Video: Gary Clark Jr. Performs National Anthem at NBA All-Star Game
Sunday night, the seemingly ubiquitous Gary Clark Jr. turned up at the NBA All-Star Game in New Orleans.
The Austin-based genre-blending blues-rock guitarist showed up at the horribly named Smoothie King Center with a Gibson, a slide and a breathtaking arrangement of "The Star-Spangled Banner" — all of which made a serious impression on the crowd in the stands.
Check out the two-minute-plus clip below and let us know what you think!
P.S.: The Eastern Conference All-Stars battled back from an 18-point second-half deficit to win the game, 163-155.
Get The Pick Newsletter
All the latest guitar news, interviews, lessons, reviews, deals and more, direct to your inbox!

Damian is Editor-in-Chief of Guitar World magazine. In past lives, he was GW’s managing editor and online managing editor. He's written liner notes for major-label releases, including Stevie Ray Vaughan's 'The Complete Epic Recordings Collection' (Sony Legacy) and has interviewed everyone from Yngwie Malmsteen to Kevin Bacon (with a few memorable Eric Clapton chats thrown into the mix). Damian, a former member of Brooklyn's The Gas House Gorillas, was the sole guitarist in Mister Neutron, a trio that toured the U.S. and released three albums. He now plays in two NYC-area bands.
“I could be blazing on Instagram, and there'll still be comments like, ‘You'll never be Richie’”: The recent Bon Jovi documentary helped guitarist Phil X win over even more of the band's fans – but he still deals with some naysayers
“I just learned them from the records. I don’t read tabs or anything, I don’t read music – I learned by ear”: How a teenage Muireann Bradley put a cover of Blind Blake’s Police Dog Blues on YouTube and became a standard bearer for country blues