1 (edited by RickB 2010-03-18 11:13:52)

Topic: Down by the Riverside with Joe and Friends 3/13

BonaCruizing up the freeway on the last lap of the Tour de California.  The Riverside Municipal Auditorium, a Spanish Mission style building in the center of the city. Palm trees and ivy covered walls. Classic Southern California winter santa ana weather. 85 degrees, dry and not a cloud in the sky.

Dinner and libations with fans Amy, Bryan, Dean and forum member RamiLP. A short stroll  took us to our seats. The house was sadly only about 2/3 full. We made up in energy what was missing in numbers. A lot of Los Angelenos missed a great show.

The lights went down and Joe made his usual entrance with the double neck blasting out the Ballad of John Henry. The sense of energy was very high with the band as the set rolled on.Last Kiss, So It's Like that, then some slow heavy Blues with So Many Roads, done to perfection. If Heartaches Were Nickles, the house roared, then Sloe Gin, as good as it was ever done. Such feeling and intensity is rarely seen on stage. Uptempo again with hard driving Young Man's Blues, then Blues Deluxe. Total mastery on display with each song. Bird on a Wire, then a tremendous rendition of Woke Up Dreaming brought the crowd to a screaming, clapping, stomping crescendo. I may have missed a couple in there since I didn't write down the set list. Thanks to Joe and his band, once more delivering the real deal goods.

Joe took a quick break, then returned and said he had decided to join a rock band to much laughter and more cheering. He  introduced the members of the new group. Glenn Hughes, Jason Bonham and  Derek Sherinian and said this was their first appearance on a stage and we got ready to Rock, And Rock We Did. I did not know the name of the first song but it was a hard driving Rock tune of the old style we love. The next was an intense version of Mistreated. Glenns voice as strong as ever. Joe tore into some fine rocking leads and Jason Bonham tore into the drums with tremendous power. Derek Sherinian provided a solid backing of fine keyboard work using the Leslie. It was over too soon and the  crowd roared in appreciation of that good old power Rock.

So it ends, the long 10 day road trip up and back from San Diego, looping as far as the Mendocino coast. We have had our fill of Joe for the time being. Look out in the East, here he comes fans and you are all going to have some kind of fun.

1844 miles on our BonaCruizin journey.
Parked and happy.
Rick

Free download from Vienna! http://mbsy.co/bNLR
Lots of unique videos of Joe http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwd5vL8fXTw
Buy Joe's merchandise here. http://www.jbonamassa.com/affiliates/id … hp?id=1381

Re: Down by the Riverside with Joe and Friends 3/13

Wow Rick, it sounds like it was a great night. I’m very envious and I’m sure everyone else here will be too. A lovely touch to call Cathy so she could hear the new band. big_smile

I’m surprised to hear that the hall was only 2/3 full. What’s the capacity? Joe’s cracked the UK and Europe but it sounds like his profile needs raising in his current home State.

Life is going to seem a bit quiet for you over the next few days after your adventures. Thanks for posting. Entertaining as ever.

Phil

Ars Longa, Vita Brevis

“The guy who has helped the blues industry the most is Joe Bonamassa and I would say he is more rock than some rock stuff, so to me blues is whatever you want it to be!”
Simon McBride in my interview with him in Blues Matters! Issue #56

Re: Down by the Riverside with Joe and Friends 3/13

Wooders wrote:

Wow Rick, it sounds like it was a great night. I’m very envious and I’m sure everyone else here will be too. A lovely touch to call Cathy so she could hear the new band. big_smile

I’m surprised to hear that the hall was only 2/3 full. What’s the capacity? Joe’s cracked the UK and Europe but it sounds like his profile needs raising in his current home State.

Life is going to seem a bit quiet for you over the next few days after your adventures. Thanks for posting. Entertaining as ever.

Phil

1,700 is capacity. The US is a tough nut to crack coast to coast in all markets. Joe is getting there. The UK is compact by our standards and Joe has been on BBC and it seems word of mouth travels faster there. I predict in a year he sells Riverside out.

Re: Down by the Riverside with Joe and Friends 3/13

Here is the Set List
BOJH
Last Kiss
So Many Roads
So It’s Like That
If Heartaches Where Nickels
Further on Up the Road
Sloe Gin
Blue and Evil
Lonesome Road Blues
Happier Times
Three Times A Fool
Great flood/Blues Deluxe
Young Mans Blues
Bird on a Wire
Woke up Dreaming - (set change)
------------------------------------------
***BC***
One Last Soul
Mistreated

"Music Washes Away From The Soul, The Dust Of Everyday Life"

Re: Down by the Riverside with Joe and Friends 3/13

A tough nut indeed. SoCal as well as the Bay Area are like NYC when it comes to entertainment any night of the week. There are so many choices especially on the weekends that many times I've had a dilemna of choosing between favorites, too many good shows at the same time. Naturely Joe would always win out if he's in town, and I'm not complainin' just explainin', it's the nature of the beast for those of us that live in this neck of the woods. Also Joe was up against St. Patty's Day revelers last night as well, some of which probably didn't make it past sundown.

                                                                                     Think Green,

                                                                                     J Dawg

What is success? Is it do yo' own thang, or is it to join the rest?   -Allen Toussaint

Re: Down by the Riverside with Joe and Friends 3/13

ohiodawg13 wrote:

A tough nut indeed. SoCal as well as the Bay Area are like NYC when it comes to entertainment any night of the week. There are so many choices especially on the weekends that many times I've had a dilemna of choosing between favorites, too many good shows at the same time. Naturely Joe would always win out if he's in town, and I'm not complainin' just explainin', it's the nature of the beast for those of us that live in this neck of the woods. Also Joe was up against St. Patty's Day revelers last night as well, some of which probably didn't make it past sundown.

                                                                                     Think Green,

                                                                                     J Dawg


I've had the same "dilemma," if you can call it that, living in the Bay Area.  One reason I love living here.

Joe will break out, and then hopefully we'll still be able to sit in the front!

Thanks for the show review Rick!

Re: Down by the Riverside with Joe and Friends 3/13

Thanks all for the appreciative comments. My posts of this adventure were a labor of love. Now, the Bonaglut hangover sets in. Soon the craving will become stronger and we'll be off again.

You headbangers are going to love the new band. Glenn's falsetto can irritate some who dislike that style, but he still has a large following and the energy he brings to the show is intense. He's a very good bass player as well and his animated playing is fun to watch. Jason just about blew the kit off the stage with his power and it is uncanny how much he resembles his father. As Cathysilor mentioned, even over a cell phone link, Joe's tone and style comes through strongly, and it looked like he was having a very good time. The acoustics of the hall were good from my perspective of row 4 center and the mix was one of the best I've heard. The keyboard play was excellent and the Leslie really brought an intensity to some of the passages. JMO from a vintage rocker's view. This was old school hard-driving rock that may not appeal to everyone. I am anxious to get the new album when it is released. I'll cruise over to the GH forum and check their reaction.

One perspective on the low turnout could be the brutal commuter traffic on a work night in the L.A. basin, giving one pause at the thought of possibly missing part of the show due to a pileup. We drove up 90 miles and were able to skip an hour early from the job to beat the worst and take advantage of the express commuter lane due to a full car. It still took over 2 hours to get there.  Another is the coincidence of the perfect weather and St. Patricks day as mentioned by J Dawg.
Rick

Free download from Vienna! http://mbsy.co/bNLR
Lots of unique videos of Joe http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwd5vL8fXTw
Buy Joe's merchandise here. http://www.jbonamassa.com/affiliates/id … hp?id=1381

Re: Down by the Riverside with Joe and Friends 3/13

Awesome Rick....sounds like a true rockin' Bonamassa road trip. Can't wait for the new (group) disc....any idea when that's coming? Wow only 2/3 full....that's a shock!

Murfdog

9 (edited by RickB 2010-03-19 09:13:04)

Re: Down by the Riverside with Joe and Friends 3/13

I found this. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o8eRQIq3 … _embedded#
Mistreated. SDG  cool
Rick
edit. Murphdog, I think that a fall release was mentioned.

Free download from Vienna! http://mbsy.co/bNLR
Lots of unique videos of Joe http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwd5vL8fXTw
Buy Joe's merchandise here. http://www.jbonamassa.com/affiliates/id … hp?id=1381

Re: Down by the Riverside with Joe and Friends 3/13

Thanks for the review Rick. Although I prefer the blues I too have a place in my heart for that vintage hard rock sound. I will definitely buy the new cd. smile

Re: Down by the Riverside with Joe and Friends 3/13

Great review Rick - a fair few miles on the clock too, but who can blame you.

It will be interesting to see how the SDG works out. Guess I'm another of those not sure about the falsetto/screaming, but I can maybe understand Glenn giving it some on that song in particular.
IMHO just too many guys popped up over the years trying to do a Robert Plant - nobody ever came close to making that kind of thing sound as relevant as he did. Kinda turned me off Rock for a while some years back, and Sammy having a blast at it with Chickenfoot put me off buying their album.
Keeping my mind (and ears) open...........

Ian

Please be in no doubt that this is the REAL ME! Beware imposters........................

Re: Down by the Riverside with Joe and Friends 3/13

Thanks Icon. Glenn has a tremendous range and can sing many styles. Not a Plant, but strong in his own way.  Mistreated is technically an old Blues song done in a Rock way. His way of interpreting the angst of it is his... One Last Soul is a great song. They do one cover, one original and we wait.  The GH folk are excited about the album. I can see it going big if the rest is on a par with the first two. Kevin Shirley is brilliant producer and knows his market. You will soon get your share across the pond. The tone out of that red 355 will knock you down if he brings it over. Blues Deluxe was never better.
Rick

Free download from Vienna! http://mbsy.co/bNLR
Lots of unique videos of Joe http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwd5vL8fXTw
Buy Joe's merchandise here. http://www.jbonamassa.com/affiliates/id … hp?id=1381

13 (edited by aussiemeats 2010-03-19 19:00:08)

Re: Down by the Riverside with Joe and Friends 3/13

Good day all

New member, Saw Joe and Band on 18/Mar/2010 in Riverside.

I was impressed. I'm a guitarist and I was amazed at Joe's WIZARDRY playing.

I was lucky enough to get to attend the "MEET and GREET"

Joe was kind enough to sign my Epiphone Gold Top Les Paul and my copy of Sloe Gin.

I had some picts of Rory Gallagher in Surfers Paradise Aust., 1980 which I offered to give to Joe

he suggested I contact the web site for forwarding directions to him of the photos.

Anyone who might have that info contact me at aussiemeats@aol.com

The Show:

Everything exceptional, EXCEPT Mistreated. G.H. sang great until he went off the deepend with

the SHRILL screams. once or twice ok maybe but 3,4,5, times and it was over the top. Sorry

I like his voice but it's like using effects...they should be used to ADD to the equation

and used sparingly for effect.

I would have liked to hear some more by Derek Sherinian as I understand he's got quite good

music credentials of his own.

ALSO: If you want to hear a Gibson 345 SING....Listen to BILL NELSON from Be Bop Delux

"Modern Music" or "The best of and the rest of" Be Bop Delux

Bill Nelson was another GIFTED Guitarist/ Musician.... Seriously His sound was Unique

and his playing was OUTSTANDING! Very much Blues influenced.

My complements to Joe's Drummer and bass player, they ROCK. Joe's got a GREAT CREW!

Thanks again Joe for a great night!!!

Rob
aussiemeats@aol.com

14 (edited by RickB 2010-03-19 19:21:24)

Re: Down by the Riverside with Joe and Friends 3/13

Hi Aussiemeats. Welcome to the forum. I wondered why that first post misfired. Glad you got to see Joe in all his glory and get your stuff signed. I would like to hear Sherinian on his own rig too. He and Bonham just jumped in with the gear that was there so we missed their own stuff. They're all consummate musicians so we'll see. Run on over to the intro section and say hi to all the fans here and tell us about yourself. I'll check out Bill Nelson on your recommendation.
Rick
edit: Run your photos up on the Street Team site, there's a link there. http://www.bonamassastreetteam.com/index.html

Free download from Vienna! http://mbsy.co/bNLR
Lots of unique videos of Joe http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwd5vL8fXTw
Buy Joe's merchandise here. http://www.jbonamassa.com/affiliates/id … hp?id=1381

15 (edited by Blues Sissi 2010-03-20 01:32:58)

Re: Down by the Riverside with Joe and Friends 3/13

Hey Rick,

thanks for your review.
Must have been great to be one of the first to see/hear something of the new band.
Regarding the new band I'll be open-minded but I'm not so sure about Glenn and I'll miss Bogie Bowles.
My rock benchmark is Chickenfoot. Hope they'll be that good. Let's see.

Re: Down by the Riverside with Joe and Friends 3/13

Blues Sissi, I don't think you will miss Bogie. The normal lineup for the tour remains the same. The new band is a separate venture according to all reports. Yes it was great. I predict these guys will give any Rock band a run for their money. If you like Chickenfoot, you will love this. These guys are better musicians. Keep an open mind about Glenn. Check out his discography. He is a monster singer and a darn good bass player.
Rick

Free download from Vienna! http://mbsy.co/bNLR
Lots of unique videos of Joe http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwd5vL8fXTw
Buy Joe's merchandise here. http://www.jbonamassa.com/affiliates/id … hp?id=1381