Concert Details

Fan Reviews:

Review by Lori Warden / Jacksonville, Fl
All I can say is WOW. I have been a fan for more years than I will readily admit, but its been a long long time. This was my first Clapton concert though, and I brought my 15 year old guitar player son with me. Both of us were amazed at the unbelievable talent of Eric and his band. I had been telling my son that Eric is GOD for many years and last night proved mama right 🙂 He was so smooth, effortless guitar playing we were just blown away. Bramhall and Trucks were amazing their solo’s crisp and clean, Eric was so generous to give them the time they deserved. The highlight of the evening for me was Layla, I knew it would be good but the bands rendition last night just blew me away. I want more….Thanks to Eric and the band for such an amazing show.

Review by Jim Antonicello
This is the second time I’ve seen Eric and company in the last week. I was at the RBC show in Raleigh, NC also. The acoustics were very different at this venue. Maybe it had something to do with where we sat. We were on the bands left side and the sound did not seem as robust as the RBC center.

The set list varied a little during the sit-down with "Back Home" and "I am Yours" replaced with "Key to the Highway" and "San Francisco Bay Blues".

The band is extremely tight and genuinely seem to enjoy the interplay. Eric gives ample room for every band member to stretch out and demonstrate their chops. Derek Trucks received load ovations after every solo as he was the hometown favorite. Chris Stainton was also on top of his game tonight with several barrelhouse piano solo’s reminiscent of his playing with the Grease band. The rhythm section is tight and driving and both Willie Weeks and Steve Jordan get to demonstrate their vast talents. Jordan’s drumming on Crossroads is superb.
Eric’s solos these days are more compact and not as fiery as in days past but you can see he enjoys playing and entertaining his fans. Speaking of his fans, it is apparent that there is real love and affection for Slowhand. I’ve wondered lately what direction Eric’s career will take as he ages. If he never plays again or records another song (God forbid), he will already provided more musical pleasure than anyone could have ever asked for. I’ve listened to the entire new album and it is a good one. I like it much better than Back Home.

I am taking my 15 year old son to Auburn Hills, Michigan on April 5, 2007 and I hope that is not the last time I see him live. Eric, if you read these reviews, thank you for music and entertaining and I am happy that you are still incented enough to entertain us. Please allow us to enjoy this show again and again by releasing it on DVD. I have just about worn out Live at Hyde Park! Eric is definitely not God but he is one helluva musician and maker of beautiful music.

Review by Jake / Sour Lake TX
My wife, my son and I flew to see EC in Jacksonville from Sour Lake,Texas (east of Houston). It was worth it -enjoyed Jacksonville and especially Clapton. He was everything and more – so much class. Would of liked to have heard more of the unpluged but it was still great.

Review by Richard Johnson / Jacksonville FL
Robert Cray was very good. Not so much a fan of the song Twenty. It just sounds a little forced musically. The rest were excellent and his band is tight.

Then come on Eric Clapton and his band. Excellent from start to finish. Everyone played extremely well, especially Eric and Derek. Derek was on fire. Doyle played great, but it was sometimes a little hard to make out what he was playing. The new rhythm section is just what Clapton has needed for a few years. Steve Jordon was SOLID and played everything with great feeling. I can do without the Tim Carmon Nord Synth leads (note to Tim – there’s no need to imitate a guitar when you already have three – play the Organ or Rhodes!). Robert Cray’s spots in the Clapton part of the show were also a treat. Lots of high points musicially but Little Queen of Spades was probably the best song for guitar solos of the night (although all the guitar solos were very good). Derek tore the roof off the place with his solo (bravo to the home town boy) and Eric was really inspired by it, turning in an outstanding solo. It has been said that Eric always plays better when pushed by other players and this new band proves it.

There’s been a little grumbling in some reviews about Clapton not talking more to the crowd, but to be honest I didn’t miss it. He was polite and pleasent with a good amount of thank yous and band member acknowledgements. I’m there to hear the music, so I’m just fine not hearing about how great it is to be in _____ and whatever other canned banter you usually get in a concert. The tight transitions of the songs just built and built the show in a very positive way.

The disappointment was the sound. The PA was being run a little hot so there was some distortion and there was a little too much 2k-3k that made the vocals a little piercing. The room itself is actually pretty decent, so this was just down to bad mixing. However, the quality of the music wasn’t to be denied. The light show was extremely well done and tasteful, especially the LED panels behind the band. There has to be a DVD and CD of this tour.

Review by Rick Reichard
My wife, son Derek (guess what he is named after) and nephew were privileged to see Eric Clapton Saturday evening in Jacksonville. Was it the best show I have ever seen? I have to say NO! This is because I don’t think I will ever see the "Best" Clapton show. The man continues to amaze me! When Eric was here in 2004 I thought it was the best incarnation I had seen, I now realize it was just to that point in time. Because there was Saturday night. I am impressed with the set list, the band mates and Eric is Eric. How could anyone not enjoy the "history of Clapton" that was presented Saturday night? I have been a Clapton follower and since I am a guitarist myself, an influencee of Eric’s since the 70’s.

Until I heard Pretending myself as an opener I was not convinced that it was an appropriate opening song. How about Derek playing the opening riff on slide. It only got better after that. The mixture of tempo of song, the period that it came from and the arrangements left little to be desired musically. I loved sitting in the audience and listening to comments from "fans" that had never heard of "Got To Get Better In A Little While" or "Anyday". It is pretty amazing that a large segment of "fans" are not familiar with EC’s Cream or D & D period / albums. My son was disappointed in not hearing "Crossroads" in 2004 but not in 2006. I loved hearing Layla in the closer to studio arrangement.

Eric is completely comfortable in his talent and this shows by the smiles on stage when Doyle or Derek stepped out. I have seen and known Derek since he was a child and want to clarify one thing; he is not a "Phenom" he was that 12 or 13 yrs ago. He is a seasoned, talented player. He played some blistering slide in the third segment of the show and I had goose bumps on my arms. What an opportunity for any player to be "asked" to tour with EC! He is a lot like Eric in the fact that he was playing with seasoned players at a young age.

I missed Nathan East on Bass but that is because I enjoy his playing so much. Willie Weeks was "in the pocket" all night. I cannot say enough about the backing band. Doyle just has this darkness about him. The vocals he does with Eric are very soulful and fit like Bobby Whitlock fit with the Dominoes. Both keyboardists and Stan Jordan (on drums) are all solid musicians in their own right.

I want to close with Robert Cray. Robert should have played a few more songs in his opening set. During the second or third song he broke a string, took the guitar off, slid it across the stage to his tech, who then ran out with another one and never missed a beat. Some people thought it was part of the act. What an incredible player and singer. It is just rock and roll.

Eric has not played his "best show" to me, it will always be his second best since the best is yet to come. Clapton is not a god, he is CLAPTON!!

Review by Sharron Carr / Orange Park, FL
I have been a huge fan of Eric Clapton for many years. Have many of his albums and play them often. This was my first live concert and I was WOWED!!! He is move awesome than I had ever imagined. You could see that he still enjoys playing and entertaining after all these years and that adds even more to the experience. His band was amazing and my thought was that these young men like Derek Truck must feel totally in awe to be playing alongside the King. There has never been and there never will be another Eric Clapton. He is absolutely the best of the best!