On a Wednesday night downtown Appleton Wisconsin, Joe Bonamassa took the stage at the Performing Arts Center for a sold out show. Being the evening before Thanksgiving Joe Bonamassa thanked everyone for taking the time out from their busy holiday schedule to spend the evening with him and his band. Not only was the next day Thanksgiving, but it was also his keyboardist Reese Wynans birthday. Explaining the reason that the whole band was wearing matching shirts that said Reese Wynans. For a Joe Bonamassa concert no opening band is needed, so Joe Bonamassa was the only performance that night. And what a show he puts on, Joe definitely is one of the greatest guitarist of our time especially in the blues genre. Experiencing one of his shows is more than just listening to the songs but also experiencing Joe’s artistry on the guitar. And what a collection of some amazing guitars he brings on tour. Every song Joe goes into some really amazing extended soloing. Using dynamics in some parts he’ll take the playing down to a whisper and then jump right up to full throttle.
Joe Bonamassa has a large following of fans that are not just blues fans but are also guitarists and there to see his amazing guitar playing. The night’s sound was spot on, sounded very good in this venue and Joe’s tone just cut through the music and sounded exceptional. When Joe introduced his band members he said “and the best guitar player on this stage Josh Smith” which I thought was really cool. Then each member had a chance to play a little solo to show off their skills on their instrument. The setlist of the night was a great mix of his catalog. Some songs were “Self-Inflicted Wounds”, “Double Trouble”, “The Heart That Never Waite”, and “Just Got Paid”. When coming back out for the encore, Joe spoke to the audience and said how great of an audience everyone was. He then said how he watches comments on his social media closely and joked he believes everything he reads on social media. Then went on to say how one lady was complaining that he didn’t play “Mountain Time” at the show he was at. So he said tonight we’re gonna play it so no one will have anything to complain about. They then went into a great long version of the song with plenty of amazing soloing on the guitar.
A Joe Bonamassa concert is such an experience, such a great songwriter and musician he is. The stage setup and lighting looked great, the whole band is made up of top notch musicians and he always has a great setlist for the evening. Out in the lobby Joe has plenty of merchandise to choose from also so you can bring home a souvenir of the show. He also had a backdrop setup beside his merchandise booth with his logo on it, where you could get your photo taken holding one of his guitars. Joe Bonamassa is on a break now from touring but will be heading out again in the middle of February 2025. For info on his upcoming tour schedule, and more, check out www.jbonamassa.com
