• From: NB, Canada
  • Registered: 2014-04-04
  • Posts: 373

Topic: Toronto Tilt

It's time I try and put into words what my first JB live experience was like (JC Buzz .. good luck with that .. lol)  smile

Where to begin .. travelled 900 miles to Toronto for the May 24th show. To simply say it was a "large" day ain't gonna cut it.

We (my brother and I) sat at a table on the patio of the Tilted Kilt (a name that will later be synonymous with this adventure .. lol) .. we were gonna hook up with other Bonaholics (complete strangers). I see this fella come out of the pub wearin a Jo Shaw Taylor t-shirt lookin to have a smoke. I thought, "Okay, she's playin on the cruise with Joe and I'm playin tourist" .. lol.  cool

"Hey Brother, just puttin it out there .. I don't suppose ur name would be Greg or Al would it?".

"Nope, I'm Rick, and I know where they are .. straight back, against the wall! Who might u be?" We exchange pleasantries, do the introductions, etc.

No sooner got our sights set for inside .. enter Doug and Trisha .. and THAT'S how it started .. lol

Back to the wall to meet the rest of the crew .. Karen (Rick's better half .. my new brother from another mother .. lol), Duncan, Brenda, Greg, and Al (Alan!! Alan!! .. lol)

What an awesome group of people! Instantly, u felt like u've known em ur whole life. So welcoming this Bonavirgin (their words .. lol) into the fold. The JB stories flowed (as did the wobbly pops) and the adventure begins. Enter three western Canadian Bonaholics (they're gonna kill me for not rememberin their names .. I prolly asked em more than once .. just dint write it down like I did the rest .. lol) .. great guys.

Crunch time for the M&G, so off go Duncan, Brenda, Karen and Rick (but wait .. Rick leaves sportin my JB hoody .. lol). Yep, u guessed it .. the dude comes back wearin a signed hoody. I had a smile that mirrored the lil 5 year old who saw the Radio Flyer under the Christmas tree .. lol. We admire all the items that were signed (the scarves are not signed, but I have to mention em .. lol) and more stories are told.  wink

I think I need to pick up the pace a bit (prolly boring ya'll) .. we haven't even left for the show yet .. lol

Okay, we leave .. off we go. Get to the front door of the Sony Centre and we need some pictures of our crew under the cantilever. Greg sets up across the street to get us all in the shot, but turns away (he's talkin to someone .. he's talkin to Roy .. lol), waves us over, and Roy graciously takes in some photos. We thank Roy and eventually get a few shots under the cantilever, and in we go .. show time!

This was one hell of a show! From start to finish .. I'd a thought I was dead and gone to Heaven if it wasn't for my feet goin, reminding me I was actually there .. in the flesh! .. lol. An awesome experience! The sound, the view, the venue. The band was spot on .. all smilin and havin as much fun as I was (debatable .. but I said it eh .. lol). My brother tried his hand at the video thing (I'm a lil technically challenged .. my choice .. in today's society, a Union President who doesn't even have a cell phone .. lol).

Back to the Kilted Tilt with that huge smile still on my face .. what a show .. Buzzy all fuzzy inside (wasn't all wobbly pops .. that mis-spellin was intentional) .. ya'll know what I mean .. lol. Post show beverages, checkin out the snagged items from the band, a few more pictures, and all the talk about the awesome show.

Okay, I need to wrap this up. I'm sure ya'll been there .. done that .. lol  tongue


In closing, I would just like to thank Joe, Roy, the band, and crew for making my first JB live experience so memorable .. one I will be talkin about for some time .. until the next one .. lol

.. and to Doug, Trisha, Duncan, Brenda, Greg, Al, Karen, Rick, and my new western Canadian BonaBuddies (OMG fellas .. I apologize .. we had many conversations, but I'm so bad with names if I don't write em down .. lol), I want to thank u ALL for such a wonderful experience. Bonaholics are indeed a special breed, and u all proved that. It's one thing to witness the generosity on the forum, but seeing is believing .. takes it to another level. Love ya'll!

Oh, and the Brother .. "Gets It!" now!! .. lol


ps: I wise man forecasted, "It's my peerfreshinull opinion it is a randomly precise auto-orbit!" U were absolutely correct my friend. Not yet returned to Earth .. still in quarantine, but the buzzing is in control .. lol  cool

Proud to call u ALL my BonaBuds!  smile


Link for the encore below (not the best audio given our location) .. it is what it is ..


http://youtu.be/ikSfEI8_kf8

The BonaMaritimer .. All Dials To The Right!
  • From: Ohio
  • Registered: 2014-02-23
  • Posts: 515

Re: Toronto Tilt

Great Story, Buzzy.

I can only hope too have that much fun at my first Joe show!

My Favorite Bonamassa Songs
Happier Times... Sloe Gin...Last Kiss...Lonesome Road Blues...Blues Deluxe...No Slack
Equipment For Listening To Joe
Sennheiser HD800 Headphones & Mad Ear+HD Headphone Amp
  • Dana
  • Dana
  • Bronze Member
  • Offline
  • From: Orlando, Florida
  • Registered: 2014-05-16
  • Posts: 45

Re: Toronto Tilt

Nice!  I will be attending my first JB show in December.  I cannot wait.  I only have to travel 200 miles though, so now you have made me feel inadequate and unworthy.  smile   I actually put in for vacation for the whole week after the concert.  The high you feel afterwards I want to try and keep going for awhile.  Working in an accounting department  in the last half of December can be quite the downer and I would lose that buzz pretty quickly if I went back to work. 

Thanks for the post.

  • From: Moncton, NB Canada
  • Registered: 2013-02-03
  • Posts: 469

Re: Toronto Tilt

Loved it Buzz!  Your pre-show sounded like a hoot! 

I'm going to be in your town for the next three days, working, if you are around let me know.

Steve

2011 Gibson Joe Bonamassa Les Paul Studio...among others.
Beacon Theater, New York, May 18, 2013/Keeping The Blues Alive at Sea, Feb. 17-21, 2015/3 Kings Tour, Bangor, ME, Aug. 12, 2015
  • From: Central Illinois
  • Registered: 2014-04-24
  • Posts: 293

Re: Toronto Tilt

Wow, great story!!  It sounds like you had a fantastic time!!!  I have no doubt that the show was outstanding but the addition of meeting a few people from the forum was a wonderful addition to the evening.  I hope to meet some of them in November.

I'm glad that you had a great time!!

  • RickB
  • RickB
  • BONAMEGAMETAL
  • Offline
  • From: San Diego
  • Registered: 2009-10-30
  • Posts: 12,198

Re: Toronto Tilt

Yep Buzzy. That's how it works. Bonabuddies take a Bonavirgin under their wings, talk him up, lay some treasures upon him and watch the result when the music starts. Now you can look forward to doing the same Further on Down The Road. smile

Great road story and show tale. I love it!
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

RickB's Website

  • From: Maryland
  • Registered: 2012-05-13
  • Posts: 2,790

Re: Toronto Tilt

Loved your story Buzzy! Sounds like you had such a wonderful time. So glad you got to experience one of the coolest things about going to see Joe and that is the meet up with fellow Bonabuddies. It is always that much better when you have others to talk about it with before and after. Nice video also smile

8 Reply by DougH (edited by DougH 2014-05-28 07:34:52)

  • DougH
  • DougH
  • BONAMETAL
  • Offline
  • From: Toronto, Canada
  • Registered: 2011-04-01
  • Posts: 1,700

Re: Toronto Tilt

Hi Buzz..
Trisha and I were glad we met you , your brother Andy and the rest of the gang there.
(the Calgary guys.... I just remember them as the 3 M's.. Murray, Mike and uhhhh,, probably need more of the Nutty Squirrel stuff I was drinking on Saturday to remember)

I recorded the first song and his entire chat with the crowd.. Guess I need to re-activate my YouTube account so I can post that too.

I've seen him "only" 4 times and he/band and the crew are consistantly great..
Guess it helps to be 'always on the road'

Wish I had seen Rory.. he's sort of the 'un-sung' hero in Joe's life. Maybe my next show I'll find out where he is lurking.

Now we have to wait till September (I think) for the new CD release and the pre-sale release for the Spring 2015 tour.

                  \m/

---------------

(If only I had 1% of Joe's guitar talent)
  • Registered: 2011-03-13
  • Posts: 16

Re: Toronto Tilt

Cheers Buzzy! love your Toronto Tilt story smile  Makes me think i should tell my tale of the final 3 shows of the spring tour… Was nice to meet you & Doug along with all the other Bonaholics in Toronto. It was a fun day and a fabulous show.
Will send you some concert photos soon buddy.
Al

  • From: East Lancashire, UK
  • Registered: 2011-06-24
  • Posts: 3,019

Re: Toronto Tilt

Good stuff Buzzy and you are now one of the officially addicted crowd. cool

Come on the Blades (sorry Idolbone just had to borrow your line)
  • From: Greensboro NC
  • Registered: 2013-04-22
  • Posts: 97

Re: Toronto Tilt

Hey Buzzy the Bonaholic, glad you had a good time! Great story! It's quite the experience when you get together with the wide variety of other Bonaholics, some from near,some from far. After the 8 times I've been it is still the best ticket in town!

  • Registered: 2014-05-28
  • Posts: 2

Re: Toronto Tilt

Wonder if anyone know more about the show...

Who played with Joe on the last tour? Acoustic? Electric?
What was the unique instrument Joe introduced?
The tour ended with the 33rd show in Toronto. Did you go?
Here's what I have.
Acoustic:
Derrick Sheridan keys 
Eric Bazilian
Mats Vesta
Lenny Castro

  • From: NB, Canada
  • Registered: 2014-04-04
  • Posts: 373

Re: Toronto Tilt

Thanks for ur comments Joe, Dana, and xland

Hookin up with the BonaBuddies truly took my 1st JB live adventure to another level .. was smilin from the inside out .. if that makes any sense .. lol. After the show, I found myself takin a step back, lookin around at amassa great folk, and sayin to myself, "It just doesn't get any better than this!"  cool

U'll know what I'm talkin about soon enuff .. lol  wink



Thanks for the wonderful replies Peter, M-J, Steve, Rick, Natasha, the Nutty Squirrel Doug, and Al (Alan! .. Alan!) .. lol

The people here are simply .. the best!  smile

The BonaMaritimer .. All Dials To The Right!

14 Reply by Rocket (edited by Rocket 2014-05-30 19:13:47)

  • Rocket
  • Rocket
  • BONAMEGAMETAL
  • Offline
  • From: San Francisco
  • Registered: 2006-04-26
  • Posts: 10,275

Re: Toronto Tilt

Buzzy wrote:

It's time I try and put into words what my first JB live experience was like (JC Buzz .. good luck with that .. lol)  smile

Where to begin .. travelled 900 miles to Toronto for the May 24th show. To simply say it was a "large" day ain't gonna cut it.

We (my brother and I) sat at a table on the patio of the Tilted Kilt (a name that will later be synonymous with this adventure .. lol) .. we were gonna hook up with other Bonaholics (complete strangers). I see this fella come out of the pub wearin a Jo Shaw Taylor t-shirt lookin to have a smoke. I thought, "Okay, she's playin on the cruise with Joe and I'm playin tourist" .. lol.  cool

"Hey Brother, just puttin it out there .. I don't suppose ur name would be Greg or Al would it?".

"Nope, I'm Rick, and I know where they are .. straight back, against the wall! Who might u be?" We exchange pleasantries, do the introductions, etc.

No sooner got our sights set for inside .. enter Doug and Trisha .. and THAT'S how it started .. lol

Back to the wall to meet the rest of the crew .. Karen (Rick's better half .. my new brother from another mother .. lol), Duncan, Brenda, Greg, and Al (Alan!! Alan!! .. lol)

What an awesome group of people! Instantly, u felt like u've known em ur whole life. So welcoming this Bonavirgin (their words .. lol) into the fold. The JB stories flowed (as did the wobbly pops) and the adventure begins. Enter three western Canadian Bonaholics (they're gonna kill me for not rememberin their names .. I prolly asked em more than once .. just dint write it down like I did the rest .. lol) .. great guys.

Crunch time for the M&G, so off go Duncan, Brenda, Karen and Rick (but wait .. Rick leaves sportin my JB hoody .. lol). Yep, u guessed it .. the dude comes back wearin a signed hoody. I had a smile that mirrored the lil 5 year old who saw the Radio Flyer under the Christmas tree .. lol. We admire all the items that were signed (the scarves are not signed, but I have to mention em .. lol) and more stories are told.  wink

I think I need to pick up the pace a bit (prolly boring ya'll) .. we haven't even left for the show yet .. lol

Okay, we leave .. off we go. Get to the front door of the Sony Centre and we need some pictures of our crew under the cantilever. Greg sets up across the street to get us all in the shot, but turns away (he's talkin to someone .. he's talkin to Roy .. lol), waves us over, and Roy graciously takes in some photos. We thank Roy and eventually get a few shots under the cantilever, and in we go .. show time!

This was one hell of a show! From start to finish .. I'd a thought I was dead and gone to Heaven if it wasn't for my feet goin, reminding me I was actually there .. in the flesh! .. lol. An awesome experience! The sound, the view, the venue. The band was spot on .. all smilin and havin as much fun as I was (debatable .. but I said it eh .. lol). My brother tried his hand at the video thing (I'm a lil technically challenged .. my choice .. in today's society, a Union President who doesn't even have a cell phone .. lol).

Back to the Kilted Tilt with that huge smile still on my face .. what a show .. Buzzy all fuzzy inside (wasn't all wobbly pops .. that mis-spellin was intentional) .. ya'll know what I mean .. lol. Post show beverages, checkin out the snagged items from the band, a few more pictures, and all the talk about the awesome show.

Okay, I need to wrap this up. I'm sure ya'll been there .. done that .. lol  tongue


In closing, I would just like to thank Joe, Roy, the band, and crew for making my first JB live experience so memorable .. one I will be talkin about for some time .. until the next one .. lol

.. and to Doug, Trisha, Duncan, Brenda, Greg, Al, Karen, Rick, and my new western Canadian BonaBuddies (OMG fellas .. I apologize .. we had many conversations, but I'm so bad with names if I don't write em down .. lol), I want to thank u ALL for such a wonderful experience. Bonaholics are indeed a special breed, and u all proved that. It's one thing to witness the generosity on the forum, but seeing is believing .. takes it to another level. Love ya'll!

Oh, and the Brother .. "Gets It!" now!! .. lol


ps: I wise man forecasted, "It's my peerfreshinull opinion it is a randomly precise auto-orbit!" U were absolutely correct my friend. Not yet returned to Earth .. still in quarantine, but the buzzing is in control .. lol  cool

Proud to call u ALL my BonaBuds!  smile


Link for the encore below (not the best audio given our location) .. it is what it is ..


http://youtu.be/ikSfEI8_kf8

Hmm, have I erupted in a post of the year comment yet, this year?  A tie, or ties if applicable!  perhaps in a thread of the year candidate, along with the other (it ain't no sin to double down) Toronto topic https://forum.jbonamassa.com/viewtopic. … 31#p318231

Glad all had a ball that is forever far more nostalgic than a disco mirror ball.  cool  A ball with the blues?  Better than the flippin' worst! yikes tongue


Rock ON & Keep the Faith,
Rocket

ps-prolly boring? BAH! You all made for smile
ps#2-bring back the JB beanie, except make 'em big and stylish (?) enough to be called a toque (or a line of toques that would sell faster than snowdrift winds!! lol)

"He still doesn't charge for mistakes! wink"
http://jbonamassa.com/tour-dates/
"Everybody wants ta get inta the act!"
“Now, this isn’t your ordinary party crowd, here.  I mean, there are professionals in here.”
  • From: NB, Canada
  • Registered: 2014-04-04
  • Posts: 373

Re: Toronto Tilt

Rocket wrote:

Glad all had a ball that is forever far more nostalgic than a disco mirror ball.  cool  A ball with the blues?  Better than the flippin' worst! yikes tongue

ps-prolly boring? BAH! You all made for smile
ps#2-bring back the JB beanie, except make 'em big and stylish (?) enough to be called a toque (or a line of toques that would sell faster than snowdrift winds!! lol)

Thank u Sir .. lol
It was everything I thought it might be .. and then some smile

Hey .. I like that toque idea .. lol

Thanks again Rocket  cool

The BonaMaritimer .. All Dials To The Right!