[ Closed ] St. Louis Show @ The Pageant (Page 1 of 2)

Definetly join the street team Strat, and check in often, thanks for the review.

Dave

Strat, thanks for the story. It's not easy to get your children to admit you've got good taste, so kudos to you! Glad you got to meet some forum STARS! I bet you already tell people about Joe's music so get "offical" and join the Street Team......bartdude..Welcome to Joe World! You shouldn't get bashed for complaints about the sound quality. It's happened before...frequently it depends are where you were in the venue. That's why you get differing reviews. This points out why you need multiple Joe shows!! Well, that's my story and I'm sticking to it!                    Cathy

I took my son and his buddy to see Joe last night and they were both blown away (as was I).  I've taken my son to see some really good acts, but he did not hesitate for a second when I asked what he though after the show... he said "that's the best show I've ever seen".  It didn't hurt that we were 3rd row orchestra!  I'm sure that these boys will go to school on Monday and spread the word on what a great musician (s) Joe Bonamasa and band were/are.

My son is the photo editor for the school papaer, so it was awesome to see him right at Joe's feet snapping away without anybody harrasing him (like some people do), Joe would just stike up an awesome pose for him.... VERY cool!

I've been going to concerts for over 30 years, and this one ranks up at the top.

I too had a hard time at first understanding Crosby Loggins, but they straightened that out quick.

As far as Joe's sound was, I have a different perspective. We sat first tier on Joe's side and my son and I both thought the sound was pretty good except Carmine could have been a little higher in the mix. We are used to LOUD CONCERTS and maybe that gives us a little different thought on the loudness of this one. If you aren't used to concerts or loud ones anyway, then this may have been perceived as loud. Again, where you were sitting may also have had a bearing, but I've never had a problem with the Pageant sound.

In fact, the PA volume was low enough, there were times we could occasionally differentiate between Joes' amps (his actual stage volume) and the mic'd sound.

When we saw Joe Satriani at the Pageant, we couldn't have done that. Talk about LOUD!

Dear Joe

Thank you for the concert experience of our life.  Your cup is not half empty, nor is it half full, it's brimming over (free refills of course!).

We're still talking about last night too.  Jim said "it's the Pageant, so you know it's going to be good, it's going to be great, but this was the epitome of Joe.  It was off the charts in every regard. "

We got it all last night.  A dynamic, extraordinarily detailed show from the greatest guitar player on earth.  We feel very fortunate to have been able to share it with you.  It was truly a magical experience, and especially sweet for Joe, who revealed feeling vindicated from a 2001 STL concert experience with a very poor turnout.  I believe there close to 800 people there who about midway into the show jumped to their feet in a feedback frenzy after Joe completed Woke up Dreamin with an extensive and outrageous extended solo at the end that went on for like 20 minutes.  After that, Joe knew he owned this crowd.  Yes, the upper balcony was empty.  Never again.  This venue will hold I'm guessing up to 2,000 people.  I would bet my newly treasured guitar pick from last night that he sells this venue out next time. 

We DID get it all last night.  A very well balanced set list that included 2 encores and even a wardrobe change.  A happy, relaxed Joe and band that seemed to enjoy it as much as we did.  He added that "LIVE" concert touch adding color and dimension to most of the songs that "WOW's" us all. We got a little bit of slide work, some WAH, DD3, (I think), Gillotti, Les Paul, acoustic, some other Gibson guitar that he brought out at the end that I've never seen him play......  He was at times a bit serious, a bit scolding, genuinely emotional and even a comedian.... yep, he came out with his black knit cap on.   He asked for the crowd to be quiet so he could play softly, everyone did except one or two people, he told them to SSSHHH and then SSSSHHHH again, then he gave......"THAT LOOK".

I think that was the first time I realized what "THAT LOOK" is, cause I saw it ...  OH MAN !!!!

The new people we brought with us were as expected, blown away.  The merchandise booth was like a Walmart return merchandise line the day after Christmas.   

Not good with remembering set lists, but he opened up with Bridge to Better Days, he ended with "Angel on my Shoulder".  He played the Rockpalast version of "Mountain Time" - man that Gillotti has a great tone.  There was a tasteful intro to mountain time, it sounded like his new INDIA, but not sure cause that song is somewhat abstract and difficult to get your arms around.  If it was India,  I must say, that I like this song much better in a live setting than I do on the studio CD.       I was a little surprised when the first notes of "Sloe Gin" keys were played that the crowd wasn't louder at the sound of this, but I'm guessing there were simply ALOT of brand new newbies in there that do not have the new CD yet.  Mayday, Mayday, I've been shot down over stormy seas....  I wish there was a way to put in that little studio version guitar effect in right there, cause that's so cool.  He played an acoustic "If heartaches were nickels".  He did a ZZtop cover. I don't know why, when "Dirt in My Pocket" is a hard enough song to have been inserted there.   

We got it all & them some.  O.K. what was the Budda statue on the stage smoking ?  Man, couple of us were thinking of taking a hit off it.  just kidding.   Joe, band is tight, your playing is impeccible, you should be on top of the world.  Keep it together then.   --- Peace Out ----

P.S.  Can you come back and do this again very soon !  thank you so much

To say Joe owned the crowd is an understatement! Joe, you had the audience eating out of the palm of your hand. I do have to say that The Pagent was the best show of yours I have seen, and this was my 9th show this year! The audience was great as well as I have never seen applause like that before at any of the other shows. They were well behaved and shushing was only necessary on one part of one song! This was a show that would be great for a live CD, lots of applause, and cheering at the end of the songs without a lot of inappropriate timed shout-outs.

Patty was so excited to get one more show in and to also bring her son Bobby! Misterlee came from KC as well. My husband, son (13) and daughter (17) also attended. My daughter was able to get a hold of the last small sized Joe "cartoon" shirt. She thinks the artwork is cool and cannot wear the Sloe Gin one to school because of the reference to alcohol.

Joe was well supported with over 700 tickets sold which is great considering the last St. Louis show was at a venue that only seated 130 people with Joe doing two shows that evening. Ticket sales were limited to the main flooor so the balcony was not open. But I suspect the next time Joe plays The Pageant we will not have any problems selling out the place. A big thanks to the St. Louis Street Team for your help contacting the radio stations and getting posters announcing the show up. I am hoping that we go from 3 Street Teamers to many more after this show.

My personal opinion regarding the acoustics is that for the most part were great. I was all over photographing the show from different angles. The only spot I noticed that had a rough edge to it (for a lack of better words - a bit of distortion) was when I was sitting on the bare cement floor in the orchestra section in front of Joe.

After the show the merchandise tables were swamped with people, and Joe had the largest crowd I have ever seen waiting for him to meet and greet and sign. It took qiuite a while for all the fans to get their items signed or have a word with Joe.

A friend who had her bonabaptism last night just called me and is still raving about the show and how great it was. She also loved Crosby. After the show she had a hard time deciding how to spend her last 40$  and what 2 CD's she was going to get, 2 Joe CD's or 1 Joe and 1 Crosby? She said she went back and forth picking up and putting down the various CD's including Crosby's. She finally decided on Sloe Gin and Crosby's. She paid for the CD's and turned to head back to where we were waiting not knowing that Crosby had been watching her and the decision making process! He said thank you to her and Amy blushed. She got back to our group and said that she had never experienced anything like that in her lifetime! My husband asked her "what" she said that she couldn't say a word to Crosby because she was afraid she would giggle like a little school girl....she said she wanted to get his autograph, so my husband took her back up there and had to ask Crosby to sign the CD for her, she was still blushing. Crosby - your fan club is growing! Patty - thanks for sitting with Amy during her first live Joe show!

Now Amy is hooked and trying to figure out how to get to another show. She said that the CD's are great, but the experience of a live show is necessary. For a first timer she picked up right away on the live show and how the songs flow, building one on top of the other, like a good suspense novel, almost as if telling of a musical journey........"she gets it"! lol She said that she is considering going to one of the shows in TN, Thanksgiving weekend. I thought I was done with seeing Joe and Co. for the year, but after thinking about it for a minute I told Amy that I think it is bad "mojoe" to leave your show count for the year ending on an odd number, mine at 9 and Amy's at 1! (Sounds like a good enough excuse, huh?) So I said it sounds like we need more MOJOE so we have good "mojoe":) I could Christmas shop in Nashville..........

~Rhonda
   St. Louis Street Team

p.s. Patty, Amy is now one of "us" .....along with "clj"!

Absolutely stellar show!!! I'm going to go out in a limb and say it was the best show as far as production value that I have ever seen! One of the stars of the show was The Pageant itself, possibly the cleanest and nicest theater I have ever visited. Congratulations to the owner and architect for designing one of the premier venues for it's size in the US.

I thought the sound was excellent but I was sitting a couple of rows in fornt of the mix area and just couldn't bring myself to leave to walk around. From my perspective everything was balanced and the drum mix was the best of any Joe show I can remember. Kudo's to the drum tuner and Joe's FOH mixer and of course Bogie, great performance! Consistentcy is what I am seeing now, It really pays to travel with your own FOH and monitor board, along with mics, etc. You never know what you might find from venue to venue but at least those are under your control.

Joe and the band seemed to be really enjoying themselves, even moreso than KC the night before. The crowd was excellent too, very respectful but stiil very energetic. One of the best part s for me is when a guy said to his girlfriend behind me "Do you have any idea of how good this guy is?" and she said it was incredible.

Rhonda and Patty, my "sisters-in-arms" thank you so much for the fun weekend, I truly look forward to the next shows. I would love to make Nashville so you never know what will happen...

Nice review Misterlee, did your cousins make it to the show? I had ideas of coming out for that show, but momma told me to stay home...lol.. Ya got to make Nashville, the drought will be much to long until you see the band again, I'm getting all these airline specials e-mailed to me, man it's all so tempting. I keep eyeing up the U.K. airline deals, but I dont think the wife will let me go across the pond!

Dave