1 Topic by Coach305 (edited by Coach305 2021-08-29 14:54:54)

  • From: Kansas City, MO USA
  • Registered: 2011-01-03
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Topic: 8/20/17 Pinnacle Bank Arena - Lincoln, NE

This was originally scheduled to be an outdoor performance at the Pinewood Bowl Amphitheater, but a heavy thunderstorm Saturday night did enough damage that the show was moved to the Pinnacle Bank Arena, an indoor venue downtown. I got my tickets through a donation I made to Nebraska Educational Television last spring, and a very nice young woman from that organization contacted me by phone to let me know of the change in plenty of time.

The arena wasn't Joe's usual type of venue, but his crew did a fine job adjusting. Sound was one of the best among the nine Joe shows I've attended...

The Guitars (in order of appearance):

  • Mary Kaye Stratocaster

  • Pelham Blue Firebird

  • Pelham Blue LP

  • Principal Skinner (two songs)

  • Korina Flying V (five songs)

  • Black Beauty 3-pickup Les Paul Custom

  • '51 Nocaster with PAF (two songs)

  • '55 sunburst Stratocaster

The Set List:

  • This Train

  • Mountain Climbing

  • Blues of Desperation

  • No Good Place for the Lonely

  • How Deep This River Runs

  • Breaking Up Somebody's Home

  • I Get Evil

  • Angel of Mercy

  • Driving Towards the Daylight

  • Last Kiss

  • Boogie With Stu

  • Slow Train

  • How Many More Times

  • Hummingbird

My "backstage bootleg" version of the set list:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/52889850@ … ed-public/

The Performance:
The current line-up continues to deliver the goods. As I noted, the overall sound mix was near the top of the shows I've seen. Numerous tasty solos are provided throughout (Paulie's in particular was en fuego), and I really enjoyed the arrangement of Slow Train showcasing Mahalia, Jade, and Juanita.

Joe's playing was outstanding, even by his own high standards. If the backup singers hadn't already brought me to tears on Hummingbird Joe's poignant solo certainly would have. Joe mentioned that he hadn't played Lincoln in a decade, and that fact plus the venue change clearly spurred him to give a little extra (as always, his suit was soaked with perspiration a couple of songs into the show).

I know there are only a handful of dates left on this tour (including the rescheduled shows from last spring), but if you have a chance to catch this particular iteration of Joe and his band do NOT miss them!

This 'N That:
The NET package seats were great, 3rd row pit:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/52889850@ … ed-public/

Also included were two meet & greet passes, so I got to meet Joe for the 4th time. This one was especially cool because I brought Rhonda, my Hanson Cigno. Joe had never seen one, so it was fun chatting with him about her:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/52889850@ … ed-public/

For anyone interested (including Joe!), here's a video featuring the Cigno by John Pirruccello, the founder and co-owner of Hanson Musical Instruments:
https://youtu.be/KXO8Vd5laKI

I had dressed assuming the hot outdoor venue, hence my DSOB ballcap and This Train t-shirt (I'm a railfan, too, so that shirt is my favorite) instead of my usual dressier look. The guy on Joe's right in the picture is a young man named Tim Westerberg, a Bona-virgin who answered the ad for my extra ticket I placed on the Lincoln craigslist. He had a blast, and Joe has a new fan. Hoping he joins us on the forum one of these days...

Rhonda already sounds better to me with Joe's autograph on her headstock:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/52889850@ … ed-public/

All in all, a really special experience for me! cool

Terrance Shuman
Kansas City, MO

2 Reply by reo l (edited by reo l 2017-08-21 22:37:03)

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Re: 8/20/17 Pinnacle Bank Arena - Lincoln, NE

Thank you Coach305 !!! Excellent review as always. Really enjoying reading your posts.

( did he throw a tie in the crowd?.. burning question smile  )

  • From: Kansas City, MO USA
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Re: 8/20/17 Pinnacle Bank Arena - Lincoln, NE

reo l wrote:

Thank you Coach305 !!! Excellent review as always. Really enjoying reading your posts.

( did he throw a tie in the crowd?.. burning question smile  )

Thanks for the kind words. And yes, he did throw his tie (and a slide, I think) into the crowd after the encore... big_smile

Terrance Shuman
Kansas City, MO
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Re: 8/20/17 Pinnacle Bank Arena - Lincoln, NE

How Deep This River Runs solo https://www.facebook.com/louise.osborne … 409549263/

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Re: 8/20/17 Pinnacle Bank Arena - Lincoln, NE

First time not traveling to Red Rocks since it was mid week show so chose to go to Lincoln for the Pinewood Bowl experience. Stayed in Omaha Saturday and heard the storms late Saturday night. Got notified of the venue change via email and text. Didn't really know what to expect with the arena setting. I have seen him in cut arenas and it can be a good thing. The Pinnacle is a basketball arena not a hockey arena so it is kind of unique in how intimate it really is. The upper decks were draped and the floor was was not deep but wide so my eighth row seat in front of Reese and the girls was pretty good.

I got to Lincoln in time for sound check after eating at a nearby Irish pub. First time in Lincoln although the Sooners have invaded that town for nearly a century. Really impressed with the downtown area and the Pinnacle arena is a nice fixture within site of the football stadium. I new it was going to be s great sounding show during sound check because it sounded warm and full without people in it. Sorry Coach I didn't know you were at the Meet and Greet I would of come out to meet you.

The setlist with the new version of Last Kiss and Slow Train with the addition of the girls is really good. Love what they add to those and Hummingbird with them is icing on the cake. Great show this summer and Lincoln was a great place to see the summer addition for me. I had made the decision to go there long before I had ever heard of the total eclipse which ran right through Nebraska. Lincoln was on the northern edge of the best viewing. I had flown up with a long time friend who has a little Beechcraft Bonanza. We decided to take off and view from the sky afternoon on the 21st.

The weather picked our departure time which ended up being about 12:15 and instead of flying west toward the peak zone for a bit we had to fly south between a couple of showers. We got to see about 95% coverage at 8k feet which was pretty cool. We made it home about 3pm. It was a great long weekend and although I was sorry to miss Red Rocks this year I would travel north again Nebraska was never on my must see list but I'm certainly glad I got to see it. Great country up there.

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  • From: Seymour Duncan's Hometown, NJ
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Re: 8/20/17 Pinnacle Bank Arena - Lincoln, NE

Thank you Coach for you review and pics!! ... Rhonda is a beauty!! ... (Have a special place in my heart for Soap Bar Pick Ups.) .. thanks for attaching a link about Cigno / Hanson Guitars!

Again ... so generous of you to offer out your M&G and show ticket ... great it became a Bonabaptism ... what a thrill it had to be that u made happen! ... Was looking for a tie in the Joe IGram Stage picture smile ... glad your seats position with the venue change appeared to work out well.

jim m! ... thank u for your show review .. and sharing your Eclipse experience ...tired to envision what you saw ... but I'm sure words don't do it justice ... what a great visual experience at that altitude it had to be.  Thank you for posting!! .. like your Avatar. smile

"I was in Space for less than 2 weeks … and suddenly Jeaniene’s back … half the Band is off the gd wagon … we have comedians opening for us … and the nice kid that ran our website is now a kleptof’nmaniac.  Boy ... did you guys miss me!!"  Phil Valentine - Road Manager - Staton House Band

JBLP#251 (unaged) ... thank you Ron.
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Re: 8/20/17 Pinnacle Bank Arena - Lincoln, NE

RoadcaseBoy wrote:

Thank you Coach for you review and pics!! ... Rhonda is a beauty!! ... (Have a special place in my heart for Soap Bar Pick Ups.) .. thanks for attaching a link about Cigno / Hanson Guitars!

Again ... so generous of you to offer out your M&G and show ticket ... great it became a Bonabaptism ... what a thrill it had to be that u made happen! ... Was looking for a tie in the Joe IGram Stage picture smile ... glad your seats position with the venue change appeared to work out well.

I don't post as often as I used to, but I do still enjoy doing the occasional show review when Joe makes an appearance in my neck of the woods...

As for Tim's Bona-baptism, that was quiet a treat for me, obviously. I'm just glad things worked out on such short notice, and I'm hoping my best friend (who had to cancel on the Lincoln show) can make the Springfield, MO show in December...

Rhonda is VERY versatile instrument, and the Hanson P-90s don't sound like any other single coils I've ever played...love the "baseball bat" neck, too...and, as I mentioned, to my ears she sounds even better now that she's met Joe...  big_smile

So far as I can tell they made sure to get the pit areas as close as possible to the original venue...my seat was still the 8th seat in Row 3, Pit A...terrific view, especially of Reese and the ladies...

Terrance Shuman
Kansas City, MO
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Re: 8/20/17 Pinnacle Bank Arena - Lincoln, NE

Sweet Coach. I saw some posts that were rather miffed at the venue change, but it seemed like an improvement with the good sound. I can't imagine the nightmare of pulling that off at the last minute. Kudos to the staff.
Rick

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  • From: Kansas City, MO USA
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Re: 8/20/17 Pinnacle Bank Arena - Lincoln, NE

RickB wrote:

Sweet Coach. I saw some posts that were rather miffed at the venue change, but it seemed like an improvement with the good sound. I can't imagine the nightmare of pulling that off at the last minute. Kudos to the staff.
Rick

I still have never heard Joe in an outdoor venue now, but I agree that everyone on Joe's team AND Pinnacle Bank Arena did a splendid job under great duress. The only real downside was having to drive all the way back to KC right after the show because there were no hotel rooms available thanks to eclipse tourists... big_smile

Terrance Shuman
Kansas City, MO