EC Rocks

I love outdoor concerts except when the weather doesn't cooperate and it pours all day long. Luckily the rain was reduced to a light drizzle by the time Eric Clapton took the stage. Of course, we haven't had a drop of rain in the past week but the day of the concert is a washout. I was prepared to sit in the rain wearing the new rain gear I got on sale for $20 (purple light-weight Columbia jacket and pants).

I've been lucky enough to see Slowhand at least a half dozen times in the past 25 years and he never disappoints. The first time I saw EC was back in the 80s when I won tickets from 93.7/WCOZ (a radio station that isn't even around anymore). I still remember what a dazzling light show they had when he sang Let it Rain. The lights came down in sheets like rain throughout the stadium (Worcester Centrum) - it was so cool. I even saw his "Blues Tour" a few years ago where he didn't sing a single hit and instead played nothin' but the blues. It was still amazing.

He only played 5-6 of his big hits tonight ... Layla (the opening riff to that song still gives me goose bumps every time I hear it), Wonderful Tonight, Cocaine, Motherless Children, Running on Faith, Before You Accuse Me, and a few other familiar tunes. Sometimes I actually like when an artist doesn't play all of their hits because when everyone in the crowd knows the words you always have that one drunk guy beside you screaming out the wrong lyrics at the top of his lungs.

We met up with our friends, Maria and Chris, and sat in the open seating on the lawn at Great Woods (they've sold out and changed the name over the years to the "Tweeter Center" and just today to the "Comcast Center" but it will always be Great Woods to me). It is one of my favorite outdoor venues to see a concert but the parking situation is horrific. We paid $30 to park on the main drag outside of the main free lots but it was worth the price. We were home and in bed before my friends who parked in the free lot even got out of the parking lot.

Clapton is such an phenomenal artist who has gotten even better with age. I wish he played longer and sang a few more of his hits but it was a great show. I always get mesmerized watching his fingers fly over the strings of his guitar like a true God of Blues and Rock.

Rock On EC.