W00t! Joe B is coming to town!

[marnold]

My dear wife told me that she heard on the radio that Joe Bonamassa is going to be performing at the Weidner Center in Green Bay on Friday, March 11! The only bad news is that that is Ash Wednesday week which is an abnormally busy week for me. Normally I'd be loathe to add anything to me schedule. I think in this case I'll make an exception.

[Spudman]

You lucky dog. I'd love to see Joe. I'll bet he never comes within 500 miles of me.

[sumitomo]

You lucky dog you.You better get your Ash to work so you can enjoy that show.Sumi:D

[marnold]

Got tix for me, my wife, and a friend of ours. Much more than when he was at the casino last time, but it's a nicer venue. Ninth row on the far left. This picture is basically taken from our seats:

http://www.uwgb.edu/weidner/seatcharts/leftforc.jpg

Almost had a coronary when this friend told me they were sold out! Thankfully, I went through the Weidner website and he was wrong :)

[Ch0jin]

That looks like a good spot too. I'd never really taken an interest until DVM posted about him, but now having listened to him, I'd love to check him out live.

[marnold]

Tonight's the night! Naturally, in addition to my other Ash Wednesday week priorities, I caught a head cold or something. I'm still going to enjoy myself tonight.

They had a PBS beg-athon recently where the gifts you'd get for donating included tickets to the show and "meet and greet" passes. Would've loved to have gotten my hands on a couple of those!

[duhvoodooman]

Tonight's the night! Naturally, in addition to my other Ash Wednesday week priorities, I caught a head cold or something. I'm still going to enjoy myself tonight.

They had a PBS beg-athon recently where the gifts you'd get for donating included tickets to the show and "meet and greet" passes. Would've loved to have gotten my hands on a couple of those!

Enjoy the show, Rev--I'm certain you will! Will be expecting to see a set list; I'm sure there will be several numbers from the new Dust Bowl CD to be released this month!

[marnold]

Enjoy the show, Rev--I'm certain you will! Will be expecting to see a set list; I'm sure there will be several numbers from the new Dust Bowl CD to be released this month!

I was thinking the same thing--or maybe a BCC tune thrown in too. I'm wondering if they'll have Dust Bowl for sale there . . .

[duhvoodooman]

I was thinking the same thing--or maybe a BCC tune thrown in too. I'm wondering if they'll have Dust Bowl for sale there . . .

Yeah, maybe Song of Yesterday--that one is mostly Joe. Just need somebody to cover the high Glenn Hughes chorus parts.

Official release date for Dust Bowl is the 22nd. But who knows--maybe they'll have some pre-release copies for sale. The pre-orders (I ordered one, unsurprisingly!) are supposed to ship the 15th, IIRC....

[Tig]

You can listen to some short samples of Dust Bowl at Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/Dust-Bowl-Joe-Bonamassa/dp/B004LSJCJM/ref=ntt_mus_ep_dpt_1).
Several songs sound pretty good, even with just a 30 second preview.

[marnold]

In attendance last night were yours truly, my wife, and a friend/member of my congregation. He too is a metal head and aspiring guitarist so we were pleased to hear the last song over the PA before Joe came on was "2 Minutes to Midnight" by Iron Maiden :)

Per DVM's request, here is the set list from last night. He played for two hours 15 minutes straight with only a little kibutzing with the audience. He apologized for not having been back for 3.5 years (at that point, someone booed and he said with a smile on his face, "Hey, don't boo. We're back. We're back.") and commented that our definition of "spring coming" was much different from his :)

I didn't recognize the first song. Judging from another set list I found online, it's Cradle Rock
So Many Roads
When the Fire Hits the Sea
So, It's Like That
If Heartaches Were Nickels
Slow Train
Dust Bowl
You Better Watch Yourself
Sloe Gin
Ballad of John Henry
Lonesome Road Blues
Happier Times
Steal Your Heart Away
The Great Flood
Young Man Blues
Acoustic stuff leading into Woke Up Dreaming followed by more acoustic stuff, even with some sweep picking!
Django (that's what I wrote down, but I wonder if it was actually "India")
Mountain Time
Encore: Bird on a Wire
Encore: Just Got Paid

The band was the same as the last time I saw him and on the RAH video, except the drummer who looked like he might be more at home in a Skynyrd cover band. He was an excellent drummer nonetheless and Joe seemed to be having fun playing off of him.

Joe had his usual guitar tour de force. Lots of different Les Pauls in addition to his sig model. One had a Bigsby. One was a some kind of mutt. It had a Les Paul body with one bridge humbucker, wrap around tailpiece, single volume and tone controls, and a Firebird reverse-swept headstock. He also played a red 335, a white double-necked SG, and a Music Man. For Bird on a Wire, he busted out his shiny Tele. For Just Got Paid, he broke out the Flying V and all the band members donned cheeseheads. The theramin made an appearance on John Henry and Just Got Paid. Premier Guitar has pictures of his guitars for this tour. (http://www.premierguitar.com/Magazine/Issue/2011/Mar/GALLERY_Joe_Bonamassas_Dust_Bowl_Tour_Guitars.aspx ?Page=1) On that page they also have videos with him talking about three tracks from the new album, all three of which he played last night.

My friend, who saw him with me in 07, said that Joe seemed better in every regard since the last time we saw him. I noticed that his singing seemed much more powerful. He really had command of the stage. His guitar playing was phenomenal. My friend said he was going to burn his guitars. My wife really liked a couple of the new tracks, commenting during the show, "We have to get that new album." Yes, ma'am! I just hope it's not another 3.5 years until he comes around again, although he promised it wouldn't be.

[marnold]

My phone takes remarkably crappy pictures in low light, but you'll probably get the idea.

Joe's touring semi
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_OT7l0dXu4To/TXubRisCbyI/AAAAAAAABEY/GcvRTSBaIqs/s800/IMAG0052.jpg

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_OT7l0dXu4To/TXubfg1NlKI/AAAAAAAABEc/8nbN85GBe28/s800/IMAG0055.jpg

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_OT7l0dXu4To/TXub2dXBfkI/AAAAAAAABEs/qJb4jfoBUSo/s800/IMAG0057.jpg

Joe with flying V and cheesehead
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_OT7l0dXu4To/TXucD3loDXI/AAAAAAAABEw/KNZBIgHSQWQ/s800/IMAG0061.jpg

[marnold]

Apparently his former drummer, Bogie Bowles, got tired of touring constantly (http://jbonamassa.com/2010/12/farewell-and-thank-you-bogie-bowles/) and has been replaced by Tal Bergman (http://bonamassalive.com/2011/01/28/joe-bonamassas-new-drummer-tal-bergman/).

[ZMAN]

Did he play "Just got paid" with the flying V? That was amazing on the Albert Hall DVD.

[marnold]

Did he play "Just got paid" with the flying V? That was amazing on the Albert Hall DVD.

Yes he did!

[Eric]

Apparently he's having a seizure in that second picture of him on stage...

[duhvoodooman]

Per DVM's request, here is the set list from last night....I didn't recognize the first song. Judging from another set list I found online, it's Cradle Rock
So Many Roads
When the Fire Hits the Sea
So, It's Like That
If Heartaches Were Nickels
Slow Train
Dust Bowl
You Better Watch Yourself
Sloe Gin
Ballad of John Henry
Lonesome Road Blues
Happier Times
Steal Your Heart Away
The Great Flood
Young Man Blues
Acoustic stuff leading into Woke Up Dreaming followed by more acoustic stuff, even with some sweep picking!
Django (that's what I wrote down, but I wonder if it was actually "India")
Mountain Time
Encore: Bird on a Wire
Encore: Just Got Paid
Thanks for posting that, Rev! Very similar to the set I saw in Springfield MA last November (shown HERE (http://www.thefret.net/showthread.php/16903-Joe-Bonamassa-Springfield-MA-11-11-10?p=191582&viewfull=1#post191582)), with the addition of Dust Bowl and You Better Watch Yourself. Yeah, I'm sure that first tune would have been Cradle Rock, an old Rory Gallagher tune. And it probably was Django leading into Mountain Time; at least, that was how he played it last Nov.


Joe had his usual guitar tour de force. Lots of different Les Pauls in addition to his sig model. One had a Bigsby. One was a some kind of mutt. It had a Les Paul body with one bridge humbucker, wrap around tailpiece, single volume and tone controls, and a Firebird reverse-swept headstock. He also played a red 335, a white double-necked SG, and a Music Man. For Bird on a Wire, he busted out his shiny Tele. For Just Got Paid, he broke out the Flying V and all the band members donned cheeseheads. The theramin made an appearance on John Henry and Just Got Paid. Premier Guitar has pictures of his guitars for this tour. (http://www.premierguitar.com/Magazine/Issue/2011/Mar/GALLERY_Joe_Bonamassas_Dust_Bowl_Tour_Guitars.aspx ?Page=1) On that page they also have videos with him talking about three tracks from the new album, all three of which he played last night.
Couple of new guitars there. The doubleneck I haven't seen him use before, and that LP/Fiebird hybrid is new. But note especially the guitar on the second page of that gallery (http://www.premierguitar.com/Magazine/Issue/2011/Mar/GALLERY_Joe_Bonamassas_Dust_Bowl_Tour_Guitars.aspx ?Page=2&#gallery). It says "1959 Gibson Les Paul Sunburst". Missing is the word "reissue". If it's truly an original 'Burst, I'm surprised that he'd have it out on the road!

[Spudman]

Joe is playing a black flame top/reverse headstock Musicman Steve Morse guitar too. Apparently it is the only one in existence. It has caused quite a buzz among the Musicman faithful players and now they are clamoring for that to be put into production.