It was a once in every three years event that guitar worshippers all over the country looked forward to and it might be the last.
The Crossroads Guitar Festival, organized by highly acclaimed musician Eric Clapton, was not only intended to raise funds for the Crossroads Drug Rehabilitation Center in Antigua which was also spearheaded by Clapton himself, but was also intended into bringing together rock and blues artists and guitar geniuses and prodigies from the ‘60s till the present to celebrate the power of an instrument that has been underestimated as the decades have passed – the guitar and the ability of its master, the guitarist, to create rhythms and tunes that could move even the toughest of rockers and could give life even to the saddest of blues.
This is the second time that the Toyota Park in Bridgeview, Il has hosted the half-day event, the first time was in 2007. The festival was inaugurated in Dallas in 2004. This year’s festival featured the likes of B.B King and Howlin Wolf’s Huber Sumlin, who at 78 years old can still play and woo the crowd with enigmatic solos. Everyone, including the most iconic ones like Clapton, The Rolling Stones’ Ron Wood, Jeff Beck and contemporary musicians like John Mayer, who all performed at the event look up to these two great musicians.
While Clapton watched in the sidelines at the start of the show which was taken care of by Louisiana-based guitarist Sonny Landreth, the organizer and music icon shared the stage with pop-country superstar Sheryl Crow, as she performed tracks from her forthcoming album. Other musicians present at the event were Johnny Winter, ZZ Top, Steve Winwood, Texas-based Doyle Bramhall II and Gary Clark Jr., Allman Brothers Band’s Derek Trucks and Warren Hayes, The Susan Tedeschi Band, Jonny Lang, Los Lobos’ Cesar Rojas and David Hidalgo, The Robert Cray Band, Buddy Guy and a whole lot more.
The event was also filled with never before seen or heard side-by-side performances crossing genres and generations from 73-year old Buddy Guy, Jonny Lang and Steve Winwood who all shared the stage together in a guitar-off, so to speak, and another from Clapton, Beck and Winwood. There were a lot of performances that one can only witness from this event but words may not just be enough to describe how phenomenal and rare such an event is. One should be there to capture the greatness of each performance that transcends through time and genre.
“Sweet Home Chicago”, lead by seasoned musician Buddy Guy capped the lengthy yet gratifying event. The finale featured all of the artists performing together for the first time during that day and the song was a perfect choice to bid farewell to the city and state which became the event’s home for two years. And contrary to what was previously announced that this year’s “Crossroads” will be the last, Clapton hinted that a fourth one, perhaps in 2013, is on the works as there are more guitarists and other musicians that are willing to take part in this event.
The idea of long guitar solos as being boring and narcissistic, an idea thrown by punk enthusiasts, was completely defied by these artists. They hailed the art of guitar playing as something more than a musical act. For many of those who worship the instrument, it is not merely a form of expression, it is their way of life. The sound produced with every strum and pluck of the chords while the fret is being pressed is who they are. The tabs are their words, they talk through it and affect those who care enough to listen, the same way a poem or a speech would.
