First of all, welcome to the new members of the forum that were at the show! I know Joe has got a lot of fans in the Twin Cities and surrounding areas and it's nice to see more on the forum.
It certainly was a memorable evening at the MN Zoo Amphitheater in Apple Valley. I knew going in there was a chance of rain, but hoped it would hold off. Well, it didn't. But it was far from a washout and Joe, Bogie, Carmine and Rick delivered another splendid performance. The setlist was:
Bridge To Better Days
Walk In My Shadow
So Many Roads
Mountain Time (Intro only)
Rain Delay
Mountain Time
Another Kind Of Love
Sloe Gin
Just Got Paid w/ Bogie's drum solo
encores
High Water Everywhere
Woke Up Dreaming
The MN Zoo Amphitheater is a 1500 seat open air theater that's utilized as a venue for music during the summer. It looked like a near capacity crowd was on hand. I would estimate close to 1400 in attendance. I was pleasantly surprised to see a lot of younger people there. Easily the youngest crowd I've seen at one of Joe's shows.
Crosby Loggins was added to the bill and opened with a nice solo set of some easy listening rock. He sang and played acoustic guitar, even borrowed one of Joe's Takamines for his last song. He looks and sounds a lot like his father Kenny. He mentioned he just signed with Joe's label and will be releasing a new CD later this month.
Next was Monte Montgomery and his two piece backing band. I had heard some good things about Monte before the show so I was really looking forward to his set. Let me tell you, this guy is amazing! Hard to describe his sound because it's so unique. He plays a beat up acoustic with no pick, sometimes a slide, and with a very aggressive style. Really fun to watch. I highly recommend catching this guys show if you get a chance.
Now comes Joe's turn. You could see the lightning building in intensity especially during Monte's set. By the time Joe took the stage there was a lot of lightning, but no thunder, so I thought the storms and any rain were far enough away that it wouldn't be a problem. It started to sprinkle a little bit just as Joe started and gradually built to a pretty steady downpour as he was playing the intro to "Mountain Time". Joe decided at that point to take a break, which was a wise move because their gear was starting to get wet. We heard a few shouts from people that wanted Joe to just keep playing, but there was no way he could. Me and Renee came prepared for rain so we just waited it out in our front row seats with our rain gear on. The crew used the break to move or better protect some of the band's gear. Finally, the rain let up to a light drizzle and Joe and the band retook the stage after about 25 min. I would guess. I was amazed at how many people were still there. It seemed like the vast majority stuck it out. The great thing was, after the rain the crowd really came alive. A lot of people left their seats and came down to the front of the stage so me and Renee stood up and joined them. I much prefer standing to sitting when watching Joe anyway so I was all for it! The rain continued, wavering between a drizzle and a steady downpour at times, but it certainly didn' dampen our spirits. It was actually kind of cool! Joe was totally on fire especially during "Woke Up Dreaming". He was so hot he was steaming - you could literally see the steam wafting off his body. It was an incredible site!
Probably my favorite thing about the whole evening was that I got a chance to hear Joe play that beautiful intro to "Mountain Time" twice in one night each time with a little different twist. Always sends a chill down my spine! Another highlight was "Sloe Gin". The conditions really fit the mood of that song. Joe himself even gestured toward the sky as he sang "And I'm standing in the rain". It was fantastic!
Needless to say, it was a bit of a challenge taking photos, keeping the camera halfway dry etc., so I didn't take as many as I would have hoped, but I got some and will post them when I get a chance.
One suggestion for the promoters and sponsors for the shows at the MN Zoo is to get a larger shelter/cover for over the stage. The one they have doesn't extend beyond the stage much if at all and doesn't afford enough protection against the rain. The rain wasn't that big of a problem for me as a fan, but it's a not good for the musicians. Also, extra shelters for the bands gear would be nice. They've got plenty of room to put one side stage.
It has been raining cats and dogs here tonight and EXTREME LIGHTNING........much better to be safe than sorry.......outdoor events are fun, but you always have the weather to contend with.....hope you get to see Joe again soon!
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