Tropicana Casino Resort - Atlantic City, NJ - 5/20/16

“Atlantic City… how ya feeling?! …

Thank you very much! … Nice to be in Atlantic City!!  This is the very first time I have ever headlined in Atlantic City!

In almost 28 years on the road, (… female voice screams out … “I love you Joe!!” … “I love you too darling!” ), and, you know, I … I have done my fair share of touring, you know … I played that great gig at the Albert Hall in 2009 and 2013 … we’ve gone everywhere … we’ve played Berlin … we’ve played New York City - Carnegie Hall … Radio City … the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles … Tokyo … Singapore … Manila … and … I gotta tell ya … when I saw this on the schedule … I said … you know what … all those gigs don’t mean sh#t!! … until you headline Atlantic City on a Friday night!! (wild applause )

… all those #1 Blues Albums … that Grammy nomination … doesn’t mean a damn thing!! … until you can fill the seats at the Tropicana!!!  (audience roars!)

… which by the way I would like to thank them for their generous $1500 donation thru a slot machine this afternoon for my guitar fund. … … and if I hit a jackpot … you know what I do, I just take it and leave … you know, I’m not gonna sit there  … I don’t want a Club Card … I am their worst kind of customer! (more roars)

Gotta thank Joe … of the hand full of artists I have seen multiple times … Joe is the only one I have ever seen who has never dialed it in … or go on auto pilot … the set list may be similar for a particular Tour (understandably) … but comparing with Natasha (and others) videos … Joe always throws in something different for every song … (I’m sure partly for him … and for us … a win win )… and the man was under the weather ... doing straight show dates prior to AC!!  I thought he had Saturday off … forgot RI was the next night … so NJ … up to RI … down to MD … on the NyQuil leg of this tour.  Best wishes Joe!

Thank u!! … can only say … much appreciated ... and admired! … thanks for coming to So NJ!

… all the best to everyone today in MD at the Blues Fest … with the only other force greater than Joe co-headlining … Mother Nature!!

for those not nodding off yet ...
... I'll add an edit / more specific comments to this AC Review thread ... for the time capsule.

Enthusiastic crowd … thought there would have been many Bona-Who?’s comp’d filling the front … didn’t seem to be the case … the center front was indeed rocking.

It’s a wide, one-level room ... no uppers … first 12 or so rows not elevated … then a gradual incline … sound was very clear from my seat (Row 1-stage left).

It was my first time in the room (1800 seats according to web site) … only draw back … but it’s no ones fault ... (I can only appreciate the logistical nightmare it must be for set ups day after day in different venues) … since even the first row is wide … as is the stage … the 3 floor mounted Roto lights … 2 elevated on road cases … blocked the sight line of the first few aisle seats of those 12 or so un elevated rows .. esp as they get wider I'm sure … think only a real issue for those on stage left … I was happy as a clam … but felt a little bad for first time’ers not getting a full view of Michael, Anton and Reese doing their thing … that is something to witness as well.

I’m not a casino guy … think it was my first visit to the Tropicana … it was a nice casino … many great restaurants, pubs and bars … along with shops … and an iMax Theatre … all conveniently located within.  Had to make for a nice get away night or weekend for those going to see Joe there … as with the couple from PA seated next to me (husband didn’t mind the Rotos too much ... he mentioned he used to play the drums ... and during Anton's solo ... he had his head practically in his wife's lap to catch every beat ) … I think his wife had a good view, so all was well.) … celebrating their 31st Anniversary … loved the show (said they will bring their college kids to their next Joe show to witness “greatness”) … they were staying over … catching Grand Funk Railroad the next night.