Eric Clapton’s Crossroads Guitar Festival
American Airlines Center, Dallas, TX
September 20-21, 2019
Review and Photography by Stacey Lovett
Dallas Texas was host to the fifth installment of the Crossroads Guitar Festival – a benefit concert curated by Eric Clapton that brings together an unprecedented lineup of legendary guitar players to raise awareness and funds for his Crossroads Centre in Antigua.
The festival lineup presents a grab bag of talent spread over two days – musical influences and influencers, collaborations and powerhouses all come together to elevate the talent to heights not often seen together under one roof. The American Airlines Center was packed to the hilt for this sold-out show, fans piling in as the doors opened in the late afternoon not knowing what surprises the lineup would bring at any given time. The “King of Slydeco” Sonny Landreth opened the show as he has done since the 2007 festival. He was followed by the man himself – Eric Clapton – who dedicated the weekend to his friend Alan Rogan who had passed earlier in the year before breaking into an acoustic set – the first of many appearances for him throughout the festival alongside many of his guests. Both nights were emceed by none other than comedian Bill Murray under the guise of fictional music manager Richie Lanz from his 2015 film Rock the Kasbah. Breaking up the set with ridiculous outfits and amusing commentary, Murray helped celebrate the esteemed guests onstage and bring a little levity to the heaviness of the cause.
Melia Clapton introduced a new movement within Crossroads – Turn Up for Recovery – which was born out of the joy in these festivals from the transformative qualities that music brings to our lives and its ability to carry the messages of hope and healing worldwide. This grassroots movement extends off of the larger stages to everyone – a campaign on a local level where musicians everywhere can book gigs in their community in the name of raising awareness and funds for abstinence-based recovery while tackling the stigma of addiction. The announcement and unveiling of this program proved further testament to the powerful and moving experience that the Crossroads Festival really lends to the global initiative of healing.
This idea is amplified in the collaborations that pop up during the show. The power in numbers and the connection of creativity fuel the fight and those who bridge the gap from the trailblazing musicians of the past to those growing the present hold a great power in passing the torch to the future. Bonnie Raitt, Keb Mo, and Alan Darby joined in a 5-minute trio between main sets before Gary Clark Jr joined Citizen Cope on stage for his set to lend a little Texas flair to the Brooklyn flavor. Sheryl Crow brought her own inspiration onstage during her set, the woman who led her to pick up an electric guitar – Bonnie Raitt – as well as James Bay who she praised being blown away by and who has obviously listened to and learned from all of the greats. James Burton and Albert Lee came up and celebrated early rock and roll before DFW’s own Jimmy Vaughan brought some homegrown Texas blues back to the heart of his hometown for this festival that has influenced and infused so much back into music. He jammed with Bonnie Raitt for a bit before bringing up Billy Gibbons, delivering the style and in the spirit of the blues that only the Lone Star State could serve up this big. To top off the Texas infusion, Doyle Bramhall II and Gary Clark Jr closed it out in the utmost style representing what all is being refined from the depths of this very land. Lending some more southern comfort and hospitality of soul was bandleader Marcus King and his musical entourage. An absolute powerhouse of sound and talent the Marcus King Band is undoubtedly a leader for the next wave of Southern blues guitar. Peter Frampton made his dream come true on the brink of his announced retirement as he took the stage with Eric Clapton for a moving cover of the Beatles’ “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” in addition having a little fun with “Do You Feel Like We Do.” Jeff Beck – the only musician with the chops to do so (according to Bill Murray) – closed out night one of the festival with surprise guests Johnny Depp and Jimmy Hall joining him onstage.
There was also a heavy element of global engagement present at this incarnation of Crossroads. Artists like Gustavo Santaolalla, Pedro Martins, and Daniel Santiago compose a subset of social importance with their craft which transcends borders and brings about a greater unity through music for all who take it in. Jazz musician Kurt Rosenwinkle blends his own storytelling into his musical fusion continuing the narrative that has come together from a variety of cultural elements that have unified so much through this genre. Lending their talent and vibration to this festival expands the conversation of harmony and bridges many self-imposed gaps that don’t otherwise exist organically – the unbound influence of music proving this point.
Day 2 of Crossroads kicked off with spirit as Robert Randolph & The Family Band led the congregation of concertgoers to rise to their feet and stir up the soul of the set. Doyle Bramhall II followed with his innate gifts on the guitar, bringing up Bill Murray onstage to improv one song alongside before Derek Trucks joined to jam alongside wife Susan Tedeschi for the Dylan tune “Going Going Gone.” Much of the set incorporated the earlier foundations that contemporary blues and rock guitar was built on, the proprietors of sound that erupted out of American roots music and influenced the current generation. Keb Mo kept with this form picking his post-modern blues with an acoustic solo on the side stage. From the Delta blues to the Chicago blues Buddy Guy brought his tour mate Jonny Lang to the main stage for his set. A natural pair on stage, they represent a showcase of the legacy with the support of the next generation- a crossroads of the old and new and symbol of both the evolution of music and humanity. Robert Cray has both led and backed a list of notable musical acts and ushered in a little funk to the set with his own performance. Tom Misch smoothed out transitions on the main stage with his jazzier interlude to which John Mayer joined in on.
Los Lobos brought the heat with their Latin infusion from cumbia rhythms to more contemporary collaborations with both Eric Clapton and Susan Tedeschi while Clapton joined Pedro Martins with his indigenous Brazilian percussion for a rendition of “My Father’s Eyes.” The global and musical fusions set an undertone of unity in the lineup without a distinct political agenda being put forth. It was a unity that rose above geographical borders, one which brought together mankind on a higher level in the name of music and showed both the importance and prospect of it creating community on a global level.
Power couple Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi exemplified coming together and unifying love with their southern jams with the Tedeschi Trucks Band, dedicating one song from their set to the late B.B. King. James Bay represented a piece of the new British invasion in music. Labeled a triple threat by Bill Murray he broke the tenderness of his first two songs – “Hold Back the River” and “Let It Go” –turning it up full force halfway through his rendition of “Proud Mary” bringing the crowd to their feet keeping that momentum the rest of the time, and fueling the fire of the acts to follow. Bringing back the Lone Star talent, Gary Clark Jr. returned to the stage for his full set, adding a powerful finesse to his steady advance as a strong force in music today. He mirrors the strength in his message and topped it off with a commanding cover of the Beatles’ “Come Together.” John Mayer dipped on and off stage all night stepping in with various acts as well as treating the fans with a solo set; both his influence and the reflection of the legacy that came before him stood strong in his presence. The ethereal melodies of Lianne La Havas’ guitar wove into her heartfelt vocals, representing yet another talented soul influenced by Clapton and another heavy hitter coming out of the UK. Vince Gill had a little help from his friends in bringing the country and western sound that grew out of the shared foundation. A treasured talent in his field, Gill has captured and translated it across musical boundaries celebrating the expanse of it onstage with Wendy Moten, Albert Lee, Jerry Douglas, Bradley Walker, and none other than Joe Walsh to finish it all out.
As the final, long-awaited act came forth, there was a brief pause before Eric Clapton’s performance where he presented a cake and sang Happy Birthday to the night’s host, Bill Murray, who was visibly overcome with emotion. When asked about his wish when he blew out the candles, Murray made his bid for the legacy and the success of the Crossroads program to live on. If it mirrors that of the music representing it, there is no doubt it will endure. The intent and passion put forth by the Claptons in both the program and the festival are with nothing less than pure love and devotion to it all. As he took the stage for an 8-song set, all of the performers of the night slowly joined in throughout, topping it all off with an electric encore of “Purple Rain” and putting forth that same passion in all they have to give.
The Crossroads Guitar Festival breeds community among the musicians who all collaborate on it as well as the listeners they bring in through the reach of their music. It celebrates American roots and all that feeds into it to make it a global partnership. Just as the program in Antigua nurtures the idea of healing the world through healing yourself, the power of the music does just the same, and by fostering this unity each note of positivity creates the melody of a better world.
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