Joe Bonamassa

• Date: December 16th 2014
• Venue: Dr Phillips Center For The Preforming Arts
• Orlando, Florida  

I can distinctly remember reading about young Smokin' Joe Bonamassa when he was twelve years old, opening for BB King. At the time I thought, here is yet another "flash in the pan" . . . a kid guitar savant, a SRV wanna be. That was 25 years ago.  No less than 15 solo albums have been released by Joe Bonamassa in the last 13 years. Eleven of those albums have reached #1 on the Billboard Blues Charts. He has toured and played with the best musicians in the world. He is now 37 year old, and selling out shows across the world. So, to many, it may seem as if Joe Bonamassa is an overnight sensation, but to those of us who have followed the blues, we realize he has come of age and paid his dues.  Of course Bonamassa appreciates and is an avid student of Roots Music, paying respect to the American Masters. However it was the British Blues Invasion that lit a fire in him as a young man. John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers with Eric Clapton, Irishman Rory Gallagher and Cream were among his biggest influences. The current world tour included a whirlwind visit to the state of Florida and I was anticipating a date in Orlando even though on a weeknight. The Dr. Phillips Center was recently dedicated and opened just earlier in November. The beautiful Walt Disney Theater holds 2,500 and it seemed every seat in the house was filled that Monday night. The 2.5 hour show was presented in two parts: one acoustic and the other half electric. Initially Joe sat in the middle of a plethora of  acoustic guitars. He was surrounded by various musicians playing a variety of instruments with some amazing sounds off of the 2013 Vienna Opera House Live recording. After a short break, the guitar hero delivered a non-stop set of hot, electric riffs and lightning progressions that have to be seen live to be fully appreciated. Joe B can bring it . . . hard, fast and clean.  I obtained a photo pass that night and captured some images to accompany the blog article. The sky is the limit for Joe Bonamassa as he holds true to the blues. I wonder what the next 25 years will bring.