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Eric Clapton’s Crossroads Guitar Festival Day Two Highlights
22 Sep 19
Day Two of Eric Clapton’s Crossroads Guitar Festival in Dallas started at noon in the Guitar Center Village on Victory Plaza with exhibits, clinics and performances.
Doors to the American Airlines Center opened at 3 p.m. and the music started an hour later with high-energy sets from Robert Randolph, Doyle Bramhall II, Tom Misch and James Bay. Thanks to a rotating center stage and two side stages, there were no momentum-killing set changes.
Two of the key elements of Eric’s Crossroads Guitar Festivals have been the collaborations and the ability to connect the dots between genres and the musicians from the early blues tradition to the current day.
Vince Gill has done an amazing job with this at all of the preceding festivals and 2019 Night Two set was no exception. His set skipped his hit-laden catalog and with the help of guests Bradley Walker, Jerry Douglas and Joe Walsh, he neatly connected the dots between classic country, blue grass, gospel, blues and rock.
Likewise, at the inaugural Crossroads Guitar Festival in 2004, John Mayer was the kid on stage that many in the Fair Park and Cottonbowl Stadium audiences were unfamiliar with. Now, fifteen years later, he is a generational connection back through Eric and his contemporaries to the founding fathers of blues. On Saturday night, Tom Misch was the new kid. Only six when Mayer released “Room For Squares” in 2001, he sites Mayer as a major influence. One of the key festival collaborations was at the end of Misch’s three song set when he was joined on stage by Mayer for a song.
During a break in the music, Melia Clapton told the audience about an exciting new grassroots movement,Turn up for Recovery, which aims to raise awareness and funds for abstinence based recovery. Turn up for Recovery is for musicians from all backgrounds and experience to hold fundraising gigs to support those struggling with addiction to receive the help they need. To get involved or find out more, visit their website and follow them on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
At 6PM CDT, the arena audience was expanded when music fans around the world tuned in to the pay-per-view broadcast. (The pay-per-view audience would catch up on the earlier performers during set changes). From that point, the guitar pyrotechnics never let up.
Highlights from day two include a monster set from blues legend Buddy Guy and Jonny Lang, a stunning solo set from John Mayer, high-energy sets from Tedeschi Trucks Band and Gary Clark, Jr.
The festival naturally closed with a set by Crossroads Centre Antigua and Crossroads Guitar Festival founder, Eric Clapton. His band – which unusually featured two drummers and a percussionist – was Chris Stainton (keys), Paul Carrack (keys / vocals), Doyle Bramhall II (guitar / vocals), Nathan East (bass / vocals), Katie Kissoon (vocals), Sharon White (vocals), Pedrito Martinez (percussion), Sonny Emory (drums) and Steve Gadd (drums). Featured guests were Alan Darby, and John Mayer. The 8 song electric set was a highlight from start to finish but the crowd favorites were undoubtedly Pretending, Hoochie Coochie Man, Layla (with John Mayer) and a jaw-dropping version of Prince’s Purple Rain that closed out the set.
Eric wrapped the festival up with an All Star Guitar Finale for High Time We Went.
Fans are invited to send reviews, photographs, and set list details to info@whereseric.com for publication in the Tour Archive and Photo Gallery. There will also be exclusive in-depth coverage and interviews with some of the participants in the next issue of Where’s Eric! Magazine.
Since 1998, 4695 people have walked out of Crossroads Centre Antigua with hope. Please help Crossroads continue the work by donating here.
Click here to bid on guitars PERSONALLY OWNED AND DONATED BY ERIC CLAPTON to an auction benefiting Crossroads Centre Antigua. Auction ends October 6.
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 21st / Victory Plaza and American Airlines Center
GUITAR CENTER VILLAGE STAGE PRESENTED BY ERNIE BALL
12:15 – 12:45 Artur Menezes (Ernie Ball Play Crossroads Winner)
1:00 – 1:40 Eric Johnson
1:55 – 2:25 Arielle
2:40 – 3:10 Andy Timmons Band
3:25 – 4:05 John Mayer Guitar Talks / Demos – Martin & PRS
4:05 – 4:35 Break
4:35 – 5:05 Steven Johnson & Dexter Allen
5:20 – 5:50 Reece Malone & Kelsi Kee Salvation From Sundown
AMERICAN AIRLINES CENTER FROM 4PM CDT
Robert Randolph: – Cut Em Loose, two unknown song titles, Don’t Fight It, Baptise Me
Doyle Bramhall II with guests Jim Keltner (full set) and Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi for two songs. Doyle’s set: I Wanna Be Your Dog, Izabella, That’s How Strong My Love Is (with Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi), Going Going Gone (with Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi)
Tom Misch with guest John Mayer: I Wish, It Runs Through Me, Unknown Song Title (with John Mayer)
James Bay: Hold Back The River, Let It Go, Peer Pressure, Proud Mary, When We Were On Fire
Los Lobos with guests Eric Clapton and Susan Tedeschi: Set lincluded Made To Break Your Heart (with Eric Clapton and Susan Tedeschi), I Walk Alone, Will The Wolf Survive
Keb’ Mo’: five song solo set was Every Morning, I Remember You, Am I Wrong, Just Like You, Dangerous Mood
Robert Cray Band: six song set was I Shiver, I Don’t Care, Fix This, Nobody’s Fault But Mine, Just How Low
Buddy Guy with Jonny Lang: three song set with extended versions of Cognac, I Just Want To Make Love To You and Five Long Years (included snippets of Mary Had A Little Lamb and I’m A King Bee).
John Mayer: two song solo set was Slow Dancing In A Burning Room and Neon
Tedeschi Trucks Band: five song set was Signs High Times, Down In The Flood, How Blue Can You Get (dedicated to the memory of BB King), Keep On Growing, Shame
Lianne La Havas: three song solo set was Is Your Love Big Enough, I Say A Little Prayer, Midnight
Gary Clark Jr: His seven song set was Bright Lights, Feed The Babies, I Got My Eyes On You, Low Down Rolling Stone, Our Love, Pearl Cadillac, Come Together
Vince Gill with guests Albert Lee, Bradley Walker, Jerry Douglas and Joe Walsh: The eight song set was Oklahoma Dust, Tonight The Bottle Left Me Down, Ode To Billie Joe, Tulsa Time (with Albert Lee, Jerry Douglas and Bradley Walker), Drifting Too Far From The Shore (with Albert Lee, Jerry Douglas and Bradley Walker), Hey Joe (with Albert Lee and Jerry Douglas), Rocky Mountain Way (with Joe Walsh), Life In The Fast Lane (with Joe Walsh)
Eric Clapton and His Band: The festival host started off by singing Happy Birthday to emcee Bill Murray and presented a cake. Eric’s main set was Pretending, Key To The Highway (with guest Alan Darby), Hoochie Coochie Man (with guest Alan Darby), Badge, Little Queen of Spades, Layla (electric, with John Mayer), and Crossroads (with John Mayer). Purple Rain was the encore.
All Star Guitar Finale: High Time We Went
About Crossroads Centre Antigua
Founded in 1998, Crossroads Centre, Antigua was created to provide treatment and education to chemically and alcohol dependent persons, their families and their significant others. Treatment is provided through residential care, family and aftercare programs. The pathway to recovery is founded on the 12 steps and a change in lifestyle. Crossroads Centre, Antigua also operates a 16 bed halfway house in Antigua called the Bevon House and facilitates various ongoing recovery initiatives on the island of Antigua and the Caribbean.
www.crossroadsantigua.org
Click here or text xroads to 243725 to donate and support the work of Crossroads Centre Antigua