Julian Lage on Eric Clapton's Crossroads 2026: "There's Nowhere I'd Rather Be"

Julian Lage was a child prodigy, and since performing at the Grammy Awards at just 12 years old in 2000, he has become one of today’s most respected voices in jazz, blues, folk and Americana guitar.

But all of that doesn’t mean Lage took an invitation to perform at the Crossroads Guitar Festival 2026 as just another show.

“As a fan of the guitar in every possible light, the Crossroads Festival has been a beacon of excitement, culture, history and all these things that matter to me,” says Lage. “To be here is a real privilege. I don't take it lightly. The cause it's for [supporting Crossroads Centre Antigua] is really important to me and to all of us here. To be at that intersection of music and community is always the dream, and Crossroads is definitely the hallmark of that dream.”

Getting “the” Invitation

"I was on tour in Europe playing solo guitar, and my manager, Aaron Sawyer, forwarded me the email invite from Eric Clapton to play Crossroads,” explains Lage. “I remember Aaron telling me, ‘I can verify this is the Eric Clapton. This is legitimate.’ It blew my mind. I mean, like many people, I started playing guitar because of Clapton. I wrote back and said I'd be thrilled to perform and thanked him for being such an inspiration.”

Unplugged Inspiration

"When Unplugged came out, it inspired my father to get a guitar,” remembers Lage. “And that, in turn, inspired me to take up the instrument, because I wanted to play guitar with my father. So, all of this comes from Clapton, and his invitation made performing at Crossroads feel deeply personal.”

Coming Back to the Blues

“I started as very much a blues guitar player, and over the last year, the things I've been writing have been coming back to the blues as the energetic field of the music,” says Lage. “I feel like blues permeates everything we do.”

Music, Community and Gratitude

“To be a musician in the world in any respect is a real privilege,” says Lage. “To be part of the world of art and creativity and human emotion and communication is kind of the greatest thing ever. Then, to be here with so many people I respect and admire—and to share in that as an offering for people everywhere—I mean, there's nowhere I'd ratherbe on planet Earth.”

Julian Lage on the Fender Telecaster

Not surprisingly, Lage hit the stage at Crossroads wielding his Fender Telecaster—a guitar he plays in so many musical situations it’s considered his trademark.

“The Telecaster works in any environment in which a player would choose to use it,” Lage said in Guitar Center’s Tales of the Tele. “For me, I like the clarity to the notes. I thought, ‘This guitar makes sense. It's going to make me a better player.’”

To further experience Lage’s affection for—and deployment of—the Tele, check out our articles Julian Lage on the Fender Telecaster and Why Julian Lage Fell in Love with Danny Gatton’s 1966 Fender Telecaster.