My dad is a big Eric Clapton fan. Growing up, we knew a lot of the songs. Although many weren't played as part of his band, Clapton was on a lot of times we were working outside or driving in the car.
Now I don't know if this was part of his master plan but the first concert I ever saw was Eric Clapton at SPAC. I believe the story was that friends of there's couldn't go so the next best thing was to bring their 8 and 9 year olds. And I'm pretty darn glad they did.
I remember two things:
- The sound was overwhelming. It wasn't overwhelming in a scary way but more of a "Wow, I can't believe what I'm hearing" way. I remember (and maybe my parents might disagree) but I remember just sitting in amazement at the whole show in front of me. The lights along with the sound. It was pretty cool.
- Ray Cooper- A few years before the concert, I started drum lessons. The only drum I played though in those early years was the snare drum. I had no idea of the world of percussion beyond that, until Ray Cooper. He's the guy playing in the background during Clapton's MTV's Unplugged. And when I say playing, I mean this guy is grooving to the music. He was having a ball both during that show and the one at SPAC. The word "animated" doesn't even being to describe him. And I was fixated on how much fun he was having back there. The man was surrounded not by a drum set but by bongos, wood blocks, bells, shakers, cymbals, and other various drums. I had thought up to that point that drums was only a drum kit you sat and played at, not all these other toys.
