Concert Details

Fan Reviews:

Concert Review by Steven Walker
Eric played Someone Someone, Fools Paradise, and Think it Over along with the Crickets, who had Albert Lee playing with them for the whole set. Bobby Keyes played sax on about 1/2 the songs. Albert is a fine player too, and this was the first time I’d seen him.
Eric was FANTASTIC on Someone, Someone, very fiery and soulful, also singing with great passion, and was very good on the other 2 songs, but there isn’t much lead on these two other songs, so they couldn’t showcase his playing much.
He seemed to be having a GREAT time, and said that the album The Chirping Crickets was the FIRST album he ever bought, at age 13.
It was a real treat to see him in a smaller club, even if he only played 3 songs !

Concert Review by John Lappen
History class was in session on the Sunset Strip as the Crickets, one of the architects of rock ‘n’ roll, gave a music lesson that a lot of people obviously learned.  One of the night’s musical participants admitted as much when singer-songwriter J.D. Souther said as he took the stage: “I was in seventh grade doing my homework one night when I heard ‘That’ll Be the Day’ on the radio. These guys and that song just messed me up.” It was obvious that he was messed up in a good way because his heartfelt rendition of “True Love Ways” was one of the evening’s many highlights.

Performing both with Buddy Holly and on their own, the Crickets were one of the seminal bands that helped to not only usher in the rock era but to define it as well. They’ve remained active in an on-again, off-again manner since those halcyon days of the 1950s and early ’60s. But with the recent release of a new album on Sovereign Artists, “The Crickets and Their Buddies,” the band has taken to the road again in a way that will help remind people just how important these guys are. From the looks of things onstage, being important was the last thing on the minds of lead guitarist-vocalist Sonny Curtis, guitarist Jerry Allison, drummer JI Allison and upright bass player Joe B. Mauldin, who were all having fun just being together again.

The new album works as a tribute to their classic catalog and to the band from the many noteworthy players who joined the Crickets in the studio. The same formula worked well in a live setting. Rodney Crowell kicked off things in fine fashion with a rousing “That’ll Be the Day,” which featured a blistering solo by Rolling Stones sax man supreme Bobby Keys. Keys, like the Crickets, a died-in-the-wool Texan, would appear throughout the evening, adding his big, reedy bottom to help keep the festivities lively.

Crowell also contributed a version of “Flip, Flop and Fly” before giving way to Tonio K. and Peter Case on “Not Fade Away.” The fact that the band had to restart the song after beginning in the wrong key was more indicative of the night’s loose, warm feel more than anything. Once it revved up again, Case nailed the harp parts. Johnny Rivers showed up to rock out on “Love’s Made a Fool of You” and “High on the Mountain of Love.” Guitarist Albert Lee, an honorary Cricket who contributed great guitar all night long, played a poignant version on solo piano of a 1958 Buddy Holly ballad called “Learning the Game”; it was a great moment.

Bobby Vee, another performer with serious ties to the band, joined with Nanci Griffith on several songs including a standout “More Than I Can Say” before the evening’s biggest name took the stage. It was rumored all day long that Eric Clapton would join the band onstage, and only when he walked out to sing three numbers did rumor become reality. Clapton was happy to admit that the first record he ever bought was a Crickets record when he was 13 and seemed even happier to be playing live with the band. When Keys joined Clapton and the guys on “Fool’s Paradise,” all Curtis could say at song’s end was “that was fun.” His grin, and the smiling looks on the faces of the sold-out crowd, showed that everyone had taken this history lesson to heart.