In preparation for the show, I found some of Bonamassa's recent setlists on the web, which all indicated he has been ending most of his shows with a medley of ZZ Top's "Just Got Paid" and Led Zeppelin's "Dazed & Confused." This was going to be too cool, I thought. Well, at 8 PM sharp, Joe and his brand new rhythm section of Mark Epstein (bass), and Bogie Bowels (drums) took the stage, and, to my amazement, kicked off the show with that very jaw-dropping medley. It was as much of a surprise as when he broke into Yes' "Heart Of The Sunrise" and "Starship Trooper" during the encore set of his Live At Rockpalast DVD. The power and energy of this opener was astounding, and he wasn't even warmed up yet.
From there, it was a blazing journey through of some of his best old stuff, and on up to the brand new material. Joe made the old Free classic "Walk In My Shadows" his own back on his debut album, A New Day Yesterday, but this muscular performance really made me sit up and take notice. The acoustics in Blues Alley sound phenomenal and each instrument stood out boldly in the mix. Joe's guitar has never sounded better and he played with passion and enthusiasm, as if this was his only show — not just one of eight. He masterfully manipulates his volume, tone, distortion, and picking technique, which allows him to effortlessly glide between heavy rock grooves, delicate finger-picked interludes, and scorching blues solos throughout the show.
For this show, Joe chose "So Many Roads" and "Bridge To Better Days" to represent the new You & Me album, and they are two of my favorite cuts. "So Many Roads" is the classic slow-burning blues number, originally made famous by Otis Rush, and Joe took it to a whole new level this night with enough improvisation and extended soloing to nearly make it a new song. This is kind of his live trademark — to build on a song's basic framework, crank up the intensity, and make it sound fresh every night. He pulls it off as good as anyone I've ever seen. "Bridge" sounded phenomenal, but I was disappointed that they skipped over the wonderful harmony vocal chant, "better days are comin' now," during the chorus. I guess he is not that confident with the vocal abilities of his new band members.
Article comments
1 - Joan Hunt
Did I or did I not tell you how much fun you'd have at a show? I'm so glad you finally got your chance to experience Joe Bonamassa live. I'm even happier to hear you had a good time!
You know, if you want, you can come spend Thanksgiving weekend in San Diego with us and catch a couple more show. Bring the family, see the sights, dig the music.
2 - Joan Hunt
p.s. the "better days" chorus hasn't appeared live yet, but I always sing it in my head. My son did the same thing during a sound check he witnessed in August. And, while Mark can sing, I'm not sure why he's not. Oh well, I'm just happy to see the band every chance I get.
3 - Paul Roy
Hi Joan, a San Diego Bonamassa-fest sure sounds tempting. Do you know why Joe only plays such small venues? At least that is the case around this area. They all end up selling out immediately.
4 - Connie Phillips
Congrats! This article has been forwarded to the Advance.net websites.