Guitar god Clapton delivers ax ecstasy

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Guitar god Clapton delivers ax ecstasy
July 3, 2010
By David Lindquist
Indystar.com

Eric Clapton and Roger Daltrey -- two icons of British Invasion rock -- launched Independence Day weekend in spectacular fashion Friday night at Verizon Wireless Music Center.
Who vocalist Daltrey blazed bright during a supporting act performance, while Clapton used sustained, smoldering heat to thrill an estimated audience of 10,000.

Similar to Jeff Beck's recent appearance at the Egyptian Room in Old National Centre, Clapton drew from nearly a century of music to express his guitar mastery.
In contrast, Clapton is more loyal to original arrangements of oldies, he has many more hits in his catalog, and he revels in an unplugged aspect of performing that Beck didn't show.
"Driftin'," a Charles Brown composition from 1945, proved to be a clinic in acoustic guitar versatility. Seated during a five-song unplugged segment of the show, Clapton confidently bent notes, hammered strings aggressively and coaxed others with finesse.
The '40s were represented in the show's opening electric segment by "Tuff Luck Blues," originally popularized by Big Maceo Merriweather. Clapton sang about a repossessed car during this woeful but stylish slice of Chicago blues.
Clapton, 65, was more active and attentive than he's been during some visits to Indianapolis. Wearing casual clothes, sporting a floppy hairstyle and lifting his left leg to accentuate the occasional riff, he resembled a superstar uncle of Phish vocalist-guitarist Trey Anastasio.
While Doyle Bramhall II and Derek Trucks have appeared as Clapton's sidekick guitarists in recent years, Friday's show left all six-string work to Clapton. Two streamrolling keyboard players, Chris Stainton and Walt Richmond, did more than enough to fill any perceived void.
Esteemed drummer Steve Gadd provided sturdy guideposts for Clapton throughout the program, especially during a rendition of "I Shot the Sheriff." Covered by Clapton one year after Bob Marley released the original in 1973, "Sheriff" allowed Clapton to unleash a guitar solo cycling through probable emotions of an accused man: resignation, defiance and relief.
Among Clapton's own compositions, "Badge" galvanized the audience in the same manner of Daltrey's "Who Are You" and "Baba O'Riley" a few hours earlier. Released on Cream's farewell album in 1969, the psychedelic-gospel experiment of "Badge" still sounds like the future.
Daltrey's way-back machine transported the crowd to the Who's legendary performances at the University of Leeds during a version of Mose Allison's "Young Man Blues."
And it's unlikely a more exhilarating, historic song has been performed to begin an event at Verizon Wireless Music Center than Daltrey's rendition of "I Can See for Miles."