NEW YORK - It was Eric Clapton's birthday celebration, but it was the sold-out crowd at Madison Square Garden that got a gift as the guitar god enthralled during a two-hour concert that included some of his biggest hits and guest stars including John Mayer. There was no cake or “Happy Birthday” serenade; in fact, Clapton started Saturday's concert in typical matter-of-fact fashion, with a brief salutation to the crowd before delving into a rollicking version of “Somebody's Knocking” from J.J. Cale. Still, the first in Clapton's two-night stand to mark his 70th (which actually happened March 30) was special, if only for Clapton's legendary guitar play, scorching through songs like “Hoochie Coochie” and “Queen of Spades,” while measured but still stirring during songs like his acoustic “Tears in Heaven,” which he switched up with a reggae arrangement more uptempo than the original version. Clapton said little to the crowd, but toward the end he let on that the night was just as magical to him as it was to the audience. “I want to thank you for helping me celebrate,” he said. “This is the best birthday I ever had.” - AP