Concert Details

Fan Reviews:

Review by Bill Main

I was a little skeptical about the show before attending, as the Alamodome in San Antonio is a very large venue. However, as soon as I took my seat with my friends, it was obvious that the seating for this event was designed to be more intimate. Our seats were to the left of the stage, directly off the floor, and very close.

As in Dallas two nights before, Doyle Bramhall II was the warm-up act. I will honestly admit that the first night in Dallas was enough for me. I personally find Mr. Bramhall’s music to be a bit of a bore, too much Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughan and not enough Bramhall. The bad sound mix certainly didn’t help. However, I dutifully sat through the set.

A few minutes after 8:00 PM the lights once again went down and EC strode on to the stage. His unplugged set was the same as the night before, but I was delighted to find that he seemed to be even more inspired. The crowd, like all crowds in Texas, were very appreciative, and cheered loudly. Once again, Eric seemed to be pleased with the reception of "Key To The Highway", and especially, "Reptile". During that song EC’s guitar work soared and the solos by Billy Preston, who did not take a solo during this song in Dallas, and David Sancious were far better than any taken the night before. "Got You On My Mind" was also played differently, as Eric took the solo that Andy Fairweather Low had taken in Dallas. "Tears In Heaven", "Bell Bottom Blues", and "Change The World" all seemed to be delivered with a bit more zest than in Dallas and the crowd was appropriately pleased with the effort, especially during "Bell Bottom Blues".

As in Dallas, the "Pilgrim" set was fantastic. The band, led by Eric, ripped through high powered versions of "My Father’s Eyes", "River Of Tears", "Goin’ Down Slow", and "She’s Gone". Especially moving was the closing guitar solo in "River Of Tears". Eric closed his eyes, bent backwards, and simply wailed. "She’s Gone" was pounded out by the band and and Eric’s solos rocked the Alamodome.

Once again Eric changed the pace with beautiful versions of "I Want A Little Girl" and "Don’t Let Me Be Lonely Tonight" It is these two songs which really seem to demonstrate Clapton’s vocal abilities. While watching Cream or Derek & The Dominoes decades ago, I never thought that one day I would use the word "croon" to describe EC’s vocals, but that’s exactly the word I would use to describe his efforts on these songs. I am pleasantly surprised to find that he can bring a tear to my eyes with his vocals as well as with his guitar work.

"Travelin’ Light" was even funkier than in Dallas two nights previous, and "Hoochie Coochie Man" was completely embraced by the audience. Especially pleasing was Billy Preston’s keyboard work during that song. Eric then made several changes in his set list from the Dallas show. "Have You Ever Loved A Woman?" replaced "Stormy Monday Blues", and Eric’s solos delighted all in attendance. Instead of "Cocaine", a fantastic version of "Badge" was met with a roar of approval from the crowd, and "Wonderful Tonight" absolutely set the the tone for a full length electric version of "Layla". Eric was visibly pleased for the second night in Texas, and had a huge smile on his face as he and the band left the stage.

Once again, the encore started with "Sunshine Of Your Love" which was met with a thunderous roar by the crowd. I find it especially pleasing to see younger folks, from their late teens to their mid 20’s, dancing and singing along to a song which was recorded and played on the radio before they were even born. Eric then did the final number, a song I have yet to identify, in lieu of "Somewhere Over The Rainbow".