Eric Clapton Honors Robbie Robertson With The Band Classics At ‘Life Is A Carnival’

Eric Clapton was among three The Last Waltz alums, a group that also included Mavis Staples and Van Morrison, who performed on Thursday at the Life Is A Carnival: A Musical Celebration Of Robbie Robertson concert. Clapton was given prime billing at the all-star tribute, as he delivered four The Band tunes and a blues cover to start the evening’s third and final set.

Slowhand was one of The Band’s earliest famous admirers and has said on several occasions he would have joined the group if asked. Clapton and Robertson struck up a friendship that paid dividends when EC teamed with The Band on “All Our Past Times” and “Further On Up The Road” at their legendary The Last Waltz farewell concert on Thanksgiving 1976.

Eric Clapton was the lone Life Is A Carnival act to perform with his own ensemble instead of leading the event’s supremely talented house band (Ryan Bingham, Jamey Johnson, Mike Campbell and Benmont Tench, Don Was, John Medeski, Dave Malone, Terence Higgins, Cyril Neville, Mark Mullins and The Levee Horns). Instead, Clapton was backed by bassist Nathan East, guitarist Doyle Bramhall II, drummer Sonny Emory, keyboardists Chris Stainton and Tim Carmon along with vocalists Sharon White and Katie Kissoon.

Clapton kicked off his time on stage at Life Is A Carnival with “The Shape I’m In,” a song featured on The Band’s 1970 album Stage Fright. The renowned guitarist then worked through the Robertson-composed “Out Of The Blue” from The Last Waltz Suite and Northern Lights – Southern Cross chestnut “Forbidden Fruit.” The former was only performed by The Band during The Last Waltz post-production sessions held on April 1, 1977 in Los Angeles for inclusion in Martin Scorsese’s concert film documenting the historic concert.

Next, Eric Clapton went back to The Band’s vast array of “hits” for his first-ever performance of “Chest Fever.” Finally, Slowhand ended his Life Is A Carnival appearance with a rousing rendition of Bobby “Blue” Bland’s “Further Up The Road,” which he also played at The Last Waltz. Clapton’s last known “solo” performance of the blues-rock gem came back in 2011 as per Setlist.FM.

Check out audience-captured footage of Clapton at Life Is A Carnival below:

Setlist (via Phish.net)

Set One: Up on Cripple Creek (Eric Church), Ophelia (Ryan Bingham), The Best of Everything, Evangeline (Margo Price), Acadian Driftwood (Allison Russell), Straight Down the Line (Robert Randolph), Who Do You Love? (Taj Mahal), Down South in New Orleans (Dave Malone), Go Back to Your Woods (Bruce Hornsby), King Harvest (Has Surely Come) (Bruce Hornsby), The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down (Jamey Johnson)

Set Two: Broken Arrow (Daniel Lanois), Life is a Carnival (Warren Haynes & Taj Mahal), Whispering Pines (Lucinda Williams), Twilight (Nathaniel Rateliff), Across the Great Divide (Nathaniel Rateliff), Rag Mama Rag (Jamey Johnson), Don’t Do It (Nathaniel Rateliff & Margo Price), Tupelo Honey (Van Morrison), Days Like This (Van Morrison), Wonderful Remark (Van Morrison)

Set Three: The Shape I’m In (Eric Clapton), Out of the Blue (Eric Clapton), Forbidden Fruit (Eric Clapton), Chest Fever (Eric Clapton), Further on Up the Road (Eric Clapton), Forever Young (Ryan Bingham), It Makes No Difference (Jim James), Stage Fright (Warren Haynes), Caravan (Warren Haynes), When I Paint My Masterpiece (Bob Weir), The Unfaithful Servant (Trey Anastasio), Look Out Cleveland (Trey Anastasio), The Weight (Trey Anastasio, Bob Weir & Mavis Staples), I Shall Be Released (All)