Fresh off his appearance on the Experience Hendrix Tour at Ruth Eckerd Hall in March, rock guitarist Eric Johnson returns to Clearwater headlining his summer tour in support of his latest album at the Capitol Theatre on Saturday, June 30 at 8 pm. Tickets go on sale this Saturday, May 12 at noon.
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 US he will play the legendary Guitar Town Festival in Colorado and the L.A. Guitar Festival on a tour of the Western US.
A long time in the making, Up Close has received rave reviews. All Music Guide 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, Eric had the following to say about what his goals were for Up Close: "To find new ways of doing things. 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 also 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.
For more information on Eric Johnson, including a complete list of tour dates, visit: www.ericjohnson.com.
Reserved tickets priced at $45.00 and $35.00 will be available at the Ruth Eckerd Hall Ticket Office located at 1111 McMullen Booth Road in Clearwater, by calling 727.791.7400 or by logging onto www.atthecap.com. The Ruth Eckerd Hall Ticket Office is open Monday through Saturday, from noon to 6 pm. The Capitol Theatre Ticket Office opens one hour prior to showtime.
Valet parking is now available for most performances at the Capitol Theatre.
The City of Clearwater and Ruth Eckerd Hall have joined forces to renovate and revitalize the intimate Capitol Theatre located on downtown Clearwater's beautiful Cleveland Street. Constructed and established in 1921, this classic structure, complete with a large mezzanine and furnishings reminiscent of a classic Hollywood theater, is one of the oldest operating theatres in the state of Florida. In 2009, the Clearwater City Council designated the Capitol Theatre a historical landmark. This is the first such designation by the city. Ruth Eckerd Hall is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organizations.
