9/29/06 eric clapton, msg, nyc

wow, this could be some sort of new record, it's over a month since this gig, but i feel some sort of guilt about not getting to it yet. once again, i'm 3 shows behind... i have no excuses other than i'm a lazy motherfucker.

i wasn't planning on going to this show! like- at all... i remember when the tickets went on sale, but waaaay too rich for my blood. besides, it was jay moran's (of diesel street king fame) birfday and we were all meeting up at the irish rogue for some drinkies to celebrate the existence of a true rocker! well, at around 3pm our plans changed when we got a mass email from jay...

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Guys…drinks are on…but I just got handed Eric Clapton tickets for tonight @ MSG from my boss. (SCHWEET!) That means I'll be there @ the Irish Rogue from 7pm - 8pm. I'm sorry for the late notice, and hope you all understand why I'm only going to be there for an hour.
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to which i responded:
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LUCKY FUCKING BASTARD!!!!!!!!!
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well, oddly enough, jay's buddy didn't want the extra ticket--- so the philantropist that he is, he offered it to me!!! ticket location??? 18th row on the floor??? HOLY FUCK! i was psyched. i've always wanted to see clapton live- i would have been fine with nosebleed seats- i mean, the ticket was free and all... but to be close enough to see the sweat dripping off his forehead (and we're not talking about cocaine sweat- just regular rock and roll sweat!)? GODDAMN!

well, first we hit the rogue to get as much drinks in the birthday boy as possible before we had to skedaddle down to the garden... done and done. it was a lovely walk through hell's kitchen, past the port authority, the old bellevue... good times. we made our way into the garden--- and when you are handed a free ticket for an amazing spot it's one thing... but when you walk out onto the floor at msg and are ushered closer and CLOSER TOWARDS the stage, it's a whoooole 'nother thing. sick. we got to the row and there were a bunch of vh1'ers there, which was pretty cool... except it just proved to me that this company DOES get perks--- so who the fuck gets to take advantage of them on a regular basis? cuz it certainly ain't me.

it was an interesting crowd surrounding us. next to us were a row of what looked like drunk retired NYPD (i can spot these a mile away- many of my friends parents have the same vibe)... drunk as hell, constantly WOOING at the top of their lungs, sweating their balls off (i didn't witness this last part), and definitely a couple on the verge of vomitting... and then they pull out a j and start smoking it! smelled somewhere in the mid range of shwag and decent. not that i'd know. anyways, they offered some to us and i passed cuz i only like the kind, bruh. so, then took care of THAT. oh, and directly in front of us- a somewhat creepy middle aged advertising exec and his booty candy, some chick that looked way older than she probably was (in the face), maybe an ESL case, and his hand smacking her ass to the beat for a good portion of the show. GUH-ROSS.

a VERY VERY nice surprise--- derek trucks was playing slide for the EC! no shit! i love this kid! we used to see him play up at the original higher ground in winooski YEAAAARS ago when he was like 16 or 18 or some barely legal age. he still looks exactly the same (probably learned a lot from his dad's lifestyle). he was sick, clapton let him shred it up for a while and the crowd totally appreciated it, which was great. he got a huuuuge response. even better surprise- the crypt keeper himself was on keys!!! chris stainton ROCKIN IT OUT! holy fuck!

anyways, sick sick show, good stuff. we missed the robert cray opening set, but it was well worth it to get jay nice, soused, and riled up!! awesome to see clapton before he dies! i can cross that one off the list- still gotta get to: neil young, elvis costello, and pete doherty (that's a joke, i don't give a damn about pete doherty). here's the setlist and download of the show!

http://musictravellers.blogspot.com/2006/10/eric-clapton-2006-09-29-new-york-with.html

all in all i'd have to say eric clapton from the 18th row on the floor at msg: 9.5 HUZZAHS!!!! made all the better by derek trucks, floor location, new york city night, and a psyched jay moran!