THE CONCERTS
| DATE: | MAY 31, 2008 |
| VENUE: | BLOSSOM MUSIC CENTER |
| TOUR NAME: | UNKNOWN |
| TICKETS: | $41.00 - $131.00 |
| SHOW TIME: | UNKNOWN |
| OPENING ACT: | ROBERT RANDOLPH BAND |
Send us your memories of the show!
SETLIST:
Motherless Children, Key To The Highway, Hoochie Coochie Man,
Little Wing, Outside Woman Blues, Double Trouble, Don't Knock My
Love, Drifting, Rockin' Chair, Motherless Child, Travelling
Riverside Blues, Running On Faith, Tell The Truth, Little Queen of
Spades, Before You Accuse Me, Wonderful Tonight, Layla, Cocaine
NOTES:
MEMORABILIA:
PHOTOS:
SHOW COMMENTS:
I could not wait to see Eric on this
tour as I read reviews of the shows leading up to Blossom. The
reviews were mixed, some loved the songs he was playing and other
were vocal about him not playing the “hits”. I was exited because
he was playing what he wanted to play (and what I wanted to hear),
the blues and after so long in the business he deserved to play
what made him happy.
The show was good in itself but the
acoustics in the pavilion were terrible. Erics voice was drowned
out in spots by the band but what made the show really enjoyable
was the big screens in the pavilion mostly had close ups of Erics
hands playing and it was mesmerizing to say the least. As a guitar
freak, to see his hands moving the way they did was fantastic. It
is amazing to watch an artist such as Eric play with so little
effort. His guitar play and his voice (when we could hear it) were
as strong as anything he has done since the early 70’s. The show
was a lesson in styles between Eric and Doyle Bramhall II.
I leaned over to my wife
and told her, “you can see someone that it comes so effortlessly
and someone playing the same notes that has to work hard to
produce it” and that was the contrast. For Eric is was natural,
for Doyle is seemed like hard work. Bramhall is a good guitarist,
Eric Clapton is a great guitarist. I would have rather seen Derek
Trucks playing with Eric as he seems a more natural fit.
The song selection was as I said
before one of my favorites from Eric. Highlights of the show were
Little Wing, Motherless Child, Rockin Chair, Key To The Highway
and I have to admit, every time I hear the opening notes of Layla,
the hair stands up on my neck. I never tire of hearing it,
especially live. The only thing that would have completed the
concert for me is if he did “Why Does Love Have To Be So Sad” one
of my favorites but I can’t really complain as he did four songs
from the Derek years.
Eric is still going strong and I hope
his 2009 tour brings him back to Cleveland to hear Layla one more
time live.