Eric Clapton in concert

The Clapton concert was pretty awesome. The wife and I decided to drive over to San Antonio to meet some family for the concert at the AT&T Center in NE S.A.

All told, I'd say I had about ten "tingles" during the show, and that's a pretty high number. You know, goosebumps. Gooseflesh. Tingle is my new term. Of course, some tingles may be dependent on your past history: what you like, the music you like, etc. But I've had some tingles from other people I'd never heard of before, especially if they're playing some rocking blues. Exceptional vocals can do it to.

Eric is showcasing two guitarists on tour with him: Doyle Bramhall II and Derek Trucks (the nephew of Butch Trucks). I got only a couple of tingles from their playing. Both of them have great potential, but they don't carry the tingle talent of Eric Clapton.

I spotted a couple of Bush references during the concert, even though Eric said next to nothing to the crowd. The first tune, "Tell the Truth," (who's been fooling who?) made me think of Bush, and the third tune, "It's Gotta Get Better in a Little While" (and Bush will soon be out of office.) Ok, I know I'm stretching here.

Eric has total control of the acoustic guitar. He did the expected "sit-down" acoustic set, and the first tune, "Driftin' Blues," was your basic blues tune. But the blues fills that Eric so effortlessly pulls out of that guitar are the stuff of legend. Just awesome.

Band members and set list:

The Band:
Eric Clapton - guitar, vocals
Doyle Bramhall II - guitar
Derek Trucks - guitar
Chris Stainton - keyboards
Tim Carmon - keyboards
Willie Weeks - bass
Steve Jordan - drums
Michelle John - backing vocals
Sharon White - backing vocals


Setlist:
01. Tell The Truth
02. Key To The Highway
03. Got to Get Better in A Little While
04. Little Wing
05. Why Does Love Got To Be So Sad?

Sit Down Set
06. Driftin' Blues (EC Solo)
07. Outside Woman Blues
08. Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out
09. Running On Faith

Stand up Electric
10. Motherless Children
11. Little Queen of Spades
12. Further On Up The Road
13. Wonderful Tonight
14. Layla

Encore
15. Cocaine (with special guest Jimmie Vaughan)
16. Crossroads (with special guests Jimmie Vaughan and Robert Cray)

Somewhere, sometime must have told Eric that he could sing. Uh, not really. At the risk of being crass, I wish Eric would hire some blues singers so that Eric could just simply play. I'm reminded of the Dixie Chicks, only, in this instance, "shut up and play!" But hey, Eric has been at this for 40+ years, so if he wants to sing, what are ya gonna do? But seriously, I don't go to Eric Clapton concerts to hear him sing.

A funny thing I noticed at the concert. There was not one single black person in the crowd, even though about half of Eric's band is black. Even stranger, I didn't see one single person easily identified as Hispanic, and this was San Antonio! I guess Eric is strictly white-boy blues. I'm writing a song for Eric. It goes something like this...

"Lord, have I ever got the blues.
I got the green, but I still got the blues.
I got everything I need, but I still got the blues...."

It's a work in progress....