KYLE MURPHYStaff Writer

After shredding his guitar on the second biggest stage at the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival Friday, blues guitarist and singer Gary Clark Jr. took time after his set to talk about his career and take questions.

Clark Jr. took to the Which Stage, with his band and back-up singers, at 5:45 p.m. Friday where he played hits from his catalog, like “When My Train Pulls In,” and “Bright Lights,” and from his newest album “JPEG RAW,” as well as filling the air with his guitar solos.  Afterwards, he made his way to the press tent where took part in a one-on-one interview with Andy Langer and other members of the media in attendance.

The first time Clark Jr. performed at Bonnaroo was in 2011, and he would return in 2012 where he performed on one of the smaller stages at Bonnaroo. Clark Jr. would play Bonnaroo again in 2015 to a larger stage before he would return to Bonnaroo nearly a decade later. Clark Jr. said when he and his band first showed up at Bonnaroo over a decade ago, they were in a van with their gear and taking in what Bonnaroo was. As for today, he said it has been to be able to travel to the festival in a bus and to have his family join him on the road, especially just before Father’s Day.

Clark Jr. also talked about the first time he stepped on stage at Bonnaroo, which he said he was scared at the time as at that point in his career had been playing bars, restaurants and other small venues.

“I didn’t know anything,” he said. “When I was on stage I closed my eyes.”

He added during his last visit at Bonnaroo, someone yelled to him that they were there to see him.

“I was like ‘oh snap!’” Clark Jr. said.

He continued and said hearing that not only helped him with his nerves, but it helped him to realize enjoy the ride and the moments of his career.

“It took me a long time to realize that,” Clark Jr. said. “Today is the most confident I have ever been.”

Clark Jr. and Langer would then talk about his career beginnings, where Clark Jr. would quickly rise up as a blues guitar prodigy as a teenager.

“I started off really young, and when I started I was learning blues,” Clark Jr. said. “I loved that but I also wanted to be an R&B singer.”

Although Clark Jr. was told, and encouraged, that he was going to be next B.B. King for his blues music, at a certain point he decided he wanted to play different genres of music, regardless if the songs were successful or not. He talked about when he posted some of his R&B-influenced songs onto MySpace, he received messages praising his work. He then said 10 years later he would walk out on the grand stage and play the same song he put up on his MySpace page.

After some further discussion, Clark Jr. took questions from members of the media, with questions ranging if he ever reconsider his career in music to how the role of the guitar needs to change. He was also asked if he’s noticed any changes to Bonnaroo since his last appearance in 2015, and he said for him it appeared to be same, and jokingly asked if he needed to ask someone if there’s been a change.

“Stage crew was cool, production was cool, everything was cool,” he said.

Langer thanked Clark Jr. for taking time to speak with him and to answer questions from some of the media students, stating there was no reason for him to do after performing his set. Clark Jr. said he disagreed as for him everyone has different experiences, and he’s interested in the perspectives of young people.

“I’m interested in them as they have much to offer as I have to offer, probably even more because the world is forever changing,” Clark Jr. said. “Right now they the clearest, most fresh perspective on how the world is going.”