Interview: Joe Bonamassa Discusses His Music and Life on the Road

Behind the inspired music of Joe Bonamassa is a talented musician, level-headed businessman, and down to earth soul, all of which I discovered when I sat down with this month's featured artist and Blogcritics' Managing Editor, Joan Hunt, a few hours before the August 10 show at The Railhead in Las Vegas' Boulder Station Casino.

There is no doubt the basis of Blues music boils down to the song. With its roots planted deeply in American history, it is, by definition, about the stories, and the songs evolve and change with each and every live performance, developing a life of their own. So it was no surprise to hear a lot of thought goes into what songs will comprise a typical set. Joe confided, "I choose songs simply based on how they will flow, what's best for the show, and my physical abilities."

He also readily admitted "Asking Around For You" was his favorite among the songs he has written, and when he later kicked off the encore with the song it became more than evident why. Steeped in traditional sounds and executed with a moaning guitar, he delivers a song that will bring the likes of Ray Charles to mind. The song is from his current release, You and Me.

Though his songs seem to come from a deep and inspired place, he quickly agreed sometimes fans try to read too much into them. He took it a step further saying, "People tend to read too much into everything." The implication is his lyrics are matter-of-fact and direct and when asked why his poignant lyrics never appear on the liner notes of his albums, he insisted the songs are simply what they are.

"I'm not Bob Dylan," he said with a slight laugh. I think the die-hard fans in attendance at the Railhead who were singing along to their favorites such as "Mountain Time," "Bridge to Better Days," and the aforementioned "Asking Around For You" would disagree.

Article Author: Connie Phillips

Wife, mother, aspiring novelist, and music editor at BC Magazine, Connie Phillips spends most of her time in a fantasy land of her own creating. In reality, she writes about music, television, and the process of writing, when she's not cheering on her kids at equestrian events. …

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