Eric Clapton's second Crossroads Guitar Festival was held on July 28, 2007, in Chicago, Illinois and like the original one was to benefit the Crossroads Centre in Antigua. We know from the first festival that the Crossroads Centre is an addiction treatment facility located on the beautiful Caribbean island of Antigua, and was founded by Eric Clapton back in 1998. We also know that the first Crossroads Festival was one of the greatest, blues-based, guitar-oriented festivals ever undertaken, and it produced one of the best concert DVD's of the year in the aptly titled Eric Clapton: Crossroads Guitar Festival.
Not to outdo themselves, this year's version of the festival was simply titled Eric Clapton: Crossroads Guitar Festival 2007. This one was not just similar in name, but it was also equal in stature. Again, many of the world's greatest living guitarists joined the legendary Eric Clapton onstage for this one day event, and amazed the capacity crowd that filled Chicago's Toyota Park stadium, which is normally home to the Chicago Fire professional soccer team.
Many of the same players from the first Crossroads Festival showed up for this one too. Two of Clapton's biggest guitar heroes, B.B. King and Buddy Guy, will always have an open invitation to these festivals, and they were featured prominently here. Guy and his band were even awarded the coveted closing slot of the night, although I would not have appreciated having to follow Eric Clapton at his own festival. He was not intimidated.
As with the first festival, I thought it was a mistake for Clapton to not close the show. At the 2004 festival, which took place in Dallas, Texas, he allowed ZZ Top to close the show in honor of their homegrown Texas prominence. This year, with the festival taking place in Chicago, Clapton respectfully deferred to Guy, who is perhaps the greatest living Chicago blues guitarist who is still going strong. That was certainly a noble and unselfish gesture from Clapton, but he was the clear headliner of these festivals.
I have to say, this was one of the most impressive Clapton performances I have seen in a long, long while. It certainly didn't hurt that he had guitar gods in the making Derek Trucks and Doyle Bramhall II playing alongside him in his band, which allowed for some of the finest guitar jams this side of his Derek & The Dominos stuff with the late, great Duane Allman. I am still kicking myself in the ass for missing last year's tour with these guys.
Article comments
1 - Connie Phillips
Congrats! This article has been forwarded to the Advance.net websites and Boston.com.
2 - Dave
We were at the Show, and I agree with all of the reviewers comments. I really wonder, though - what in the world happened with Alison Krause & union Station. Why not even a mention, let alone a presentation on the DVD ? I saw Jerry Douglas once - uncredited. What gives do you suppose ? Dave from Castle Rock, Colorado USA
3 - Deb
Hi.. I love that DVD set.. and although alot was left off of it.. it would be great if they would create another DVD set with cut performances...
ALSO.. I just love Johnny Winter with Derek Trucks band.. and wanted to find the exact recording.. on CD. Any ideas as to where I could get that?
Thanks
DEB
4 - Paul Roy
Deb, I'd love to get my hands on the ENTIRE concert. I haven't seen any CD's of Winter's performance, but I'm sure there are some bootlegs floating around.