3/11/2007 Eric Clapton, Robert Cray Band, US Airways Center, Phoenix, AZ


 14 years ago today...

March 11, 2007 - Phoenix, AZ

Guitar god Eric Clapton and his protégées showed their chops in a sold out show at US Airways Center.

I was excited to see EC for the first time, and he brought an incredible band.  Derek Trucks and Doyle Bramhall II were on guitars in a three lead approach with Willie Weeks on bass.  Woah.

EC was the star, but he was happy to put the spotlight on the two young guitar slingers who seemed to be in competition for the master's approval.  Trucks was particularly spectacular with his unique slide style that he had perfected with the Allman Brothers and his own band.  Tedeschi Trucks Band would come along three years later.

Clapton concert fans have a great resource site that tracks and reports on every EC show.  Here's the link for this night's show in Phoenix:

https://www.whereseric.com/eric-clapton-tour/11/03/2007

Those EC fansite reviews are good and more thorough than I could ever be.  My top pre-encore memories were great versions of "Why Does Love Have To Be So Sad" and "Motherless Children." 
 
Robert Cray Band opened the show.  He's a great player but a boring show IMO.  I saw him headline Waterfront Blues Festival in Portland and in show at Mesa Arts Center and he didn't play his biggest hit "Smoking Gun" at either.  WTH.  I will never understand groups not giving the audience what they came to hear. 

For Clapton's encore, Cray joined him and Trucks and Bramhill in a four-lead guitar shredding of "Cocaine" and "Crossroads."  The encores were terrific and the concert a showcase of some of the world's best guitarists on stage at one time.

Having complimentary tickets in a luxury suite at the US Airways Center downtown made this memorable night all the better.

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