Bell Bottom Blues, don’t you make me cry...for the 10th time.

Guitar genius, best selling author and my spiritual mecca guide Eric Clapton played the shitty venue known as the Ford Ampitheater in Tampa the weekend before I left. Fortunately, like the Cream of the crop Slowhand is, he took the shitty venue and make it sound like, well, Clapton, which is more than that place deserves.

NEWSFLASH: I really dig Eric Clapton.

E.C. played brilliantly, as did his band. My God, it is truly amazing how his solos can send chills through you, and the crowd was pretty good, and appreciative of the man and event. He did versions of Double Trouble and especially Little Wing that had me floored.

And when he hit that opening for Layla, thousands of asses launched from seats in a nano-second and hovered, in Clapton’s stratosphere, during Chris Stainton’s great piano solo at the end. F-ing A, man.

It was breathtaking. Again. It was an incredible performance. Thank you, Great Maker, for allowing me this.

And thank you, Eric. You are so THE MAN to me, which is strange, because I usually consider myself to be THE MAN. And, quite frankly, I usually am. But not that night, brutha.

This is the TENTH (10th) time I have seen Eric Clapton in concert. I am…. Ten-Time Clapton Veteran Leebo. Nice.

I have to say, the last 2 (times) have been the best. Not just because of the virtuoso performance by EC, but also because because I have gone to the last two shows with 5-time Clapton veteran Cheryl, a.k.a. Basenji Mom, a.k.a. my Little Crabcake.

It’s great to see E.C. with someone who loves Clapton as much as I do, and she’s my dear friend, too. A truly good combo. Love ya, 5-time!

Actually, it could be argued that she loves Clapton more than me, because she wants to do him.

But nobody loves Clapton more than me, I assure you.

Nobody.

And let’s just leave it at that.