[Slowhand] EC & SW - Nice Houston Review

[John Mills]

http://blogs.houstonpress.com/rocks/2009/06/flashback_eric_clapton_and_ste.php

Aftermath: Eric Clapton and Steve Winwood at Toyota Center
By Bob Ruggiero in Live Shots
Thursday, Jun. 25 2009 @ 2:59PM

Two words came into Aftermath's head shortly into the show uniting these
former Blind Faith bandmates and arguably two of classic rock's biggest
stars: peerless musicianship. They stayed with us for the rest of the
concert.

While we can appreciate the bombast and big show of acts like KISS,
Springsteen and even Britney, there was something much finer on display at
the Toyota Center as the 64-year-old Clapton and 61-year-old Winwood simply
played their instruments as extensions of their own bodies - Clapton on his
trademark Stratocaster and Winwood switching between guitar and Hammond B-3.

And while neither man has ever been overly demonstrative in concert - only
Winwood uttered a few words the entire night - they didn't need stage
mannerisms to utterly captivate the audience.

It would have been very easy for the pair, at the tail end of a 14-date U.S.
run, to rely on big hits: a little "I Shot the Sheriff," a dash of "Back in
the High Life Again," for the easy applause. Instead, they chose to stick
closely to the set list from their reunion shows last year documented on the
great Live From Madison Square Garden CD/DVD. It took them both into more
interesting nooks and crannies of their discographies, along with a string
of blues covers.

Opening with the chugging riff of "Had to Cry Today" (featuring a great
guitar duel), the pair also worked through the first side of the Blind Faith
album including "Presence of the Lord," "Can't Find My Way Home," and a
cover of Buddy Holly's "Well All Right."

But the pair really cooked on the more gutbucket numbers like "Low Down,"
"Pearly Queen" (though Winwood's ex-Traffic bandmate Dave Mason still does
the better version) and "Forever Man" - the last of which found them trading
verses like one-upping horny romantic competitors. Clapton's jaw-dropping
acoustic finger-picking on "Driftin' Blues" was also a highlight.

Houston did get an unexpected surprise in the number slotted for Winwood's
man-and-piano solo. While he has been playing "Georgia On My Mind" for this
tour and the earlier reunion shows, the ghost of Ray Charles looms large.
Instead, Winwood began tinkling the familiar notes of Traffic's "The Low
Spark of High Heeled Boys" to the crowd's utter delight, earning him a
standing ovation; he also ran the ivories for the Traffic instrumental
"Glad." Clapton's crowd high came with the MTV Unplugged acoustic version of
"Layla," though the thought of the two going at a full-bore electric version
remained a tantalizing dream.

After a lengthy "Voodoo Chile," encores "Cocaine" and an incredible "Dear
Mr. Fantasy" brought the energy levels to full-bore, and were perfect
closers. Clapton and Winwood -along with their crack backing band - have
clearly raised each other's game to a higher level.

At the show Aftermath spoke with David and Kristy Stephenson, a Houston
couple who actually flew to New York for the Madison Square Garden shows
last year, and they agreed.
"They just feed off each other so well, and Eric needs somebody like Steve
to play with him and make him better," David said. "They'll never replace
the years they could have spent recording and touring, but I'm grateful we
were able to see them one last time."

Peerless musicianship indeed.

Set List:
Had to Cry Today
Low Down
After Midnight
Presence of the Lord
Sleeping in the Ground
Glad
Well All Right
Tough Luck Blues
Pearly Queen
There's a River
Forever Man
The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys
Driftin' Blues
How Long Blues
Layla
Can't Find My Way Home
Split Decision
Voodoo Chile
Encore:
Cocaine
Dear Mr. Fantasy