Joe B in DC

I've blogged a few times about Joe Bonamassa. He is one of my favorite guitarists out there. My friend Patrick thinks Joe is a bit of a tool but whatdoesheknowhe'sdumb. Anywho, Jodi and I went down to The Warner Theater last night to see Joe do his thing. And what a great show!

I've seen a few shows at The Warner. I know I have seen Natalie Merchant and Sarah McLachlan there. I think that's where I saw the Nutcracker when I went. I think I saw Grease there. It's a great venue, not that big. We were a bunch of rows up in the balcony but the view was damn good.

Joe started the set acoustic doing a couple covers and few songs off his new record. I initially labeled that record a disappointment. After seeing the show I will probably re-assess that. Seeing a show does that to me; once I hear the songs in the live setting they have a new life to them that I carry over into the record listening. The same thing happened a couple years ago with the Brandon Flowers (of The Killers) and his solo record; I thought it was pedestrian until I saw the show and the record wound up in my favorite ten of the year.

So Joe is shoe-horned into the blues bins of the record stores. That element is there but it is just part of the vibe. He has a very classic rock feel, a British bluesman kind of thing. Kind of got a harder Humble Pie era Peter Frampton and Rory Gallagher (I know that he's Irish) kind of thing. Gary Moore pops into my mind, oh yeah, Joe did a Gary Moore cover so there you go.

Anyway, he started acoustic and that was very cool. Then he picked up his electrics and rocked the joint. He is a pretty avid guitar collector and it seemed he had most of them with him. He started with a gorgeous tobacco looking Gibson Explorer, an army of Les Pauls, a big Gibson hollow-body, a beautiful Gibson ES-335, a white SG, and something at the end that wasn't a Gibson but I could see it close enough.

The band was tight. He was supported on drums and bass and keys. Joe is obviously a bit of a prima donna but in his case it is okay and not douchey. I mentioned to a friend on Facebook that it is fun to see someone who is so unabashedly a show-off. The stage set up is all about him. The drums and keyboard are off to the sides on risers while his rig gets center stage, naturally. Jodi said that my band should play with a carpet on the stage. Unfortunately we aren't playing the Warner Theater.

Cover-wise they did a blazing version of "Young Man's Blues" channeling the Live At Leeds version. The ending medley was ZZ Top's "Just Got Paid," Whitesnake's "Still Of The Night" (HA!) and Zep's "Dazed and Confused." I could have sworn there were a few other Zep licks thrown in there.

The best song of the night was a tune called "Mountain Time." This is an original of his. The record version is good, but the live version is fantastic. It just soars, up and down back and forth. A real great song to end on because it packs a real punch.

So a great show. Jodi had a really good time. She said she liked it better than Gov't Mule. We did have a crazy drunk lady sitting next to us who got some kind of disconcerting Facebook message (ah technology, how you fins new ways to aggravate us) and cussed and punched her husband for the following twenty minutes. They left after about halfway through the show. YAY! Joe is better appreciated live than in the studio; in the live setting he can really show off. I recommend his Beacon Theater live record from earlier this year.

Here's a few more pictures. We're not too close, so they are not the best but you get the idea.

Bright Lights

One of the more interesting guitar players out there is Gary Clark Jr. His new record, Blak and Blu just came out and is one of the better records I have heard this year.  He is nominally considered a blues guitarist but he shouldn't be pigeon-holed into that genre. He has plenty of rock and plenty of straight blues and a good dose of R&B.

I first heard of him in Rolling Stone and with the song "Bright Lights."

That's from Eric Clapton's Crossroads Festival in 2010. It's a pretty killer cut. Just great guitar playing and a great voice. This song shows up on his Bright Lights ep from last year and again on the new record. It's a worthy song for double inclusions.

He played the 930 Club last Friday and I thought about going, but I also thought about seeing Earth, but in the end I didn't go to either because I am a loser and an old man. Well, not really, I was just tired from band practice the night before and didn't want to stay up too late. OK, I am a loser and an old man. Sue me.

Anyway, I like the new record. Like I said it's a good mix of rock and R&B with a classic blues vibe. It could easily have been a standard blues record, which would be kind of boring. I am not the biggest blues fan in the world. I appreciate it for the great talents that are in the genre, but I can only take it in doses. I have to be in the right mood for it. This record cuts through that though.

It probably won't make my favorite 10 of the year of the year but it's very enjoyable and will have staying power through next year. It's better than the latest Joe Bonamassa record and he's I guy I really like too. I download (legally of course) maybe 8 to 10 new records a month depending on what's new. I guess from reading the blog you're getting the impression I dig music, so it's only natural I reckon. If Gary comes back through town I will likely go see him. He also has excellent taste in guitars.