versions, I was simultaneously shocked numb and completely electrified during this totally recharged performance.

Applauding, whistling and howling with a wild fervor, the 3-generation audience responded with loudest ovation of the evening, clearly sharing their passion for the music and appreciation for their “guitar hero”. It was here that Clapton’s crew pulled the electric ship into port and alternately set sail on a five-song acoustic set, featuring the classic blues of E.C.’s personal guitar hero, Robert Johnson. With a reverent “I’d like to thank Mr. Robert Johnson for these”, Eric, Doyle, Nathan and Chris sat down and delivered up fiery acoustic versions of “Me and the Devil Blues”, “They’re Red Hot”, “Milkcow’s Blues”, “Possession Over Judgement Day”, and the set topper, “Kind Hearted Woman”. Somewhere, the blues gods were certainly smiling.

With that, the acoustic spinnaker was reeled in and the motor cranked back up, with the full band taking the stage to rev up another lost treasure from Derek & the Dominoes days, “Got To Get Better In A Little While”. Churning the audience into the second frenzy of the night, Clapton and Bramhall equally trading riffs and grins, the stage was set for a stormy ride back to shore.

Evoking images of menacing black clouds and heavy-hearted weather, Clapton and shipmates delivered a wickedly twisted “Have You Ever Loved A Woman”, eliciting howls from the gals and knowing-nods from the guys as testimony to the emotional depths of this true blues warhorse. It was during this song that Billy Preston unleashed his power and prowess on that well-traveled Hammond organ. With a mesmerizing solo, Preston provoked the only standing ovation of the night in the MIDDLE of a song! This was quite deserved, and the joy on his face reciprocated the elation of his fans.

Rounding the point, the lighthouses (or were those Bic lighters?), beckoned the crew homeward, desperately seeking that holiest of grail, Clapton’s classic rock staples. Taking the rudder, Clapton steered head-on into a trio of George Harrison (and wife) inspired 70’s hits “Badge”, “Wonderful Tonight” and the quintessential rock-and-roll lament, “Layla”.

With the “riff heard round the world”, Clapton hit me with his third lightning strike of the night, sending high-voltage shivers from the top of my neck to the core of my spine. This was it, the REAL “Layla”, the seminal air-guitar of all Clapton wanna-bees that ever shamelessly stroked those invisible strings on ghost guitars in homage to their leader. THIS was Clapton; the man, the legend, the six-string deity and the conduit of every charged particle of euphoria sweeping over the animated and adoring masses.

Beaming back at his devoted throng, Eric and Doyle lit into J.J. Cale’s infamously themed staple, “Cocaine”. With the rabid crowd repeating the well-known chorus, the female back-up faction warned in refrain, “that dirty Cocaine”. With a wry smile just before closing his eyes, tilting his head back and literally ripping the notes off the face of his Fender, Clapton showed me “The Blur”. The Blur is what was used to describe Clapton’s peer-appointed nickname, “Slowhand”.

Legend has it that upon seeing young Eric play, The Yardbirds' manager Giorgio Gomelsky, called him “slowhand” because his hand actually blurred from playing notes and chord so fast that they eye could not see. Tonight, like the fabled green flash on the horizon of a South Pacific sunset, I witnessed “The Blur”. (Or possibly rock-and-roll’s version of Operation Shock and Awe.)

E.C. and crew left the stage, and a crowd determined to bring them back with sheer enthusiasm. With the band now augmented by Robert Randolph and his 13-string pedal steel, they returned to deliver a supercharged encore of Cream’s classic “Sunshine Of Your Love” and Muddy’s feverishly pitched “Got My Mojo Working”. With young Randolph trading slide licks with both Clapton and Bramhall, and the band in full-steam-ahead mode, no one dared leave the revival tent before witnessing the miracle bond between this man and his guitar. As the sparks cooled and thunder in the dome subsided, I thought to myself how lucky it was to be hit by this lightning…. and live to tell about it!

Epilogue: As we left, exhausted and satisfied, I overheard a 14 year old behind us, talking to his father. He said: “Dad, when did you say we could go pick out that guitar for me?” And a new legend begins…?

Opening Act:
Robert Randolph & The Family Band

EC's Band Lineup:
Eric Clapton - Guitar, Vocals
Nathan East - Bass
Steve Gadd - Drums
Doyle Bramhall II - Guitar, Vocals
Chris Stainton - Keyboards
Billy Preston - Keyboards, hammond organ
Sharon White - Background Vocals
Michelle John - Background Vocals

Setlist: July 28th, 2004 * Portland, Oregon:
01. Let It rain
02. Hoochie Coochie Man
03. Walk Out In The Rain
04. I Wanna Little Girl
05. I Shot The Sheriff
06. Me and the Devil Blues
07. They're Red Hot
08. Milkcow's Calf Blues
09. (If I Had) Posession Over Judgement Day
10. Kind Hearted Woman
11. Got To Get Better In A Little While
12. Have You Ever Loved A Woman
13. Badge
14. Wonderful tonight
15. Layla
16. Cocaine
Encores
17. Sunshine of Your Love (with Robert Randolph)
18. Got My Mojo Working (with Robert Randolph)