Eric Clapton will perform a run of solo concert dates ahead of his Crossroads Guitar Festival this fall. According to a press release, the newly added dates are considered a “limited engagement” tour.
The legendary guitarist—who is admittedly losing his hearing and suffering from tinnitus, a ringing inside the ear that is often caused by prolonged exposure to loud noise—will perform at San Francisco’s Chase Center (9/11), Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena (9/13), and Phoenix’s Talking Stick Resort Arena (9/14).
Clapton will be joined by guitarists Doyle Bramhall II and Paul Carrack, bassist Nathan East, drummer Steve Gadd, and keyboardist Chris Stainton with Sharon White and Katie Kissoon on backing vocals. Tickets for these shows will go on sale starting Friday, April 26th at 10 a.m. local time.
The fifth annual Crossroads Guitar Festival, going down September 20th and 21st at American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas, will feature John Mayer, Derek Trucks, Susan Tedeschi, Robert Randolph, Buddy Guy Band, Gary Clark Jr., Jeff Beck, Jimmie Vaughn, Peter Frampton, Billy Gibbons, Sonny Landreth, Sheryl Crow, Robert Cray, and so many more. All profits will benefit The Crossroads Centre in Antigua, a treatment and education facility founded by Clapton for chemically dependent persons.
The newly announced tour dates will most likely be Eric Clapton’s last of the year in the U.S. In a 2018 interview with BBC, Clapton emphasized that his time on the road is running out. “I’ve had quite a lot of pain over the last year. It started with lower back pain, and turned into what they call peripheral neuropathy,” he said. “[It’s] hard work to play the guitar and I’ve had to come to terms with the fact that it will not improve.” Clapton went on to tell BBC’s Stephen Wright that he would be limiting the number of plays going forward, explaining, “‘What I’ll allow myself to do, within reason, is carry on recording in the studio. I don’t want to go off the boil to the point where I’m embarrassing myself.”
For a full list of upcoming dates, head to Clapton’s website.
ERIC CLAPTON 2019 CONCERTS
September 11 San Francisco, CA Chase Center**
September 13 Las Vegas, NV T-Mobile Arena
September 14 Phoenix, AZ Talking Stick Resort Arena