Music festivals usually require tough decisions. How to pick from an array of acts on multiple stages so that you see the artists you love and skip the ones that are not of interest. Eric Clapton’s Crossroads Festival eliminated that dilemma. There was only one stage, every performer was a must-see act and the artists played with virtually no set breaks. The 2023 edition on September 23-24, 2023 featured tremendous performances by Clapton. Many of his favorite guitar players and musicians also made memorable, never-to-be-repeated appearances.
The cream of the crop in today’s blues, rock, bluegrass, jazz, and country music scene came to the Crypto.com Arena in Downtown Los Angeles to support Clapton’s Crossroads Centre, a drug treatment facility in Antigua. Several veteran Hall of Fame musicians along with a range of newer artists got the nod to appear this year. Getting an invitation to play at the festival is coveted and can be a life-changing kickstart to the careers of younger musicians.
The event is unique and handles things in a way that can be both frustrating and exhilarating. The lineup is announced months in advance, but except for Clapton, who plays both days, no one knows who will play on the first or second day. The order of the performances and which artists will play with each other is kept top secret. For ticket buyers and people traveling from out of town, it requires both time and financial commitments plus the belief that they will be rewarded with a distinctive, memorable experience. The lineup order was finally posted on screens inside the arena each day, but it still did not identify who would pop up on stage for impromptu collaborations with the scheduled acts. As a result, the surprises kept on coming.
Since its inception in 1999, the festival has only happened seven times and fans of great, guitar-focused music may never see a gathering like it again. As Master of Ceremonies Bill Murray quipped, “each year since 2010 we’ve thought this is the last one.” The 2019 edition in Dallas was thought to be the grand finale. However, since the global pandemic nearly shuttered his island rehab facility, Clapton thought, maybe we should have another festival. For all the amazing talent that came this year, a few prominent artists were missing. Clapton mentioned inviting Jeff Beck (who was featured prominently in previous years). Unfortunately, he passed away unexpectedly in January. Also invited, but missing were Robbie Robertson, who died in August, and Buddy Guy who just last week announced that his Doctor advised him not to attend.
The musicians that did appear universally praised Clapton, the fundraising effort for the Crossroads Centre, and gave everything they had to their performances. The format of the event created extraordinary, unique combinations. Over the two days, each spanning more than eight hours, artists played impressive sets and frequent sit-ins created magical moments.
Of course, with the complicated logistics involved in pulling off such an event, problems were inevitable. The volume dropped out during a few vocals and guitar solos across the various sets. However, the sound quality was mostly superb and the artists were very well-lit. There was a giant screen as a backdrop behind the stage and two additional screens at stage right and left. Each screen zoomed in on the artists so even the attendees in the nosebleed seats could see the fretboard work up close.
It was so hard to pick out just a few special moments since so many occurred. The most memorable and compelling included several unforgettable collaborations.
– Bill Murray started each day’s festivities by imploring the crowd to say/sing, “I’m so glad, I’m so glad, I’m glad, I’m glad, I’m glad.” The line from the classic Cream tune served as a mantra for the weekend. As Murray feigned frustration at the poor audience response, the song’s distinctive guitar riff began playing through the massive sound system and out-walked Eric Clapton strumming his trusty Fender Stratocaster. They quietly sang the words together as the crowd enthusiastically joined in.
– Clapton made a habit of unexpectedly stepping onstage during various sets over the weekend. He joined Sonny Landreth for some scorching guitar interplay as Landreth’s distinctive slide work on his Telecaster complemented Clapton’s Stratocaster on alternating solos. He also came out to join the Del McCoury Band, who already had special guests Sierra Hull (mandolin), Jerry Douglas (dobro), and Bradley Walker (voice). The ensemble did a tribute to Willie Nelson with a gorgeous version of “Always On My Mind” as Walker and Clapton shared vocals.
– One act on Saturday that may not have the pedigree of some other invited performers, more than held her own and opened many eyes to her talent. Judith Hill, an LA-based singer/guitarist and Grammy winner did a splendid set. The singer recorded backing vocals for both Prince and Michael Jackson several years ago. She showed off her vocal range and strong guitar licks using a gorgeous Gibson Les Paul during “Runaway Train,” “Don’t Make Me Burn” and the very Prince-like, “Give Your Love To Someone Else.” The last song got a surprise guitar solo sit-in by Eric Gales.
– Later that day Eric Gales led a high-paced blues set. He did an homage to Clapton with an instrumental version of “Layla.” After a few songs, he invited Samantha Fish to join him. She sang a slow, sultry version of Screamin’ Jay Hawkins’ “I Put a Spell On You.” Then Gales brought out Christone “Kingfish” Ingram who sang and fired off solos during his song “Long Distance Woman.” The three axe wielders took turns ripping solos as they finished up the set with a rowdy version of Freddie King’s “Going Down.”
–Joe Bonamassa led his group through a few deep blues tunes before introducing John McLaughlin (Miles Davis, Mahavishnu Orchestra). Bonamassa said, “my initials are JB. We’re gonna pay tribute to the man himself right now – the original, the best ever JB.” The two talented guitarists launched into an impressive version of Jeff Beck’s “Cause We Ended as Lovers.” For the last song, Bonamassa brought out Eric Gales who had Stevie Ray Vaughan’s Fender Stratocaster strapped to his chest. Bonamassa used Clapton’s ’58 Gibson Explorer and McLaughlin played his signature PRS. The trio did alternate and synchronized solos during Albert King’s “Breaking Up Somebody’s Home.”
– Jimmie Vaughan led his group through The Fabulous Thunderbirds’ tune “Roll, Roll, Roll,” a version of “Crossroads” and his “Baby Please Come Home.” Then he introduced Gary Clark, Jr. who joined the band for a tribute to Jimmie’s younger brother Stevie Ray on a rollicking version of Larry Davis’ “Texas Flood.” Vaughan sang vocals and played a sweet solo before Clark, Jr. ripped one of his own. As the song ended, Clapton strolled out. The stacked lineup flew through Elmore James’ “Early One Morning” and John Lee Hooker’s “Baby Don’t You Wanna Go” with Vaughan and Clapton sharing vocals. All three performed impressive, searing solos. They wrapped up the set with the blues standard “Sweet Home Chicago” as Vaughan announced, “this one is for Buddy Guy.”
– Jakob Dylan and The Wallflowers played their hits “6th Avenue Heartache” and “One Headlight” plus a really nice version of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers’ “The Waiting.” That would have been fine enough, but then Dylan introduced Roger McGuinn (The Byrds) who came out to sing and play his gorgeous signature Rickenbacker 370 guitar during Pete Seegar’s “Turn Turn Turn” and The Byrds’ “So You Want to Be a Rock ‘n’ Roll Star.” McGuinn’s voice was much thinner than it used to be, but his guitar playing was still top-notch. Clapton came out to join for “Eight Miles High” with McGuinn still on vocals. Each played notable solos.
After McGuinn departed, Dylan introduced Stephen Stills who came out with a black and white Fender Stratocaster. Stills sang lead during Buffalo Springfield’s “Bluebird.” His golden voice has also deteriorated over time, but the novelty of playing with Clapton and his still remarkable guitar skills overcame the disappointment. They closed the set with the Crosby Stills & Nash cover “Questions.” Dylan, Stills and Clapton all sang, while Stills and Clapton traded solos.
– John Mayer reunited his blues rock power trio for Crossroads. Pino Palladino (The Who) on bass and Steve Jordan (The Rolling Stones) on drums formed the trio with Mayer in 2005. They played infrequently in the past several years, most recently at the 2023 edition of Love Rocks in New York City. Mayer ripped through “Gravity” on his signature Silver Sky PRS guitar. He switched to a multi-colored Fender Monterey Stratocaster for an explosive version of Hendrix’s “Wait Until Tomorrow,” a track the trio recorded on the 2005 live album Try! After that song, Mayer said, “I tried to think of a Grateful Dead song that would work for this group.” They then launched into a compelling version of Jerry Garcia’s “They Love Each Other” to close the set.
– Sunday’s session started with a bang as Robert Randolph played pedal steel guitar and led his band, including The London Soul’s Tash Neal on guitar, through “Seven Generations.” They also did an up-tempo instrumental that included outrageous pedal steel and guitar solos. Randolph introduced Joe Bonamassa who came out with a yellow Telecaster. They did a killer Jeff Beck tribute playing “Freeway Jam.” After the song ended, Randolph introduced Eric Gales who came out with a black and gold Stratocaster. Randolph sang Hendrix’s “Foxy Lady” and they each played striking solos to close the set.
– Jazz guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel led his band through a few songs before bringing out Marcus King, another young blues and soul great, whose career benefited from his first appearance at the Crossroads Festival in 2019. Rosenwinkel played intricate notes on his signature D’Angelico New Yorker while King played a slow, sweet solo on a black and white Telecaster during “Sailing Home.” Clapton walked out to join the group and he sang “Get On Up and Dance.” All three guitarists played stunning solos.
– Later that evening, Marcus King led his own band through a set that included an intense version of “It’s Too Late.” Eric Krasno (Soulive, Lettuce) joined the group for a rowdy instrumental. King played solos with a red, hollow body Gibson while Kraz used a black and red D’Angelico as they traded licks. After Kraz and the other band members left the stage, King brought out his wife Briley for an intimate vocal duet on a cover of Fleetwood Mac’s “Landslide.” The band returned while King introduced Sheryl Crow and Audley Freed, who came out to help on Clapton’s “Coming Home.” King and Crow alternated on vocals while Freed traded solos with King.
–Sheryl Crow played a sweet solo acoustic set on Saturday, telling the audience that she had a cold and would sound kind of scratchy. Sadly, for the ticket holders who only attended that day, her performance lasted only about ten minutes. On Sunday, she did the sit-in with King and a longer set with her band. She said, “Crossroads is my favorite event” before launching into “If it Makes You Happy.” Crow switched to electric bass and brought out John Mayer to help on “My Favorite Mistake.” Mayer exchanged solos with Freed before exiting. They closed the set with “Everyday is a Winding Road.” Crow sounded great in spite of her illness and Freed played another appealing solo to wrap it up.
– Los Lobos thrilled their hometown crowd with “Mas Y Mas,” “Don’t Worry Baby” and “Chuco’s Cumbia.” David Hidalgo and Cesar Rosas traded vocals and guitar solos. Rosas introduced Jimmie Vaughan who came out with his white Stratocaster to join the band on Howlin’ Wolf’s “Three Hundred Pounds of Joy” and for their familiar version of “La Bamba.” All three guitarists played elaborate solos.
– Gary Clark Jr. was an up-and-coming blues player when he first appeared at Crossroads in 2010. His career took off from there. Now he and his band are at the forefront of modern blues, soul and rock. Clark did one song during a solo performance on Saturday. That turned out to be just of tease of things to come. After sitting in with Jimmie Vaughan and Eric Clapton on Sunday, he led his own band through one of the most memorable sets of the weekend.
They opened with Clark’s “The Healing” and then he showed off his falsetto on the ballad “Our Love.” He dedicated “Pearl Cadillac” to his Mom and it contained more smooth vocals and guitar flourishes on his hollow body, black Gibson. “When My Train Pulls In” was a slow-building, incendiary adventure of distorted guitar that wrapped up the enjoyable set.
After two days of entertaining but sporadic sit-ins, Clapton finally did a full set of music with his band near the end of Sunday’s show. They opened with a two-song tribute to Robbie Robertson. First with The Band’s “The Shape I’m In,” followed by “It Makes No Difference.” Clapton played his deep blue Stratocaster with the expertise that earned him the sarcastic nickname Slowhand. He ended “It Makes No Difference” by simply saying “Robbie Robertson.” The band stayed electric for a trip down Clapton’s blues and classic song catalog. Clapton sang as they played excellent versions of Charles Segar’s “Key to the Highway,” Willie Dixon’s “I’m Your Hoochie Coochie Man” and The Wailers’ “I Shot the Sheriff.”
They switched it up for an acoustic segment reminiscent of the 1992 MTV Unplugged session. Clapton and the band made the 20,000 fans in the arena feel like they were witnessing an intimate jam session. Clapton played a Martin acoustic with a breathtaking tone as they rolled through pretty versions of Jimmy Cox’s “Nobody Knows You When You’re Down and Out,” Derek and the Dominos’ classic “Layla” and another acoustic rendition of Clapton’s emotional “Tears in Heaven.”
For the end of the set, they switched back to an electric set and Clapton invited Stephen Stills to the stage. Stills sang and led the group through his “Love the One You’re With.” Both Stills and Clapton delivered pleasing solos on their Stratocasters. After Stills left the stage, Clapton and the band ran through Robert Johnson’s “Littles Queens of Spade.” At the end of the song, Clapton sheepishly said, “here is a surprise that no one expected…Stevie Wonder.” Wonder was helped to center stage as the arena erupted. He stood behind a miniature electronic keyboard set next to Clapton. Shockingly, Wonder did not sing, only playing his keys, but Clapton performed the lead vocals on his version of the Robert Johnson blues standard, “Cross Road Blues” which ended the awesome set.
It was surprising that Clapton did not bring out more of the artists that had performed earlier on Sunday for the end of his set. He also did not close the festival. Instead, that honor went to Santana. Carlos Santana guided his band through a greatest hits show and they were on fire from the opening notes of the instrumental, “Soul Sacrifice.” They played high-energy versions of “Jingo,” Willie Bobo’s “Evil Ways” and Tito Puente’s “Oye Como Va.” Santana introduced John McLaughlin who came out for a jazz fusion segment. The two PRS-wielding guitarists showed off their chops on John Coltrane’s “A Love Supreme” and McLaughlin’s “Marbles.”
Once McLaughlin departed, the band revisited songs from their multiplatinum Supernatural album. “Maria Maria” and “Smooth” had the crowd up and dancing while Santana’s guitar work cooked. To end the incredible weekend, Santana invited Clapton to come back out. He strolled onstage with his multicolored Stratocaster to join the band for Peter Green’s “Black Magic Woman” and The Doors’ “Roadhouse Blues.” The legendary guitarists took turns and coordinated their guitar solos. In the midst of the two songs, they teased Hendrix’s “Third Stone From the Sun,” The Chambers Brothers’ “Love, Peace and Happiness” and Sly and the Family Stone’s “I Want to Take You Higher.” The incomparable weekend of guitar gods leaving it all on the stage finally ended.
