Clapton-Winwood Concert

Who : Eric Clapton - Steve Winwood

When : Friday, 26 June 2009

Where : Glendale Arena

Concert Rating : A

. The Friday night Clapton-Winwood concert lived up to expectations. There was no warm-up band and no intermission. Just two full hours of these two virtuosos strutting their stuff. The song-selection was excellent and well-planned. First some rocking; then some blues; then some acoustic work; and finish up with more rocking. . The plusses... They started about 20-30 minutes late. That's actually very good compared to a couple (metal) concerts I've been to lately. The supporting musicians & singers were first-rate. Winwood showed his versatility - switching around from guitar to keyboards to piano. Clapton showed why some people think he's the greatest guitar-player around. . Layla was one of the acoustic numbers. As anticipated, they did a lot of tracks from the Blind Faith album. The last song (prior to the encores) was a b*tchin' 20-minute version of Jimi Hendrix's Voodoo Child. They did a couple Traffic songs as well, and Winwood sang a great cover of Ray Charles' Georgia. . The Minuses... The parking sucked. Friday night concerts suck too, especially when you have to drive 40 miles across town to get to the arena; then do the drive back home late at night. . The other stuff... Our seats were at the far end of the arena, although this was compensated by two big screens showing the concert up close and personal. The acoustics were what you'd expect in an ice-hockey arena, and the volume was just about right. Loud enough, and at least the vibrations didn't microwave all the organs of my body. The A/C was okay, considering it was 108°F outside. The light-show was minimal but perfectly done. Except for the damn disco-ball spotlight that occasionally shined right in my face. Think of a camera flash that stays on for 5-10 seconds. . Winwood and Clapton never did introduce the rest of the band, but I guess that's their prerogative. It should be noted that the drummer and back-up keyboardist were sensational. I rate this concert an "A". I saw Clapton once a long time ago - shortly after 461 Ocean Boulevard came out, and he was quite disappointing. I'd never seen Winwood in concert before. Both men's voices are still doing well, and you got your money's worth. It does make you wonder what might have been, if the Blind Faith line-up had lasted for more than one solitary album. And if you don't/didn't get a chance to see this concert, the double-CD pictured above is the next-best thing to being there.