bloomington show report (Page 1 of 2)

Agree with what you both said.

It wasn't the best show I've seen Joe do but I think it was mostly due to the venue.

1. The acoustics were lousy. The low ceilings tamped down the sound and it took a couple of songs for the techies to get the sound levels acceptable.
2. I noticed right away that Joe was pulling his punches with his singing. I hope it was the mike as suhl suggests and not Joe being sick again.
3. I hate the whole banquet hall setting. Sitting at tables like you're at a wedding is a very uncomfortable way to see a show. And the fact that they had an opening act allowed people to get good and drunk before Joe even came on. There were so many people wandering all over the place it made it hard to see and so many people having loud conversations that would not SHUT UP and respect the music that we couldn't hear what Rick was playing most of the time or the small, quieter parts of Joe's solos. Very disappointing as I was looking forward to seeing the band with the addition of Rick.
4. I have to say that if Joe is booked in that hall again I wouldn't go see him there.

That being said, I loved what Joe was able to do because he had Rick there. Because he had keyboards to cover the middle, Joe was able to be much more free and open with his solos. He did some astounding stuff. Django is one that stands out in my mind.

I also was blown away by the solo he did on Woke Up Dreaming. His acoustic playing was at a whole new level and I think it's because he's been doing so much acoustic work recording the new CD. It makes me that much more eager for its release.

Bogie's drum solo was the best I've seen him do. It really stood out as a high point of the night.

Fashion critique time: Joe looked great with the new haircut. He's lost more weight and looks very fit. Good work, Joe! Loved the shirt, black is definitely his color. On the other hand, I've got to say to Mark why did you cut your hair?? I'm sorry but it's just doesn't work for you at that length. Either go long again or go short. In between not good.

So, all in all, I had a good time and enjoyed the show but a theatre venue would have made it better.

Nancy in Chicago

Just because middleaged people do go nuts at a show does not mean they do not enjoy themsellves.I know I am laid back and dont show a lot of emotion at these events but thats just me and I do enjoy myself I see very few young people at these shows.Middleaged people have growup with blues music and understand and like it.I was glad to see joe in a small town  type venue.This is close for me to see a concert and a lot of people in this area have never hear of joe bonamassa.Althou My brother and I have worked hard to change that(along with a lot of others).The fact that this many people turned out on a thursday night is pretty amazing and that the word is getting out.For me this is a major victory to have him play in this area(he played in chicago at joes sports bar)I dont like to go to chicago to see concerts

im not saying all middle aged people.  but feel free to say what you want.  if you were there it was mostly middle aged people sitting down at tables and treating it like a dinner party with a house band.  i was there for the show, most of the middle aged people were there for a night out, casually enjoying it.  Spenmding more time talking to each other than enjoying the show.  yes, more than half the crowd was sitting down and just chatting away the entire time.  You could quite literally hear the chatter just as much as the music.

bloomington doesnt have good live venues.  doesnt have to be at chicago.  canopy club in champaign would have worked.  I am not blaming the middleaged bpeople for this is another i want to make clear.  but i consider this guy like a young eric clapton and the thing is most of his fans are holdover clapton fans and from other things.  i really doubt when people went to see hendrix it was a country club/wedding type atmosphere that it was there.  i am not blaming the middleaged peopole  the people i am blaming is in fact the younger generation for not looking for good music.  I am not accusing you of having a good time.  the point is i am 19 and i was one of less than ten people there younger than the man on stage. 

again i am not trying to offend any of the old people here, but the atmosphere would have been better had the crowd been younger.  there is this hip thing kids do at shows today called standing up, oh yeah and paying attention to the guy on stage not what drink is in front of them.

all in all i really really hope to see this guy play at a venue meant for music and not weddings.  a two hour drive to see a guy play in a concert hall instead of what was basically a low quality hotel ballroom may be too much to ask for some people but i myself would welcome it

and the magazine cover at the intro to the website is so right on.  where is the younger generation here some of the best music being played on the planet being played by a relatively young guy himself,  two colleges less than five miles away and you can count the number of students there on one hand.

I just wanted to make it clear that my main disappointment was with the experience and not the show.

This was the first of Joe's shows I've been to that I seemed to be the only person around me that was enjoying what Joe and the boys were doing. There was some heavy duty head banging going on in my chair, I can assure you! Everyone else seemed more intent on drinking and conversing and the band was just background noise. Now, I was in the back so things were probably different up front. I guess I could have moved up front but I didn't really feel like standing for the whole show.

I've seen Joe three other times this year (once in Crystal Lake and twice in Oneida) and each experience was such a high because everyone was on the same wavelength. When the audience and Joe are totally in synch it's magic, and that's the experience I missed Thursday night. I'm not sure it had anything to do with the age of the audience. I think it had more to do with the fact that a lot of people who attended were first-timers and more interested in the social aspect of the event than the joy of seeing one of the greatest guitar players currently on the scene. I think if there hadn't been a warmup act that gave people plenty of time to drink and socialize ahead of the main act, the atmosphere might have been different.

Yes, the acoustics were not as good as one might wish. That I can live with. What would make me think twice about attending this venue again is whether I could expect the same experience I had last night or not. Joe plays plenty of shows (for which I am really grateful) and I'm willing to travel. If a venue is more suited to how I want to experience Joe's show then that will be a show I attend.

Nancy in Chicago

whoever reads this, read the whole thing so you can see i am not just trying to be a prick or stir things up here.

say what you want friend, my opinion remains the same.  if you have ever been to a show where the music was louder than the people next to you you may have some context.  believe me i am not just trying to be a pessimist here.  i have seen bands i dont like half as much as i like joe live and enjoyed the shows more.  As i said before he wasnt at fault.

i think i may have been a little out of line with the age thing, but i want to make sure people think im not just some young punk.  i am just saying, think of all joes influneces and who would have been his peers.  when you think of clapton, hendrix, srv, bb king, led zep, cream, zz top, etc, any of them playing concerts in their prime, do you think a ballroom full of middle aged married couples?  so that is what i am saying there.  the venue was more of the problem.

as to the venue, what i mean there is, and take it from me here i was staring at the stage, listening as best i could the entire time, the music wasnt up loud enough.  i can only assume it was the venue, because quite literally every concert i have ever been to you have to raise your voice to be heard by someone.  here you just had to tlak in a normal voice.  it was like if it was turn just above normal in your living room.  most concerts you have to yell to be heard by the person next to you.

the guy rocked.  no one is disputing that.  He was the most amazing guitarist i have ever seen live.  he didnt slip.  voice was a little weak but it seemed kind of like a mic problem to me but either way the voice wasnt what drew me to this guy.  I could just be bitter because i missed songs i really wanted to hear by arriving when the show was supposed to start.

All in all it left me unsatisfied and I really think this guy is the best guitarist to come around since stevie ray vaughn and im not just going to throw that term around.  What i am saying is i cant wait to see him again in a venue meant for music.  This simply did not do him justice.  I would have preferred he payed in a garage.    and no offense to you old people i cant fault you for having good taste i hope to be doing exactly what you did around twenty years from now, but i would like to see a few more young faces there, for joes sake.  I am not just trying to play devils advocate and stir things up here.  If the guy plays an actualy concert venue within five hundred miles of where i am at the time i will make the drive.  If he plays at the same place in bloomington, as much as i hate to say it i wont be going back.

Simple answer on the older crowd. This type of music was popular when these people were younger. They are still listening to this music. Rap is popular now. All one has to do is look at the charts.

Suhl,
I think it's great that you're a JB fan at the age of 19. I'm 50 and grew up listening to Clapton, et. al. and Joe just struck a chord (no pun intended) with me and I've become a huge fan. I have always wondered where the younger people were at these shows...they are usually in the minority. Maybe some of them are into Rap, HipHop, or whatever and Blues Rock is not their thing. But what about the others? How many of your friends did you bring along to the show? I'd love to see Joe's younger fans spreading the word and dragging THEIR friends along to these shows. I have two daughters that are 21 and 23. They have become JB fans and I've brought   a few of their friends to shows who have also become fans. They have other friends who just wouldn't get it or appreciate it (or would rather stay home and watch American Idol). The point is, the people who are at these shows love Joe and his style of music. Young or old, we should be spreading the word to other potential fans.

I have promoted joe since I first saw him at the Hideout in 03 - this guy is the real deal BUT to bring in the youth is another story.  We all have to rembember when you were young, you wanted to have your own identity in this world, especiallly in your music.  Didn't matter if anyone dug it or not---except maybe a couple of your friends but you still would not abandon it, that represents you.  Hell I remember jumping around with tennis rackets air jammin to ZZtop fandango.  Youth ruled with flavor!  joe will eventually have enough following to be packing large venues.  So as an earlier post wrote, keep bringing new blood to all the shows, I brought two new bodies in Blooming, they loved the show, and hope to spread the good word!!!!!!!!!!