The spotlight shone down on Bill Murray as he took the stage in a white Adidas bucket hat, the crowd cheering as the aged comedian lifted the microphone.
“Thank you all for coming to church tonight,” Murray said.
Moody Center hosted the Crossroads Guitar Festival on Sept. 26 and 27, bringing musicians together for a guitar-fueled weekend. Famed guitarist Eric Clapton hosted the festival, marking the series’ seventh installment. The event supports the Crossroads Centre Antigua, a charitable organization providing treatment for people suffering from substance addictions.
“We are incredibly fortunate to have this (festival),” Nicos Peraticos, CEO of Crossroads Centre Antigua, said. “All these amazing musicians, this talent, that comes, plays, gives up their time, so this is an incredible gift to us.”
Clapton, who struggled with substance abuse, founded the Crossroads Centre in 1998 in Antigua after hearing about substance abuse on the island.
“I think (musicianship) can provide an excuse to continue drinking and using because people feel that they might lose their mojo, they might lose their creativity if they stop,” Peraticos said. “I can tell you from a lot of musicians that I know, they don’t lose their creativity.”
Traveling from around the world, music fans gathered to witness the roster of 25 performers and bands, including Clapton, John Mayer and Gary Clark Jr. Hailing from southern England, sibling duo Gabe and Millie Davey attended the festival with their parents.
“Most of (the attendees are) older than me, more like my dad’s age, and a lot of men,” Millie said. “But there’s a big range. I didn’t expect so many different people from all kinds of different backgrounds.”
Partners of the festival — Guitar Center, Ernie Ball, Fender, Gibson, Martin & Co. and PRS Guitars — displayed guitars and gear for enthusiasts to test.
“I’ve grown up with my dad playing the guitar a lot, and my brother played the guitar quite a bit,” Gabe said. “If (guitar) is played well, it’s nice to hear. … Without music, life wouldn’t be complete.”
Matthew Bowlin (journalism and radio-television-film ‘22) lives in Austin and said he returned to campus to attend the festival after a friend offered him an extra ticket.
“Part of the reason I have pride, being from (UT), is because (events like these are) … baked into the culture of the campus,” Bowlin said. “I’ve never felt more like an Austinite than I did when I was going to UT.”