Saturday, March 1, 2008

Clapton & Winwood & Me

Anyone that knows me knows I am a huge Eric Clapton fan. I've seen him in concert about 6 times. I bought his Crossroads collection of CDs before I had a CD player. My kids would have been named Eric and Layla had my husband not put the kabash on that immediately. On Tuesday, I went to the Steve Winwood/Eric Clapton concert at the Garden. The concert was awesome. Clapton is still god. Stevie Winwood is perfect with him . I am perfect with them. I look at them playing and hear my youth come back. "Had to Cry Today" (which they opened with) was moving. "Can't Fine My Way Home" (which they ended with) turns me to mush now as it did then. I am 21 again and invincible. I have no responsibilities. I work to make money to go out. I go to concerts and see The Who and John & Yoko and so many others. There are clubs and dancing awaiting me. It is Thursday, or Friday, or Saturday, and I am at the Electric Circus on St. Marks Place. Or I am at Mother's in Greenwood Lake. I was a regular at the Back Fence in Greenwich Village. In Jersey, it was this little dive called The On Tap. Just hanging out, smoking and drinking with people, just like me. I am back in 1972 and haven't aged a bit. Fast forward to 2008. I am 36 years older and so are Clapton & Winwood. I'm still going to concerts and they are still playing. I understand the music more. I get a rush (yeah, rush) when Clapton does his blues solos or with Winwood's voice singing, "Georgia". The crowd is my age but that distinct smell has exited with the no smoking laws. We all grow up. Occasionally, I will go to a club (not often but I do). I start the night earlier than I did and leave earlier than I did. I go to work the next day or even 2 days later, exhausted. The young interns and 20 somethings in my office do this all the time. I don't. I try not to show how tired I am and struggle through the day. I'm not done yet. I heard that Clapton will play Atlantic City in the summer. I will go. I hope to go to concerts and clubs until I die. I hope Clapton and Winwood do too.

1 comment:

jen said...

Rock on Virginia! No you have not aged a bit.
Rick saw online that Clapton would be at the Garden. He said, "we should let Ginny know." I said,"don't worry. She knows."
I used to go to the Back Fence too
back in '78. Maybe we rubbed shoulders. Were you old enough?