Keith Richards jammed with Eric Clapton on Saturday night (August 13th) during Clapton's Crossroads Guitar Festival at New York's Madison Square Garden, according to Billboard. Richards repaid the favor to Clapton, who made an appearance during the Rolling Stones' London shows last December, by joining "Slowhand" for the blues evergreen "Key To The Highway" made famous by Big Bill Broonzy -- and featured by Clapton on Derek & The Dominoes' 1970 classic, Layla And Other Assorted Love Songs. Prior to the second number -- which also featured drummer Steve Jordan, who happens to be Richards' chief solo collaborator and X-Pensive Winos bandmate -- Richards told the crowd: "Now we're gonna rock it up" and sailed into a cover of Chuck Berry's "Sweet Little Rock N' Roller."
Eric Clapton says he's come to view Keith Richards and the Stones the way he thought about the groundbreaking early bluesmen: "Well, he said a lot of great things and I read some great interviews where he said all he wanted to do was grow up with this thing, instead of, y'know, leaving it as though it was part of his adolescence (and) grow up with it. And I think that's really an important attitude to have. And I think it caught with the rest of them and I see they're all such great musicians, I don't think they really counted themselves as that before. And in this day and age when the musician is actually a dying breed, they all come to realize their worth."

Mick Jagger spoke frankly about the Rolling Stones not having a new album to support this year on the road as being a mixed blessing. Jagger, who's always made sure the band has included a handful of new tracks in their live repertoire, admitted to USA Today: "It would be nice to have a new album, but people don't like the new album when you play it on stage. They glumly look at you. 'OK, it will be over in a minute.' It's not a good excuse, but it's the truth and has to be said. . .I worry a lot. You see that post (online), 'I hope they do 'Wild Horses,' and then we do some obscure ballad, perhaps not brilliantly. Then you see, 'It was really good, that obscure ballad, but actually I wanted them to do 'Wild Horses.'' We have so many ballads and we only do a couple in a show. I do think we'll do one or two obscurities."

Jagger says just because a song might've cooked during rehearsals hardly means that it'll be a hit when introduced onstage: "The thing about when you do running orders, is that it's completely hypothetical. You don't know if this song is going to work -- and you soon do. And you go out and you do it. And if it doesn't work. . . you don't know about songs."

The Rolling Stones have added eight new shows to their 50 & Counting Tour. New stops include one more night at Anaheim, California's Honda Center on May 18; a second L.A. show at the Staples Center on May 20th; two more nights at Chicago's United Center on May 31st and June 3rd; a second stop at Toronto's Air Canada Centre on June 6th; a second Boston show at TD North Garden on June 14th; and a second Philly date at TD Bank Center on June 21st; The only new UK date is a second appearances at London's Hyde Park on June 13th.

UPDATED: The Rolling Stones tour dates (subject to change):
May 2 - Los Angeles - Staples Center
May 5 - Oakland, CA - Oracle Arena
May 8 - San Jose, CA - HP Pavilion
May 11 - Las Vegas, NV - MGM Grand Garden Arena
May 15 - Anaheim, CA - Honda Center
May 18 - Anaheim, CA - Honda Center
May 20 - Los Angeles - Staples Center
May 25 - Toronto, ON - Air Canada Centre
May 28 - Chicago, IL - United Center
May 31 - Chicago, IL - United Center
June 3 - Chicago, IL - United Center
June 6 - Toronto, ON - Air Canada Centre
June 12 - Boston, MA - TD North Garden
June 14- Boston, MA - TD North Garden
June 18 - Philadelphia, PA - Wells Fargo Center
June 21 - Philadelphia, PA - Wells Fargo Center
June 29 - Pilton, England - Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm
July 6 - London, England - Hyde Park
July 13 - London, England - Hyde Park

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