Clearwater, FL

Ruth Eckerd Hall

Joe Bonamassa recently played two shows at Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater, FL and I was lucky enough to attend the first night. For those not familiar with Mr. Bonamassa, he has been blessing the stage since the late ’80s and has played alongside some amazing musicians such as BB King and Eric Clapton. When he stepped on the stage he was cool and relaxed and played almost non-stop for two and a half hours. It was a religious experience, a good ol’ blues revival, something we as guests will talk about for years.

He wasted no time, opening the show with “Tiger In Your Tank”, “Evil Mama”, and “Just ‘Cos You Can”. As a photographer, we are usually limited to photographing the first 3 songs from “the pit” or up close. This usually equates to about 9 minutes before we are relegated to the back of the room. With Mr. Bonamassa, the first three songs lasted a good 15 – 20 minutes, which was a real treat for me both as a photographer and a fan. There were times during this show that the singer and the crowd became one. Joe singing to the crowd and the crowd singing right back, completely in unison, completely aligned, in harmony, one in the experience of it all. That is what an amazing musician can do for you, can do for the WORLD. This is the very reason that many believe that music has healing powers.

Be sure to catch one of the upcoming shows on this Spring Tour and enjoy some photos of the performance on February 24th at Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater, Florida. All photos copyright and courtesy of Chris Cornett.

CREDITS: Read Full Article on TheseSubtleSounds.com

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Charlotte, NC

Blumenthal Performing Arts Center

Nobody plays the blues quite like Joe Bonamassa and Monday evening he wowed the capacity crowd at the Blumenthal Performing Arts Center in Uptown Charlotte. With its outstanding acoustics and not a bad seat in the house, the elegant Belk Theater was the perfect choice for a concert that would indeed go down as The Guitar Event Of The Year.

The venue lights dimmed and after a short announcement, it was finally showtime! Joe came out with his band of absolutely stellar musicians, all legends themselves, and said he was going to start things off with a little Muddy Waters. All of a sudden, red and white lights dazzled across the stage and the theater was transformed into a juke joint as everyone was bopping along to “Tiger In Your Tank.” What a way to start off the night! And believe me, when I say, things only got better from there. From “Evil Mama” to “King Bee Shake Down,” Bonamassa and company were at the top of their game. Bonamassa had us rocking, dancing, and crying the blues all night long. The night was full of highs and lows as we rode the train that Joe was conducting with his Les Paul Burst and nobody was stopping to get off.

The evening was spectacular with a once in a lifetime performance by the legend. Do not miss your chance to see Joe Bonamassa when his tour rolls through your neck of the woods. It truly is the guitar event of the year.

CREDITS: Read Full Article on Shutter16.com

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ATLANTA, GA

The Fox Theatre

CREDITS: See More Photos on AtlantaMusicGuide.com, Photography by Ryan Fleisher

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