The Grand Theater -Wausau - Nov. 6, 2007 (Page 1 of 2)

I was there too.  Thanks for the set list.

I was right behind the keyboard player on stage.

I stood onstage and was amazed at how long you all waited for Joe to come out.

Mountain Time was my favorite

Sorry, bad sentence.  The group of folks waiting for autographs.  After the show.

Nah, I thought the crew was really good actually.

Crosby was cool as heck, his show at the Mint is something I want to come out for.

I thought I might see a rumored packers jersey.

Sorry man.

Different set to changed things up on my 3rd night of 3 shows.  This crowd was very polite. Probably had something to do with no alcohol in the venue.  Joe stood completely away from the mic on a portion of "Asking Around for You" and everyone could hear him. (or at least I could, about 10 rows back on the floor, dead center)

Joe's come a long way from playing a circus tent at the Blues festival in '04 to now this great venue. 

Recording appears to have come out great.

We were hanging around meeting and talking to each other -  not really expecting
Joe to come out.  Carmine came out and started talking to us and asked what I was
carrying - I had a picture of Joe from 2003 and a Vintage Guitar magazine .
Joe coming out was an unexpected treat and finally after carring this stuff around for
3 shows I got it signed - and already framed.  Thanks Joe.  Roy is in the shower right
now but will have alot more to add.  Dino - why didn't you come down and introduce
yourself.?  The Packer jersey was in the wash - replaced by a New York Yankees
jersey - yikes!!  Fantastic show again guys.
Jaci

I loved seeing the huge **J O E   B O N A M A S S A** on the scrolling marquee of that old theater.  Now that was somethin'.  My favorite Joe show to date.

Roy, Lee, Jaci & Ken it was GREAT to meet you all!

I think that means. Tight band.

That means a good review in City Pages, right Dino?   I want to talk to you about your thoughts about how it all went (offline - email me.)

I guess I am going to dip my toe here, or jump in depending on how you see this.  But I will let you, and I suppose Joe know what I thought of the show.  I am totally stalling here, trying to decide if I really want to do it.  So, I am listening to Kanye Wests new single, and it is cleearly the record of the year.  Total grammy right therre.  Amazing record.

Alright.  So some things...I am going to do the writer thing, and refer to Joe as Bonamassa, to allow myself the critic distance thing okay?

Okay good.  Before we start.  I want to remind all of you, that I played 3 hours of Joe on a radio show, which was streamed on the internet, and some of you listened...and I was funny.  I want to remind you all, that one the front page of the City Pages the editor wrote The Best Guitarist in the world, in referring to Joe.  And I am not wearing any protective gear like a helmet or anything.

When seeing Bonamassa I am left thinking about the ocean or outer space.  Clearly Bonamassa has a differant idea for the guitar than a lot of other people do.  Tonight at the Grand we saw some of those ideas come forward.

The first thing you need to know now, Bonamassa is simply not a blues guy.  I think I only heard one shuffle during the whole night.  Saying this, while it might incite some, means nothing to me.  Saying Bonamassa is a blues guy is limiting a guy whos talent and hard work have clearly opened up a new vien of musical gold in the side of the mountain.  Bonamassa sought to create classical music moments of transcendant emotion, stepping away from the mic, symbolically stepping away from his band to go on a personal journey with the audience, driving the audience in a pastoral way to the musical heights he wants to take you to.

Bonamassa's drummer and bass player had the ability to make tremendous dynamic changes without so much as a glance, or any apparent verbal cueing from the bandleader.  Indicating a sort of musical ESP brought on by thousands of shows, and millions of hours playing together. 

I thought the most telling thing of the night was Crosby Loggins.  the musical significance of the first artist to sign to Joe's imprint being a poetic singer songwriter should not be missed.  Clearly the lyrical poetry of Crosby is mirrored in the poetic range of Bonamassa on a guitar.  Crosby is a wordsmit of a very high order, with a playful use of the words in his songs to create images and emotional response in people...something that Joe has taken on in his guitar playing.

Bonamassa seeks to paint pictures with tone, and some might not dig it.  Some might.