Getting primed for EC
Tonight will mark the 4th time I’ll be in the presence of Eric Clapton, and I’m totally psyched. Over the past 4 years I’ve managed to catch him in concert and every time I’ve been blown away.
The first time was back in 2004, when he hit the road in support of his “Me and Mr.Johnson” album, dedicated to the Robert Johnson back catalogue. It was great seeing Clapton on stage, playing the songs that first inspired him so many years ago. A jam with opener Robert Randolph at the end of the night was a highlight.
My next Clapton experience came the following year, when my pal Timmy B and I travelled to New York City to see Cream reunite. Our seats were behind the stage, but that didn’t lessen our enjoyment of the show. Not only were we were able to watch Clapton, Jack Bruce, and Ginger Baker interact with one another, but we had a bird’s eye view of a shouting match between Baker and Bruce that would put the nail in the Cream coffin for good.
After the Cream reunion, I didn’t really feel like I had to see Clapton in concert again. Not that they weren’t great experiences, but I wasn’t sure how much more the guy could give me. Of course, that all changed in 2006 when Clapton announced that the amazing Derek Trucks would be touring with him. As one of the current guitarists in the Allman Brothers Band, Derek is a favourite of both me and my wife, so seeing him and Clapton on the same stage was a no-brainer. And what an amazing show “that” was. I heard tunes from all eras of Clapton’s career, including stellar versions of “Pretending”, “Cocaine”, along with lots of Derek and The Dominoes tunes, during which Trucks embodied the spirit of the legendary Duane Allman.
Which brings us to tonight. I don’t know what to expect, and EC has a lot to live up to. I’m sure he won’t have any difficulties. Check out the video below for the song I hope to hear (again) the most. And then use Clapton as today’s bonus code.