Texas Music News — September 29, 2026
Gary Clark Jr. led Austin’s guitar royalty through Eric Clapton’s Crossroads Guitar Festival at the Moody Center this past weekend.
Clapton’s biennial benefit for the Crossroads Centre Antigua turned Austin’s Moody Center into a two-night guitar sermon. More than 14 hours of music rolled through, but the Texans still held the room.
Clark played a 45-minute set as direct support to Clapton. He debuted new material, and he also honored the blues classics that raised him. Clark first made his name on Austin stages like Antone’s, so the set felt like a homecoming.
Jimmie Vaughan guested with Clapton and Buddy Guy. Meanwhile, Doyle Bramhall II and Charlie Sexton turned up in collaborations all weekend.
Six Strings and One Big Texas Amen
Then ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons took the stage with drummer Chris Layton and guitarist Mike Flanigin. Layton kept time for Stevie Ray Vaughan, so that trio sounded like a family reunion inside a cathedral.
Visitors joined the sermon too. Trey Anastasio and John Mayer traded licks, while Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi also took their turns. Clapton closed with acoustic numbers and full-band cuts, and Bramhall backed him.
Day 2 streamed free, and it now sits on demand at Blues Rock Review. Austin has always treated the guitar as gospel, and this weekend the congregation showed up. Details at The Austin Chronicle
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