As the 2023 Crossroads Guitar Festival lit up the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles over the weekend of September 23–24, a powerful undercurrent of remembrance ran through the music. Since the last Crossroads event in 2019, the guitar world has lost several titans, and their absence was felt deeply by both the performers and the audience.

But the spirit of those legends was alive in every note. With what may have been the most jaw-dropping lineup in the festival’s history, the event delivered an endless stream of unforgettable moments. John Mayer teamed up with H.E.R. for a genre-bending jam, while Joe Bonamassa and John McLaughlin paid an emotional tribute to the late Jeff Beck with a haunting take on Cause We’ve Ended as Lovers. Rising blues powerhouse Christone “Kingfish” Ingram went toe-to-toe with Eric Gales and Samantha Fish, electrifying the crowd with blazing solos and bold improvisation.

The festival’s finale belonged to Carlos Santana, who brought both soul and fire to the stage. Joined by event founder Eric Clapton, the two legends paid homage to Peter Green with a smoldering rendition of Black Magic Woman, followed by a groovy, blues-drenched version of Roadhouse Blues that closed the night on a celebratory note. “The doctor’s in the house,” Santana declared after the performance, tipping his hat to Clapton.

Visually, the guitars told their own stories. Santana wielded a striking single-cut PRS in radiant gold—a fitting nod to the late Green and the golden-age Les Paul he made famous. Clapton, always one to blend style with substance, played a custom Stratocaster featuring artwork inspired by his collaborations with New York street artist John Matos.

The festival also marked the 25th anniversary of the Crossroads Collection, presented by Guitar Center. Among the collection’s standouts were two exquisitely crafted Martin acoustics—a D-45 and D-28—as well as a “Blu Scozia” Stratocaster by Todd Krause, echoing the color of Clapton’s Ferrari, and a Private Stock PRS Santana model in a vibrant Santana Orange finish.

More than a concert, Crossroads 2023 was a heartfelt celebration of guitar mastery—past, present, and future. Would you like a shorter or more promotional version of this rewrite as well?