rEric Clapton announced today a major U.S. tour culminating in his fourth Crossroads Guitar Festival presented by Chase. The Festival, which has become legendary in its own right for hosting performances and impromptu collaborations from the world’s most legendary guitar players, will take place April 12-13 for the first time at New York City’s famed Madison Square Garden. See full listing below of artists performing.
Clapton and his band will visit more than a dozen cities across the U.S. beginning March 14, 2013 (see itinerary below). The tour will end with the two-night Festival where Clapton will gather the past, present and future of guitar music onto one stage for an unparalleled musical event. All profits from the Festival will benefit The Crossroads Centre in Antigua, a treatment and education facility founded by Clapton for chemically dependent persons. The Festival is presented by Chase.
Since its inception, Clapton’s vision for the Crossroads Guitar Festival has been to create an event where his friends and contemporaries can have fun and perform together for the benefit of a good cause. This year’s Festival will feature two-nights of musical performances with once-in-a-lifetime guitar collaborations. Known as pioneers in their field, the roster of artists spans old and new. The audience can expect unrivaled entertainment, brilliant guitar work, surprise guests and impromptu jams that are the hallmark of these performers.
The first Crossroads Guitar Festival, in June 2004 at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, was an unprecedented collection of guitar icons from blues, rock and contemporary music. The sold-out show was chronicled in a 2-disc DVD that has since gone on to become one of the world’s top-selling music DVD’s. The Crossroads Guitar Festival 2007 and 2010 were the second and third such concerts by Clapton and were staged at Toyota Park in Chicago. Both Festival were filmed for DVDs and met similar acclaim and achieved multi-platinum status. This will be the Festival’s first-ever visit to New York and Madison Square Garden.
“The Crossroads Festival is the realization of a dream for me, to gather a group of amazingly talented musicians to perform on one stage,” said Clapton. “The Crossroads performers are all musicians I admire and respect.”
In addition to the concerts, the “Guitar Center Road to Crossroads Exhibition” will be featured on the Terrace level @ Madison Square Garden and will excite fans with an incredible guitar-centric celebration of past Crossroads Guitar Festivals. This exhibition will feature the “Legends Guitar Walk”, with some of the most valuable guitars in the history of Rock and Blues, including historic guitars from Guitar Center’s Legends Collection featuring Eric Clapton’s two most famous Fender Stratocasters®, BLACKIE® and ‘Brownie,’ Gibson ES-335 as well as Stevie Ray Vaughan’s ‘Lenny’ Fender Stratocaster®, plus selections from Guitar Center, The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Experience Music Project. Additionally, Fender, Gibson, Ernie Ball and Martin will host interactive exhibits where guitar lovers can plug in and play new products and classic favorites, while all visitors will be able to peruse memorabilia and watch archival footage of once-in-a-lifetime performances from prior Crossroads festivals on video walls throughout the exhibition. The “Road to Crossroads Exhibition” will open at 6:30 p.m. on Friday and 6:00 p.m. Saturday, and is free to all ticket holders.
Tickets for the Crossroads Guitar Festival Presented By Chase will be offered as an advance sale to Chase customers beginning Monday, November 26 at 12pm EST via www.ticketmaster.com through Thursday, November 29 at 10pm.
General Public On-Sale will begin Friday, November 30 at 12pm EST.
Tickets for the Clapton 2013 U.S. Tour will go on-sale beginning November 30, 2012. Please check local venue listings for more detailed information.
For more information go to www.ericclapton.com or www.crossroadsguitarfestival.com
CURRENT CROSSROADS FESTIVAL ARTIST LISTING
(Note: Two Different Nights of Music. Not All Artists Will Perform Both Nights)
Albert Lee
Allan Holdsworth
Allman Brothers Band
Andy Fairweather Low
BB King
Blake Mills
Booker T
Brad Paisley
Buddy Guy
Citizen Cope
Dave Biller
Doyle Bramhall II
Earl Klugh
Eric Clapton
Gary Clark Jr.
Jeff Beck
Jimmie Vaughan
John Mayer
John Scofield
Jonny Lang
Keb Mo
Keith Urban
Kurt Rosenwinkle
Los Lobos
Quinn Sullivan
Robbie Robertson
Robert Cray
Robert Randolph
Sonny Landreth
Taj Mahal
Vince Gill
ERIC CLAPTON 2013 TOUR and ITINERARY
Clapton has assembled an impressive band for the 2013 U.S. dates which will consist of long-time touring partners: Doyle Bramhall II (guitar), Steve Jordan (drums), Chris Stainton (piano and keyboards), and Willie Weeks (bass), along with newcomers Paul Carrack (organ and keyboards) and Greg Leisz (pedal steel guitar). Michelle John and Sharon White will join the touring band again as backing vocalists. The tour will also feature special guests, The Wallflowers. Please check local listings for ticketing information.
Thursday, March 14 Phoenix, AZ U.S. Airways Center
Saturday, March 16 Houston, TX Toyota Center
Sunday, March 17 Austin, TX Frank Erwin Center
Tuesday, March 19 Dallas, TX American Airlines Center
Wednesday, March 20 Oklahoma City, OK Chesapeake Energy Arena
Friday, March 22 Nashville, TN Bridgestone Arena
Saturday, March 23 New Orleans, LA New Orleans Arena
Tuesday, March 26 Jacksonville, FL Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena
Wednesday, March 27 Atlanta, GA Gwinnett Arena
Friday, March 29 Hollywood, FL Seminole Hard Rock Live
Saturday, March 30 Hollywood, FL Seminole Hard Rock Live
Tuesday, April 2 Charlotte, NC Time Warner Cable Arena
Wednesday, April 3 Raleigh, NC PNC Arena
Friday, April 5 Uncasville, CT Mohegan Sun Arena
Saturday, April 6 Pittsburgh, PA Consol Energy Center
Friday, April 12 New York, NY Madison Square Garden
Saturday, April 13 New York, NY Madison Square Garden
