Arvest Bank Theatre at the Midland - Kansas City, MO 11/2/19

jim m wrote:

I noticed you made note no Anton and it showed. As a frustrated drummer I feel able to give credit where credit is due.

No slight intended to Lamar, who is a fine player and did well. But the difference in the overall all sound was noticeable...

Thanks for the fab review Coach. I thought that looked like the Yairi here at Rancho Mirage with the muff in the hole. The power is unmistakeable.
Love that tie!

Edit, that red LP burst is Joe’s newest addition. His pride and joy after 7 years of searching, Mr. Bolin he calls it after the player who owned it. You can instantly recognize it by the American Flag graphics on the pickguard.
Rick

It has been over a year since Joe's been in my neck of the woods, so of course I wasn't about to miss this one!

The Arvest is one of those great old art deco style venues that Joe enjoys...

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

I had this tie made for the Omaha show last August when I had a meet & greet, but it didn't arrive in time so I wore it for the first time tonight...

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

I got lucky and found a singleton seat only 20 rows back just three days before the show (it was a sellout, Joe's 4th in a row at this venue)...

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

The Arvest has great acoustics, in addition to being gorgeous to look at, but I HATE the floor seating...they set up cushioned folding chairs in tiers, with each tier being slightly higher than the one in front of it, but if you don't get a seat in the front row of your tier (I didn't) you're stuck behind people whose seats are on the same level as your own, which makes it tough to see...it didn't help that the rows and seats aren't numbered the way they are on your ticket, and the ushers were befuddled...oh, well...

The band was missing Anton, of course, and that showed all night long, but other than that everyone was there and cooking at a high level. I think Joe's rig was a couple of tweeds and a couple of Dumbles, but I wasn't close enough to know for sure about the latter. Same story with the guitars, so I'll just give basic descriptions of those and let the experts figure it out from there... (If I don't mention a guitar switch it means he played the same axe as on the previous song.)

Set List:

• Tiger In Your Tank - The lights dimmed and they did that intro where you get Muddy first, then the band kicks in on the same tune...very theatrical! Joe played a cherry red ES guitar to begin the night.

• Evil Mama - Joe switched to a cherry sunburst LP for this one.

• Just 'Cos You Can Don't Mean You Should - This one has become quite a crowd-pleaser, and a blazing performance of itgot the night's first standing ovation.

• King Bee Shakedown - Joe brought out a dark sunburst Strat for this one.

• If Heartaches Were Nickels - Joe switched to the Johnny B LP here, and started what turned out to be a deep dive into his back catalog. His solo here was heartfelt and amazing, plus Jade absolutely killed it on HER solo (you would have thought I'd be over my crush on her by now, but nah... ).

• This Train - Switching to a black Strat, Joe did a cool "duet" mid-song with Michael, plus Paulie had a smoking solo on sax. Big ovation for this one.

• Blues of Desperation - Out came the Firebird, AND the slide! That automatically made it a highlight of MY evening!

• Sloe Gin - Joe switched to a burst LP (looked like Skinner from my seat), and treated us to an unusual arrangement of this old favorite. Fabulous solo by Joe to trigger another standing ovation.

Now it was time for an extended pause, band intros, etc. Joe reminded the audience of his last appearance at this venue in '17, when he was at death's door from bronchitis, and did a bit of reminiscing about playing at the old Grand Emporium in his early days, which got an appreciative response from the locals. So did his mention of this being his fourth straight sell-out at the Arvest...

• Well Well - Joe brought the black Strat back here, and had a nice "duet" with Reese. Lee also had a tasty solo as well.

• Nobody Loves Me But My Mother - The cherry ES was back for this one, and a spirited performance of this crowd favorite got a big ovation.

• Little Girl - Back to the cherry sunburst LP, and a lively rendition.

• The Ballad of John Henry - Joe might not get a lot of radio airplay, but EVERYBODY was on their feet from the opening notes of this one! The band was amazing throughout, and the audience was mostly on their feet all the way to the end.

After a relatively brief interlude, out of the darkness we heard Joe's acoustic as he lit into...

• Woke Up Dreaming - He was playing the tobacco sunburst Yairi acoustic, and his playing was jaw-dropping. I'm watching him do it live, and I still don't believe what I'm seeing/hearing...

• Mountain Time - Yes, it's back, and yes, I began to tear up from the opening notes. Joe was playing a butterscotch blackguard Tele, might have been the Terry Reid (it had a humbucker in the neck position). It was a somewhat new arrangement, but with echoes of the Beacon Theatre version...and when he got to the familiar closing solo I was glad it was too dark for anyone to notice the tears rolling down my cheeks...

If you get a chance to catch Joe and the band on this tour, don't miss it! If the Kansas City Star publishes a review of the show I will update this post with that link...