Following a six-year hiatus, the festival returned reenergized with outstanding performances by Clapton, James Bay, Jeff Beck, Doyle Bramhall II, Gary Clark Jr., Robert Cray, Sheryl Crow, Andy Fairweather Low, Peter Frampton, Vince Gill, Buddy Guy, Sonny Landreth, Lianne La Havas, Los Lobos, John Mayer, Keb Mo, Bonnie Raitt, Robert Randolph, Tedeschi Trucks Band, Jimmie Vaughan and more.
Throughout the show, Clapton shared the stage with others to perform some of his best-known songs, including Layla with John Mayer, plus acoustic versions of Wonderful Tonight and Lay Down Sally with Andy Fairweather Low. Clapton also paid tribute to his late friend George Harrison with a searing rendition of While My Guitar Gently Weeps with Peter Frampton.
The Crossroads lineup offered an impressive mix of performers, with legends like Bonnie Raitt, James Burton, Robert Cray, and Jeff Beck (whose outstanding cover of The Beach Boys Caroline, No was a festival high point); contemporary stars Gary Clark Jr., Robert Randolph and Sheryl Crow; as well as rising talents The Marcus King Band, Tom Misch, and Lianne La Havas.
Naturally, the on-stage collaborations provided some of the most compelling moments. Highlights include a cover of The Stooges I Wanna Be Your Dog by Doyle Bramhall II, Susan Tedeschi, Derek Trucks, Jim Keltner and actor Bill Murray (the festivals M.C.); Buddy Guy and Johnny Lang ripping through Guys classic Cognac; and a version of the Merle Haggard hit Tonight The Bottle Let Me Down by Vince Gill, Albert Lee, Bradley Walker, and dobro master Jerry Douglas. For the encore, Clapton returned to the stage to lead ensemble performances of Princes Purple Rain and Joe Cockers High Time We Went.
The first Crossroads Benefit Concert took place in 1999 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The Crossroads Guitar Festival made its debut in 2004 at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas. That sold-out show was chronicled in a two-disc DVD that has since gone on to become one of the worlds top-selling music DVDs, achieving the 10x platinum mark in the United States alone. The subsequent DVD sets met similar acclaim. The 2007 collection was certified 6x platinum; the 2010 set was certified 3x platinum; and the 2013 set was certified platinum. Since 2004, The Crossroads Guitar Festival has been held every three years except in 2016.
The festival was also the launch pad for the global Turn Up For Recovery movement, which is helping bring awareness of abstinence based recovery and raise funds to provide treatment at Crossroads for those in need
LP 1
1. Native Stepson - Sonny Landreth
2. Wonderful Tonight - Eric Clapton, Andy Fairweather Low, Jamie Oldaker &Pedrito Martinez
3. Lay Down Sally - Eric Clapton, Andy Fairweather Low, Jamie Oldaker &Pedrito Martinez
4. Million Miles - Bonnie Raitt, Keb Mo &Alan Darby
5. Sons Gonna Rise - Citizen Cope with Gary Clark Jr.
Side B:
6. Sideways - Citizen Cope
7. LAIT / DE USHUAIA A LA QUIACA - Gustavo Santaolalla
8. I Wanna Be Your Dog - Doyle Bramhall II, Susan Tedeschi, Derek Trucks, Bill Murray &Jim Keltner
LP 2
1. Thats How Strong My Love Is - Doyle Bramhall II, Susan Tedeschi, Derek Trucks, Bill Murray &Jim Keltner
2. Lift Off - Tom Misch
3. Cognac - Buddy Guy & Jonny Lang
4. Every Day Is A Winding Road - Sheryl Crow with Bonnie Raitt, Doyle Bramhall II &James Bay
5. Retrato - Daniel Santiago &Pedro Martins
6. B-Side - Pedro Martins with Kurt Rosenwinkel
LP 3
1. Baby, Please Come Home - Jimmie Vaughan with Bonnie Raitt &Billy F. Gibbons
2. How Long - Marcus King
3. Goodbye Carolina - Marcus King
4. While My Guitar Gently Weeps - Peter Frampton with Eric Clapton
5. Space For The Papa - Jeff Beck
6. Big Block - Jeff Beck
7. Caroline, No - Jeff Beck
8. Cut Em Loose - Robert Randolph
LP 4
1. Hold Back The River - James Bay
2. When We Were On Fire - James Bay
3. Mas Y Mas - Los Lobos with Eric Clapton
4. Am I Wrong? - Keb Mo
5. I Shiver - Robert Cray
6. Slow Dancing In A Burning Room - John Mayer
7. How Blue Can You Get? - Tedeschi Trucks Band
LP 5
1. Shame - Tedeschi Trucks Band
2. Is Your Love Big Enough - Lianne La Havas
3. Say A Little Prayer - Lianne La Havas
4. Feed The Babies - Gary Clark Jr.
5. I Got My Eyes On You (Locked &Loaded) - Gary Clark Jr.
6. Pearl Cadillac - Gary Clark Jr.
7. Tonight The Bottle Let Me Down - Vince Gill with Albert Lee, Bradley Walker & Jerry Douglas
8. Tulsa Time - Vince Gill with Albert Lee, Bradley Walker & Jerry Douglas
LP 6
1. Drifting Too Far From The Shore - Vince Gill with Albert Lee, Bradley Walker &Jerry Douglas
2. Badge - Eric Clapton with Alan Darby, John Mayer & Pedrito Martinez
3. Layla - Eric Clapton with John Mayer
4. Purple Rain - Eric Clapton & Ensemble
5. High Time We Went - Eric Clapton & Ensemble