Through with Eric Clapton

Did I officially break my Eric Clapton boycott by playing air guitar to the opening of “Layla”? [READER]( Several weeks ago, I discovered that Eric Clapton—the great rock ‘n’ roll guitarist—had lost his mind and gone full MAGA. He was hanging out with right-wingers, denouncing vaccines, vowing never to play another venue that required masks or vaccinations, and so forth. Upon hearing this news, I launched another one of my infamous boycotts. Announcing to no one in particular, as there was no one around when I heard the news, that from here on out I was through with Eric Clapton. That was not particularly difficult to do as I’d pretty much stopped listening to Eric Clapton’s music years ago. Probably haven’t voluntarily put a Clapton song on the stereo—as opposed to happening to hear one over the radio—since the Reagan administration. Word of advice for any wannabe boycotter out there . . . Boycotts are easier to keep if you’ve already stopped partaking in the thing you’re now officially boycotting. For instance, I can’t really say I’m boycotting the music of Ted Nugent—who went insanely MAGA long before MAGA even was a thing—as I’m pretty sure I’ve never listened to a Ted Nugent song in my life. In the case of Eric Clapton, there was a time when I liked some of his songs, especially “Layla,” which I’ve heard so many times I know it by heart. So, there is some challenge to maintaining a Clapton boycott. I know many people think such boycotts are foolish, vain, irrelevant, and inconsequential. And that they are ultimately anti-liberty, as Eric Clapton has the right to lose his mind over MAGA if he wants. True. And I have the right to express my disdain by boycotting him. I got liberties, too! Anyway, back to my boycott . . . I was driving south along Western Avenue. Pulled up to the stop light at Touhy. Got the radio tuned to classic rock. Feeling very 70s. And onto the radio comes “Layla,” two guitars blasting like crazy. And, folks, I must confess, I was several seconds into the song—playing air guitar and everything—when I remembered . . . Hey, wait a minute, man, you’re supposed to be boycotting Eric Clapton—not playing air guitar along with him. With that, I turned the station to sports talk, just in time to hear some caller from Cicero going on and on about the Bears. A team I’ve been known to boycott from time to time. Now the question is: Did I officially break my Eric Clapton boycott by playing air guitar to the opening of “Layla”? In my defense, I will now invoke the three-second rule. Which goes like this . . . Back in high school, there was a kid who applied this rule to food that fell on the floor. If he scooped it up after only three seconds, it was still safe to eat. And into his mouth he would throw it. I’m not sure if there was any epidemiological basis for his rule, but it was his rule and he lived by it. I’m going to apply that rule to Clapton. As I only listened to maybe three seconds of the song, technically speaking my boycott was never broken. Take that, Eric Clapton! 🏆 Voting for Best of Chicago has CLOSED! Don’t miss out on celebrating the things you love in the city you love with the Reader and [sign up for updates]( 👇 Started Early, Took My Dog—a mystery by Kate Atkinson. Thank you to the librarian at Sulzer library who recommended it. A page-turner. “[Offense intended]( by Deanna Isaacs. An article about Robert Colescott’s provocative career. “[Profiles in cautiousness]( Joravsky on Richard Irvin’s run for governor. The Republican candidate is so cautious he won’t take a stand on abortion. [Miles Kampf-Lassin]( a wonk? [LeRoy Gordon]( breaker! [Dave Glowacz]( Council breakdown . . . [The Ben Joravsky Show]( [Listen to The Ben Joravsky Show]( We've wrapped up season one of CQN! Listen back on all ten episodes [here]( or wherever you get your podcasts. [Chicago police pistol-whipped suspect in brutal 2017 arrest]( Last year, COPA recommended three of the officers involved be fired. They still haven’t been. by [Jim Daley]( [Synth-pop songwriter Warm Human shines even on odds and ends]( Plus: Guitarist Matt Clark introduces a soothing new solo project, Teklife drops a hypnotizing album from producer Sirr TMO, and more. by [J.R. Nelson]( and [Leor Galil]( [Sarah Shook & the Disarmers find dusty splendor on Nightroamer]( by [Dave Cantor]( [Issue of Feb 3 - Feb 16, 2022 Vol. 51, No.]( [Download Issue]( (PDF) [View this e-mail as a web page]( [@chicago_reader]( [/chicagoreader]( [@chicago_reader]( [Chicago Reader on LinkedIn]( [/chicagoreader]( [chicagoreader.com]( [Forward this e-mail to a friend](. Want to change how you receive these e-mails? You can [update your preferences]( or [unsubscribe from this list](. Copyright © 2022 Chicago Reader, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: Chicago Reader, 2930 S. Michigan Ave., Suite 102, Chicago, IL 60616