On a warm Florida night (is there any other?), I drove to Tampa to attend the Eric Clapton concert at the outdoor Ford Amphitheatre. I also saw him about a year-and-a-half ago here in Orlando and, while last night's show was very different from that one, it was no less amazing.For one, as I said, the Ford Amphitheatre is an outdoor facility and even though there is a roof over the main seating area, there is no roof over the lawn, which is where I sat. Also, Clapton's band is slightly different. Gone is drummer Steve Jordan and slide guitarist Derek Trucks. The setlist was also a little different and unexpected (in a good way). Among the songs he added to his list were some more of his recent blues covers like "Motherless Child" and Robert Johnson's "Little Queen of Spades" and "Traveling Riverside Blues," as well as some of his Derek and the Dominos tunes like "Tell the Truth" and "Little Wing"--which is steadily becoming one of my favorites songs of his.
"Little Wing": From a performance at Madison Square Garden this February with special guest Steve Winwood.
What remains of course are the standards: "Crossroads," "Cocaine," and obviously "Layla," the latter still being one of the greatest songs, well, ever. What I did miss about that song from his '06-'07 tour was the slide work of Derek Trucks. Of all the times I've heard Clapton play "Layla," that performance in Orlando was the best I had ever heard, in no small part because of Trucks, who might be the best American blues slide guitarist since the late Duane Allman, who--hello--played slide on the original record.
"Layla": From his previous American tour, with Derek Trucks on slide.
Having never been to the Ford Amphitheatre, I was a little skeptical. What would it be like to sit on a lawn chair without a roof, susceptible to the elements? Well, it was great. My rented chair was perfectly comfortable and even though I was far, there were many big screens so I could still get a close-up of what was happening on stage. And underneath the dark, starry sky, with all that amazing music, I couldn't have been happier. Like that now legendary sign said, Clapton is God.
3 comments:
My brother used to play Clapton ALL the time. Though I am not extremely educated in his work, I do have respect and appreciation for him. So I realize that must have been awesome to see him.
That sounds amazing. I'm jealous. I have only been to one outdoor concert. It was in Texas, about 100 degrees. I saw Styx, Kansas, and Blue Oyster Cult. I am so thin today because of all the sweating I did at that concert. I am glad that didn't happen to you.
Hey dude - did I tell you I saw Flight of the Conchords in concert? Woo hoo! My most transcendent concert experience is probably when I saw Rufus Wainwright sing from mere feet away ('twas a special holiday fundraiser hosted by Teddy Thompson, sadly no relation). Only a couple songs, but it was truly something being in his presence. That man can sing. The show I saw later at Radio City (and a third a few months after that) could not compare to those 10 minutes... sigh.
PS Don't give up the blog!
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