Eric Clapton
Kiel Center, St. Louis, April 3, 1998
ERIC CLAPTON Kiel Center, St. Louis, April 3, 1998
For some classic rockers, especially those who can still pack arenas despite clearly coasting on tales of past glories, sprinkling their concerts with new songs serves less as a boon to album sales than it does to provide a bathroom break for beer-sodden fans -- who are there, after all, to relive their misspent youths as they listen to the hits that were its soundtrack. Such was not the case as Eric Clapton kicked off his show here in support of his latest release, Pilgrim. "We're gonna play a few songs from the new album," he announced, in what turned out to be an understatement of considerable proportions. The fabled journeyman opened the concert with no fewer than seven new numbers -- fully half the album -- in a stunning display of confidence that held the capacity crowd's rapt attention and likely made a sufficient impression to shift a few units as well
That's a testament to Clapton's onstage charisma and unparalleled chops, but also to the high caliber of material on Pilgrim, which simmers in a comfortable R&B groove a la Babyface, but features some of Clapton's most self-excoriating lyrics and perhaps the most soulful singing of his career. Those qualities were mirrored in concert, as Clapton, swaddled in a fashionably baggy black outfit, tilted his head heavenward and sang of bred-in-the-bone generational bonds via his current hit, "My Father's Eyes." Backed by his nine-piece band and a 20-piece string section, Clapton also mined a rich vein of '70s soul on the Curtis Mayfield-inspired "Pilgrim," though he demurred from attempting the studio version's risky falsetto vocal. "River of Tears" provided an especially poignant moment, as Clapton and guitarist Alan Darby traded mournful slide guitar lines that perfectly captured the song's spirit of depthless despair.
That spell was broken somewhat during the de rigeur "unplugged" set: "Tears in Heaven," which should have proved the evening's emotional high point, made plain the cavernous Kiel's lack of intimacy. "Layla" fared even worse, but that's because the roiling emotion of the song is ill-served by its gangly arrangement as an acoustic shuffle. "Change the World" put things back on track, though, as the string section lent a shimmering Gamble & Huff veneer to the smooth R&B song.
Clapton then downshifted into blues mode, performing "Old Love," which featured his most impassioned soloing of the night. "Sick and Tired" offered an odd, orchestral 12-bar arrangement that was more uptown than lowdown. He also played a fine version of the classic B.B. King tune "Have You Ever Loved a Woman."
Finally, more than three-quarters of the way through the night, Clapton the classic rocker came to the fore, as he played some of his hits from the '70s, including "I Shot the Sheriff" and "Wonderful Tonight," the latter of which featured some exquisite wordless vocalizing from backup singer Katie Kissoon. The encore offered short, but sweet, versions of the creme de la Cream: "Sunshine of Your Love" and "Crossroads," which found the artist formerly known as God playing unabashed flash guitar, much to the delight of the audience.
Don't let the Lexus tour sponsorship fool you. Clapton may have turned 53 only last week, but if his current concert tour is any indication, this bluesman-cum-classic rocker's not yet built for comfort; he's still built for speed. It's an attitude that deserves to rattle around the arenas of the world for some time to come.
DANIEL DURCHHOLZ (February 10, 1999)
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