1 Topic by Coach305 (edited by Coach305 2021-08-29 15:01:24)

  • From: Kansas City, MO USA
  • Registered: 2011-01-03
  • Posts: 1,256

Topic: Orpheum Theatre - Omaha, NE 8/7/18

The Orpheum Theatre is a great old school venue in the heart of downtown Omaha, Joe's usual type of venue...

https://www.flickr.com/photos/52889850@ … ed-public/

https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnew … 1200%2C946

The seats were amazing, front row center, proving yet again that tickets from litho and package purchases are the way to fly. My date had to cancel at the last minute, but everything worked out great because I was able to give my dear friend and No. 1 Joe Fan pattyluvsjoe a seat up front where she belongs!

https://www.flickr.com/photos/52889850@ … ed-public/

I also got to touch base with Phil and Natasha for the first time in ages, which was fun. And of course there was a meeting with the mayor of Nerdville...

https://www.flickr.com/photos/52889850@ … ed-public/

The show itself was historic, in that it did NOT start on the dot at 8:00 PM. The Orpheum's poky security staff had difficulty processing people through, so they held the start until around 8:03, and even at that there were still people who missed the first 2-3 songs. Joe was NOT pleased, and joked about the problem during the show...

With regard to the whole kerfuffle about the country material, I am firmly in the camp that would have LOVED to hear it. Whatever disappointment I was feeling melted away when Joe broke out the slide on the opening number... wink

It might have been the inefficient security system, or it might have been lingering frustration over the country material being nixed, but Joe seemed to be playing with a chip on his shoulder much of the night. That added some extra bite to his performance...

Speaking of the show itself...

The Guitars (in order of appearance, songs played on shown in parentheses - remember, I'm not the expert some here are):

  • Tobacco sunburst Stratocaster, probably the '63 (1)

  • Les Paul I have never seen before, chocolate brown burst finish (2, 3, end of 8)

  • 1960 Cherry sunburst Les Paul, aka The Runt (4, 6, 7, beginning of 8, 11, 12, 14)

  • 1962 Cherry red ES 335 (5, 10)

  • 1955 Fender Telecaster, the “Terry Reid” I think (9, 13)

The Set List (songs from Redemption in boldface):

  • King Bee Shakedown

  • Evil Mama

  • Just 'Cos You Can Don't Mean You Should

  • Self-Inflicted Wounds

  • I Get Evil

  • No Good Place For the Lonely

  • How Deep This River Runs

  • Breaking Up Somebody's Home (Joe broke a string on The Runt and had to switch out mid-song)

  • Slow Train

  • Nobody Loves Me But My Mother

  • Boogie With Stu

  • Last Kiss

  • How Many More Times

  • Sloe Gin

The Performance:
The current line-up is the same as the one I saw in Lincoln in 2017 and Omaha in 2016, except this time Juanita wasn't singing backup. It has become my favorite iteration of Joe, and I don't mind saying so here even though that puts me in the minority camp. The overall sound mix was excellent, and the longer this line-up plays together the hotter they get. Lee and Paulie add something very special to the mix, and Paulie even sang this time around. Everyone got showcased, and in addition to the new material there were new wrinkles in the arrangements of older songs. The beginning of Slow Train in particular was something I've never seen him do before, and it was amazing. Anton, Michael, and Reese crushed it all night long.

As I mentioned earlier, Joe's playing had a bit of a pissed off edge to it. Not that that negatively affected his performance, of course. Fiery Joe is always good Joe, and his solos ranged from OMG (Joe whipped my ****) to OMFG (Joe whipped the llama's ****) to OMMFG (Joe whipped all the llamas' asses). cool

I don't know what the folks at the Ryman shows are going to get, but this show left me completely satisfied and I'm already looking forward to the fall tour (planning on catching the St. Louis gig)...

And if someone could mention to Jade that I'm still available, that would be swell... big_smile

Terrance Shuman
Kansas City, MO
  • RickB
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Re: Orpheum Theatre - Omaha, NE 8/7/18

Great review Coach. Sorry about the date, but Patty by your side is something extra special.
Joe’s got that band of pros firing on all cylinders.
Rick

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  • From: Indianola, IA
  • Registered: 2006-07-26
  • Posts: 4,429

Re: Orpheum Theatre - Omaha, NE 8/7/18

Coach, Such a great and fun review! Can’t thank you enough for the “sweet seat”  So kind of you and was fun!
Always interesting to see the diversity of the crowd! And the 8:03 start time was epic! cool
Joe definitely pulled all the stops out, a ferocious tiger on the loose! It’s that familiar thought of, “Just when you think Joe can’t get any better, he does!”  Love when he “goes off” during a solo and puts the crowd under a hypnotic spell... And how can human hands move so quickly and play thousands of notes, night after night! He may just truly be Superman!
Love the new songs,love the old songs and as always    smile pattyluvsjoe cool

P.S. Love the “Blues Meets Country” tshirt too. It’s just a fun shirt to wear!

"I'm not nice to any guitar!"      lol
                 Joe Bonamassa 05-03-12

JBLP CHILD #184

4 Reply by nmagcorn (edited by nmagcorn 2018-08-09 16:17:15)

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

Re: Orpheum Theatre - Omaha, NE 8/7/18

Fantastic show at the Orpheum Theatre. People may be wondering why we went all the way to Omaha, but the explanation is rather simple. We thought it was going to be a different show and that a more intimate theatre in that part of the country would be a cool place to see it. Well, as everyone knows things changed and instead we were treated to an incredible night of Blues/rock. Joe and the band let out all the stops and Coach very eloquently summed up the night. It was great to see Coach and Patty again. Always more fun to be at shows when you are with people you know and it was nice spending the day with Patty. We had a fortuitous turn of events with our seats at the show as well. I had waited a while to purchase tickets and originally ended up with row d all the way on the left. It was slightly obstructed by cables but it was close. Then there were 2 people with tickets for the front row one of whom was in a wheelchair. They couldn't place them there so they moved them to the pit where there was more space. So therefore there were 2 empty seats in the first main row. Phil and I moved to those empty seats, the people near us liked the ones we had so they moved into ours, and people behind them moved into theirs. It was a bit of switching around, lol, but everyone ended up happy. It's amazing how things work out sometimes. So we had a great unobstructed view from the front and we were on the side Joe favors. Joe really was blazing all night long. "Breaking Up Somebody's Home" is just spectacular now. Everyone solos and Joe really takes it to the next level when it's his turn. He broke a string right before the solo, but he gave a little smile to Mike Hickey who brought him another guitar and then off he went starting slow and quiet and then building to an incredible raucous finish. I also love that he's brought a slow blues back in the set. I've been asking for that for over a year now (put in a request for You Shook Me or I Can't Quit You Baby, but hey I'll take anything at this point), and it really is great to finally have one. Joe is a master of the slow blues. It really was a fantastic night all around. A great quick trip to Omaha. Now looking forward to Saturday night in Nashville. Here are some photos from the show and I have to say Joe looked quite spiffy in his dark checked suit, black shirt and bright red shoes. Looked like he had definitely lost some weight. So bravo to you Joe, you are looking quite slim and trim. https://www.flickr.com/photos/anitrasda … 0024319845

  • From: Kansas City, MO USA
  • Registered: 2011-01-03
  • Posts: 1,256

Re: Orpheum Theatre - Omaha, NE 8/7/18

nmagcorn wrote:

Here are some photos from the show and I have to say Joe looked quite spiffy in his dark checked suit, black shirt and bright red shoes.

Great pics, Natasha, thanks for sharing! And it was good to see you and Phil again, too!

I'm a big fan of the red shoes... big_smile

Terrance Shuman
Kansas City, MO
  • Registered: 2018-07-26
  • Posts: 34

Re: Orpheum Theatre - Omaha, NE 8/7/18

Joe has said in interviews that one should play guitar "with bad intent".  I guess that's what you got that night in Omaha!

"You know, it's just that people like this... you know... they get all they want so they really don't understand, you know... about a life like Frank's. I mean, when you've loved and lost the way Frank has, then you, uh, you know what life's about."

"How can "less be more"?  It's impossible.  "More" is more." - Yngwie Malmsteen

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  • From: Kansas City, MO USA
  • Registered: 2011-01-03
  • Posts: 1,256

Re: Orpheum Theatre - Omaha, NE 8/7/18

Finally got around to putting the pickguard Joe signed for me at the Meet & Greet (see picture link in earlier post) back where it belongs big_smile : https://www.flickr.com/photos/52889850@ … ed-public/

Terrance Shuman
Kansas City, MO

8 Reply by Rocket (edited by Rocket 2021-02-27 15:40:05)

  • Rocket
  • Rocket
  • BONAMEGAMETAL
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  • From: San Francisco
  • Registered: 2006-04-26
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Re: Orpheum Theatre - Omaha, NE 8/7/18

Coach305 wrote:

Finally got around to putting the pickguard Joe signed for me at the Meet & Greet (see picture link in earlier post) back where it belongs big_smile : https://www.flickr.com/photos/52889850@ … ed-public/

COACH TS!!! cool big_smile So glad to see this from you!  What a thrill.  I hope you are well, and this (whole topic’s posts) are like a vaccination in my Nation.  That was a great “kickass!” tour.  Thanks for the smile


Rock ON and Keep The Faith,
Rocket

"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: Kansas City, MO USA
  • Registered: 2011-01-03
  • Posts: 1,256

Re: Orpheum Theatre - Omaha, NE 8/7/18

Rocket wrote:

COACH TS!!! cool big_smile So glad to see this from you!  What a thrill.  I hope you are well, and this (whole topic’s posts) are like a vaccination in my Nation.  That was a great “kickass!” tour.  Thanks for the smile


Rock ON and Keep The Faith,
Rocket

Thanks, Rocket! That show was definitely in my all-time Top 5 Joe experiences, in no small part due to all the Bona-buddies who shared it with me!

Hope you are well also, and ready to go when in-person concerts are a thing again... cool

Terrance Shuman
Kansas City, MO