Well-known guitarist, singer, and songwriter Eric Clapton has officially announced huge plans for 2013. The artist announced on his official website Ericclapton.com, that he will taking off on a major United States tour in 2013, concluding at the fourth Crossroads Guitar Festival, presented by Chase.
Clapton will kick off the tour beginning March 14, 2013 in Phoenix, AZ at the U.S. Airways Center. Along the way, Clapton will make stops in 15 different U.S. Cities, including The American Airlines Center in Dallas, TX on March 19, The Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, FL on March 26, The Seminole Hard Rock Live in Hollywood, FL on March 29 and 30, The Time Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte, NC on April 2, and The Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, CT on April 5. The tour will wrap up with back-to-back performances on April 12 and 13 in New York City at Madison Square Garden for the Crossroads Guitar Festival.
Clapton will be bringing a team of performers with him to create his full band for the tour. Joining Clapton will be Doyle Bramhall II on guitar, Steve Jordan on drums, Chris Stainton on piano and keyboard, Willie Weeks on bass, Paul Carrack on organ and keyboards, and Greg Leisz on pedal steel guitar. Michelle John and Sharon White will also join the touring band as backup vocalists. The opening act for the show will be The Wallflowers.
“Since its inception, Clapton’s vision for the Crossroads Guitar Festival has been to create an event where his friends and contemporaries can have fun and perform together for the benefit of a good cause. This year’s Festival will feature two nights of musical performances with once-in-a-lifetime guitar collaborations. Known as pioneers in their field, the roster of artists spans old and new. The audience can expect unrivaled entertainment, brilliant guitar work, surprise guests and impromptu jams that are the hallmark of these performers, ” noted a press release on Clapton’s site. This will be the first year that the Festival will take place in New York City. The first festival in 2004 took place in at The Cotton Bowl in Dallas, TX, and the 2007 and 2010 festivals were held at Toyota Park in Chicago, IL. All three previous festivals have been extremely successful.
“The Crossroads Festival is the realization of a dream for me, to gather a group of amazingly talented musicians to perform on one stage,” Clapton said on his website. “The Crossroads performers are all musicians I admire and respect.”
Over 30 performers will be taking part in the Crossroads Guitar Festival. Popular artists include The Allman Brothers Band, BB King, Brad Paisley, John Mayer, Keith Urban, Robert Randolph, and Vince Gill, among many others. Each night of the festival will be different, but many of the artists are planning to make stage appearances on both nights. According to the press release on Clapton’s website, “All profits from the Festival will benefit The Crossroads Centre in Antigua, a treatment and education facility founded by Clapton for chemically dependent persons.”
Advance tickets for the Crossroads Guitar Festival Presented by Chase are on sale from Monday, November 26, 2012at noon to Thursday, November 29, 2012 at 10 PM. Festival tickets will be available for purchase by the general public beginning Friday, November 30 at noon. Tickets for all other performances along the course of the tour will be on sale to the general public beginning Friday, November 30, 2012 as well.