Eric Johnson Ticket Stub - Phoenix 7-7-11

Last Thursday I had the chance to see Eric Johnson on the first stop of his 2011 “UP CLOSE” Tour.

The only other time I have seen Eric Johnson play live was at the NAMM show a couple of years ago and I was anxious to see him again.

Note that ticket price? $22.00 plus A $6.75 ticket fee – what a steal!

I have always been a fan of the man behind the “golden tone” and he did not disappoint me.

(Last December I wrote about the upcoming “UP CLOSE” CD.  Read it again by CLICKING HERE.)

Since the tour was named after the “UP CLOSE” CD, I assumed that much of the music would be from the CD and it was…with a few bonus tracks thrown in as well.

Songs included: “FatDaddy”, “Dear Prudence” (Beatles Cover), “Gem”, “Mr. P.C.”, “Vortexan”, A “Les Paul cover” (sorry – don’t remember the name), “Vortexan”, “Hard Times”, an untitled song called “Title”, “Like a Rolling Stone” (Bob Dylan Cover), “Anthem for Today”, “When the Sun meets the Sky”, “Cliffs of Dover” and a killer (LOUD) closer… “Are You Experienced” (Jimi Hendrix”).

I know I got my twenty-two bucks worth and I know my concert buddy RWG did too. Our ears were ringing for several hours.

His touring band includes Chris Maresh on bass and Wayne Salzmann on drums. A very tight – high energy group.

Today I came across this YouTube video of the 3 of them “gearing up” for the tour… ENJOY!

Eric Johnson - "UP CLOSE" CD Cover

Eric Johnson has emerged with a new collection of tunes that gives anxious fans just what they want: great playing, great tone and a Texas-size dose of soul.

This is the first album that was recorded entirely in Johnson’s home studio (which was took Johnson 15 years to build). The sound of the record doesn’t come across as sterile as previous studio albums and the addition of some guests really adds to the looser vibe.

A great example is “Texas,” a medium-slow blues where Johnson shows off his Clapton-meets-Bloomfield licks alongside Steve Miller and longtime Austin friend Jimmie Vaughan. The juxtaposition of Johnson and Vaughan’s solos shows off how unique, and comfortable, each guitarist is with their style.

Throughout the 15 tracks on Up Close, from the Hendrixian-ballad “A Change Has Come to Me,” to the space boogie of “Fatdaddy,” Johnson has created another worthy addition to his already legendary catalog.

[Listen to a 1:10 sample of "TEXAS" from the new CD]

Credit: Premier Guitar

In this DVD, Eric shares his 10 “must know” musical concepts in an intimate one-on-one format in his recording studio.

Eric covers his unique perspectives on improvisation, chords, lead guitar, songwriting, and much more. The second part of the DVD features a full band performance as Eric, Chris Maresh (bass) and Tommy Taylor (drums) take you on a musical journey through eight never-heard-before songs! The fantastic audio and widescreen multi-camera visuals bring you right into the creative realm and mind of one of the world’s top guitar talents!

Here is a clip:

Eric Johnson

Eric Johnson was born August 17, 1954.

Eric is best known for his ability to incorporate jazz, fusion, new age and rock into his recordings.

Guitar Player magazine called Johnson “One of the most respected guitarists on the planet.”

In 1990 he recorded the single “Cliffs of Dover,” which won him the 1991 Grammy Award for Best Rock Instrumental Performance.

The latest news on Eric is that he just finished a new studio album, and has scheduled 4 Texas shows with his Alien Love Child band. This is from the official post on Johnson’s web site:

“Johnson will now be giving various tracks to three of the top engineers in contemporary music to mix: George Massenberg, Gary Paczosa and Andy Johns. “I’ve spent the last year and a half in the studio, and I really want to get up on stage and do some playing,” says Johnson. After a recent one-off Alien Love Child show in Dallas, “the band was sounding better than ever, so I want to keep that going.”

Guest artists on the new release will include Sonny Landreth, Jimmy Vaughan, and Steve Miller.

Visit Eric’s official web site by clicking HERE.

Happy 56th Birthday Eric Johnson!

Check out the blistering 25-minute concert Eric gave at NAMM 2009 to the few…lucky…attendees who crammed into the Fender booth…