Eric Clapton Rolls in Hot to D.C.

by RICK LANDERS

Soaring guitar licks and bell bottom blues were driven down home by Eric “Slowhand” Clapton and his band at Washington, D.C.'s MCI Center on Monday, June 21, 2004.

But not before Robert Randolph and The Family Band blew everyone’s socks off in an electrifying set of numbers that kick started the night with a vicious instrumental rendition of Jimi Hendrix’s “Voodoo Child (Slight Return)” led by Randolph on his honking pedal steel guitar.

Midway through their set, the band members began to grab each others instruments and play like virtuosos and stomping their feet…not little stomps...these guys were lifting their legs up high in the air and S-T-O-M-P-I-N-G.

It was one of those, “You had to be there!” moments.

Walking into the Center, my friends and I talked about some guy who played pedal steel who was the opening act. We expected some pale skinny cowboy crooner or a chubby guy in a colorful aloha shirt playing some whiny dribble.

I mean, who else plays pedal steel guitar?

No one like New Jersey’s Robert Randolph.

Robert Randolph & The Family Band could have played all night and the crowd would have forgotten who they really came to see - and I love Clapton!

After the RRFB waved aloha to the crowd, Clapton and pals strolled onto the stage cranking out a crowd pleasing, “Let it Rain” from his debut solo album.

Okay, we quickly forgot Randolph and his close-knit family - but, only for awhile.

At the age of 59, Clapton has paid his dues and still rules. Strapped to his wild Crash-3-painted graffiti guitar, Eric held back and let young Doyle Bramhall II take the first solo somewhere near the next planet. This is a guitar force to be watched. Bramhall, a lefty, tossed out some clean, fast licks with his beat-up sunburst Stratocaster.

Clapton, dressed in jeans, a short sleeve blue shirt, and bright brand new sneakers, rolled in hot. Cranking out tunes like Bob Marley’s “I Shot the Sheriff”, later he had the crowd singing and dancing to “Badge”.

Clapton, Doyle and the bass player found some chairs and paid tribute to Robert Johnson with an unplugged set that included, “Me and the Devil Blues”, “They’re Red Hot”, and Milk-cow’s Calf Blues” from his recently released CD, “Me and Mr. Johnson."

Then, Eric laid some rubber with the opening licks of “Layla” and the crowd roared and proved that some, but definitely not all, baby boomers can still dance without too much embarrassment.

Clapton and his troupe did the obligatory exit and encore re-entry, bringing with them the inimitable Robert Randolph in a hard driving “Sunshine of Your Love”.

Enter the blue moon lead (you never noticed that??) led by Eric and then taken to atmospheric heights by Randolph’s blazing steel pedal work.

A gracious rocker, Clapton was obviously amazed along with everyone else at this young guy’s virtuosity, laughing and nodding and giving Randolph a bear hug at the end of the evening’s show.

Yeah, it really was Eric Clapton’s show but he had some hot young buck pedal steel guitarist matching him lick for lick.