CLEARWATER – Shake off the rain and get ready for some sweet guitar sounds as Eric Johnson takes the stage Saturday, June 30, 8 p.m., at the Capitol Theatre, 405 Cleveland St., Clearwater.
Fresh off his appearance on the Experience Hendrix Tour at Ruth Eckerd Hall in March, rock guitarist Eric Johnson returns to the Capitol Theatre in Clearwater in support of his latest album, “Up Close.”
Through August 20, Johnson will be touring the United States from coast to coast as a headliner with band members Chris Maresh on bass guitar and Wayne Salzmann on drums. He will then depart for a European tour.
A long time in the making, Up Close has received rave reviews. All Music pointed out that “(Johnson) continues to find interesting ways to hone his specific craft on Up Close," while Premier Guitar magazine raved “Johnson has created another worthy addition to his already legendary catalog.” It shouldn’t be overlooked that Up Close features an impressive list of special guests (Sonny Landreth, Steve Miller, Jimmie Vaughan and Jonny Lang).
Speaking to M Music magazine, Johnson had the following to say about what his goals were for Up Close:
“To find new ways of doing things,” Johnson said. “We’re all the sum of our history. After a while, we start to create certain patterns in what we do. I wanted to break some of that repetition. If you keep to the same format, the vibe stays the same, even though the music might change. If you want to grow, you have to break down walls and find ways to work that are different than the past.”
Johnson has long been considered one of rock’s most talented six-string players, as evidenced by his aforementioned platinum-certified 1990 release, Ah Via Musicom, its hit single Cliffs of Dover, as well as a Grammy Award win for “Best Rock Instrumental Performance” in 1991. The song recently was introduced to a whole new generation of rock fans when it was featured in the hit videogame “Guitar Hero.”
In January, Johnson’s signature Eminence speaker and Fuzz Face were introduced and are selling at a quick pace.
Johnson has long been considered one of rock’s most talented six-string players, as evidenced by his platinum-certified 1990 release, “Ah Via Musicom,” its hit single “Cliffs of Dover” as well as a Grammy Award win for “Best Rock Instrumental Performance” in 1991.
Johnson will be covering a lot of territory this summer with band members Chris Maresh on bass guitar and Wayne Salzmann on drums with the initial shows scheduled in Florida prior to a highly anticipated tour of Europe.
On his return to the United States, he will play the legendary Guitar Town Festival in Colorado and the L.A. Guitar Festival.
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