Joe's current band (Page 1 of 2)

The USA takes a different view to covid than Canada .
We can't even sit in a restaurant still , no touring bands here in Canada at all. Barely doing NBA and NHL with no fans.

Think JaneH posted a Twitter from Anton just said he's not with Joe's band anymore.
No extra explanation.

I would suspect that Anton is an Anti-vax and probably Joe needs him vaxed to tour.

about upcoming tour band: here is picture from today's band rehearsals posted by Joe's new guitar tech, Big D ( wink, wink... another surprise castling ) https://www.instagram.com/p/CZxsWTTOf2a/  - Reese on keys, Jade and Danielle on back up singing, Lemar Carter on drums, Josh Smith on rhythm, can't see who's on base but it ain't Michael. So, here you go. Probably a little insensitive for me to say it, but all I really care to see is JOE and that's why I am here.

  What I am about to wright here is my personal opinion based on nothing and probably wrong, but here it is anyway:

   As Joe keeps mentioning in his interviews, there two parts in music business: music and business. And Joe is genius expert in second part. So my guess the big part behind the changes is always money and it's distribution.
   There is the other characteristic that Joe started giving to himself recently - that he is not a musician, but an entertainer first. Thus constant changing horses with band members, music genres and outfits - just to keep it fresh for the broad fan base.

   Also recent trend in Joe's interviews is that he wants to keep the reasons behind his decisions unknown to public, meaning that we have no right to know anything behind the scenes, because we are only here for the end product , which are the music albums, and as long as we love it , we should not care what went into it and are free to spend as much time as we want guessing if any of us are involved deeply enough to care ( in the same line with it being Joe not publicly introducing his girlfriend(s) and forbidding her/them to post pictures with him on SM, which is in my understanding is another one of those money/profit decision ) I am sure there is always deep and sorrow market analysis involved before any business crossroads.

     Personally I am looking forward to any musical changes, and would like Joe to go a little out of his comfort zone with a set list, which became extraordinary rigid lately.

  Signed: Joe's fan, the lifer.

I can see if the Joe Bonamassa band changed lead guitarist. Then announcement
Or say David Lee Roth left Van Halen and brought is Sammy Hagar then sure needs an announcement

But this is Joe's band, check out the album discography and you'll see one common denominator... Joe (behind him Rory, )

Broadway will never tell you the actors "upstage" of the star has changed

I have also in the past formed a bit of attachment to some of the  band members.
But he always has top notch musicians and have yet to feel like there has been a drop off in the  music because of the changes.
   This isnt a situation like the early rock bands that all came together at a young age and wrote songs. This is as said here the Joe show. There is no reason to worry about the  supporting cast.

I've struggled for years since the backup singers became full time but Lee and Paulie, and Anton and Reese, kept me going. Now they are gone. I saw the band last fall and there was no chemistry or fun being had on the stage that I could see. My bestie walked out before that show ended but I endured it till the end. I'm still scratching my head over Josh Smith and the return of the fricking Theremin. My friend invited me down to Greenville for the show there in early March. I'm going and trying to keep an open mind. Might be my last. But I've had a good run and a ton of fun over the last 10 years. If Joe's schtick now is to be an "entertainer" rather than a "musician," then so be it. Maybe he can be next year's Super Bowl half time show.

Boy I would  hate to see a JB show and think they are all mailing it in.
  I wasnt aware of Joe disbanding everyone he has been with for a while. But that seems to be the pattern of switching  band members  every few years. Maybe Kevin is behind it . Seems he likes to mix things  up.
  I know there has been alot of challenges since covid and maybe thats part of it.
   Hopefully whatever line up he has ends up
being a high quality musical experience.
   I think Joe should know enough about his career that being a top notch musician with other top not musicians is the entertainment  factor. So I hope that never changes.

Well, I must admit some of the comments I have seen recently are making me feel a little less alone.  Steinei I agree strongly with your opinion that the band from 2015 to 2020 was at its musical peak. BarbieD, I can't tell you how insightful I found your comments. Bless your heart for expressing your distain for what I call Joe's "high school pranking" involving his insistence on pretending he's playing music when he dicks around that bloody Theremin.  I went to more than one show in the 2015-2016 time frame where Joe openly boasted to his adorning fans that "We are real @#$%^^&# musicians, that play real @#$%^^&# music!" "We don't do anything electronic or synthetic".  I wouldn't fully agree that Joe has totally gone to the dark side concerning his still wanting to be more "musician" than "entertainer" - but I did laugh over your Super Bowl comment - I feel Joe is much more distracted with all the production efforts he has made with several artists we all know and like (Taylor-Shaw, Connor, Gales).  And I feel the upheaval of the pandemic shutdowns really shook him up.  I feel the band member changes are the manifestation of that turmoil.

I don't know how I come out on blaming Kevin for any of these harsh changes.  I am not ready to do that. I have always felt Kevin was a positive "changer" in Joe's world.  Pushing our hero to keep growing and reaching.  I can't blame him for that kind of influence.

Very much like BarbieD, I am not ready to give up on attending but I'm discouraged.  I don't want to be negative on the band changes.  I trust Joe and Kevin that these are good moves for now, just wish they would honestly disclose these major changes and not sweep them under the rug.  Like BarbieD stated it was a great multi year run...and I really don't want to think it's toppling into a sad mediocrity.

Such an emotional subject this is! I don't mean to incessantly rag on the band. It's not like I'm out there running around writing songs and performing! But I, too, definitely have my preferences as far as the band goes. Since my last post, I did some Instagram stalking on Dannielle's page. I do like the way she sings and am continuing to keep an open mind in regards to Saturday's gig. Now I just have to decide which t-shirt to wear!

I shall report back once I'm back home from the trip.

Peace, Love and Light, Forum Friends!