"Blending Strat and Tele tones, DBII and Citizen Cope play Cope's songs ""Bullet And a Target"" and ""Son's Gonna Rise,"" the latter with Gary Clark Jr. "
"Clapton's evening-closing set continued with performances of classics like ""Crossroads"" and ""Sunshine of Your Love."" "
"Blues Brothers Dan Aykroyd, who had been announcing the festivities all night, sings Muddy Waters' рGot My Mojo Workingс accompanied solely by Keb Mo, playing driving acoustic on his Gibson Keb' Mo' Blues Master small-bodied blues box. "
"Gregg Allman joined Derek Trucks and Warren Haynes after the duo traded slide licks for ""Old Friend."" Allman lended vocals to a poignant cover of Neil Young's ""Needle and the Damage Done."""
"King sits back into a groove with a smile. He played ""Let the Good Times Roll,"" ""Sweet Sixteen,"" and ""Everyday I Have the Blues"" in the purest old-school blues set of the night."
14-year-old Quinn Sullivan showed skills beyond his years.
"Backing Gary Clark Jr., King Zapata takes the 12-string side of a Gibson doubleneck. Photo by James K. Belmont."
"All of Eric Clapton's guestsяminus Mayer and Richardsяtook the stage for a fun, if chaotic, finale jam to close out two great nights of the blues."
"Buddy Guy smiles proudly at his protege, Sullivan, who more than held his own with the legend."
"Clapton wastes no time getting the 2013 Crossroads Festival off to a grand start. His acoustic band opened up Fridayуs show and soon after commencing, went straight to his mega-hits including рTears in Heavenс and рWonderful Tonight,с backed by a rhythm section of Willie Weeks and Steve Jordan."
"The amazing second night of Crossroads hit a fever pitch when Clapton revealed special guest Keith Richards onstage. The two traded licks and vocals on ""Key to the Highway"" and Chuck Berry's ""Sweet Little Rock and Roller,"" sending the crowd into an absolute frenzy."
"For the grand finale, the Allman Brothers Band took the stage. Here, the band plays ""Statesboro Blues"" with special guests. Left to right: Los Lobos' Cesar Rosas, Derek Trucks, Warren Haynes, Taj Mahal, Los Lobos' David Hidalgo, and Oteil Burbridge on bass. "
"For the second night, Guy unplugged for a crowd-pleasing acoustic set that blended traditional blues with endless charisma and comedy, including a renditions ""74 Years Young"" and ""I'm in the Mood."""
"Weilding his signature Epiphone Casino, Gary Clark Jr. has no problem handling the Madison Square Garden crowd solo, blazing through ""Next Door Neighbor Blues"" and ""Don't Owe You a Thing."" "
"Richards had a visibly great time, playing off of the audience's reaction, during his set with Clapton."
"The quartet trades solos during a jam of ""Every Day I Have the Blues"" to close out their set. "
"Songwriter/guitarist Blake Mills is fairly new on the scene and is making a name for himself quickly for good reason. Playing solo electric guitar and singing, he held the audience's attention, despite a shaky start to his first solo tune. He then called out the ever-popular Derek Trucks to join him on acoustic guitar to play a sweet version of рSave the Last Dance for Me.с"
The foursome pose for a picture together backstage after their performance.
"This trio of country pickers ripped through ""I Ain't Living Long Like This,"" ""Tumbling Dice,"" and ""Setting Me Up,"" with the highest level of musicianship. "
"Tajуs singing was as great as ever, and the set was rounded out with рDivinу Duck Bluesс and рWhoуs Loving You Tonight.с"
"Robertson joined Clapton for ""He Don't Live Here no More"" and ""I Shall Be Released."""
Kebу Moу and the legendary Taj Mahal pulled out the National steel for a great set of Delta-infused blues starting with the Robert Johnson classic рWalkinу Blues.с
"Clapton digs into the upper frets on ""Why Does Love Got to Be So Sad"" with the Allman Brothers Band."
"As one third of the most electrifying set of the evening, Buddy Guy's enthusiasm with his yellow Strat was apparent. Robert Randolph, along with Guy's 14-year-old protege Quinn Sullivan, rounded out the crowd-pleasing trio. "
"Already an established songwriter and studio and touring guitarist in his own right, this year's Ernie Ball Play Crossroads winner makes the most of his prize with a house-shaking performance of ""Steamroller"" on his battered Strat. "
"DBII kicks off his set with ""Green Light Girl"" and ""Cry"" before being joined by Citizen Cope and Gary Clark Jr."
"The duo's rhythm section brought it down in the middle of ""Don't Let Me Down,"" giving Mayer and Urban a chance to trade licks. The Strat vs. Tele duel started with a whisper and built up to an insane climax that had the audience roaring. "
"Cray gets the crowd going with stellar Strat-through-Matchless tone on ""Side Dish"" and ""Great Big Old House"" before being joined by B.B. King and crew."
Randolph plays a soulful steel for the group's three-song set.
"Opening up the second night of Crossroads, Trucks and Landreth each showcased their stellar slide techniques on ""Congo Square."" The set provided an excellent open to Saturday night's amazing show."
"The consensus performance of the night, unsurprisingly, was the master Jeff Beck. Backed by Tal Wilkenfeld and violinist Lizzie Ball, Beck led off with рMna Na Heireann,"" followed by ""You Know, You Know."" "
"Bramhall and Mayer each donned a 12-string acoustic for a rendition of Stevie Ray Vaughan's ""Change It,"" which was written by Doyle's father."
Mayer and Urban pose together backstage after their fiery duet.
"Deviating just slightly from his recognizable cherry Epiphone Casino, Gary Clark Jr. strapped on this blue number, as well as a Strat, in his electrifying second night set. The three-song set, ""When My Train Pulls In,"" ""Please Come Home,"" and ""Bright Lights, Big City,"" was fuzz tone heaven."
"The blues legend gestures to the audience, getting the reaction he's looking for from an eager crowd during his set with Clapton, Cray, and Vaughan."
"Jeff Beck was reunited with Tal Wilkenfeldяto the delight of anybody who had watched the duo at Crossroads 2007. Wilkenfeld shined on a wicked solo on the Mahavishnu classic ""You Know, You Know."""
"Los Lobos' second night set featured guests Susan Tedeschi on vocals, and Clapton and Cray on guitar."
"Guy's group ripped through ""Damn Right I've Got the Blues,"" ""Let the Door Knob Hit Ya,"" and ""Slippin In."" "
"Beck brought out vocalist Beth Hart for incredible renditions of ""I Ain't Superstitious"" and ""Going Down."""
"The show wouldn't be complete without Clapton joining the finale, belting out ""Why Does Love Got to be So Sad."" "
"Urban joined John Mayer for a cover of the Beatles' ""Don't Let Me Down."" "
"After lighting Madison Square Garden on fire with their surprise set, Clapton and Richards share a friendly handshake."
Rebecca Dirks graduated from the University of Iowa with degrees in journalism and art, and joined Premier Guitar as an intern in 2007. She lives in the Iowa City area with her husband, two giant dogs, and more cats than are appropriate to mention. When not petsitting, she enjoys challenging herself in the kitchen, watching the Packers dominate, and discovering new music or rediscovering old favorites.
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