Joe Bonamassa
Words: Bella Dawn

Appearing:
December 2, 2007
Ferguson Hall @ Tampa Bay PAC

December 4, 2007
Hard Rock Live, Orlando

Orgasmically sweeping through each pore of your body from the very first note all the way through the last rhythm of the audience as they stand to pay homage to the incarnation of all the souls that have been traded in musical exchange through the course of time. In my, not so humble opinion, there is but one player alive who could possess the prowess needed for a description of that Colour and Shape.

Meet Joe Bonamassa.

Joe recently released is his seventh solo album entitled Sloe Gin.  Acclaimed as “bordering on peerless”, Joe makes his guitar and voice a salacious combination that can only be described as MoJo.

For you beginners, Joe Bonamassa, born on May 8th (same as Robert Johnson) in upstate New York, began playing at age 4.  By 8 he was a veteran and by 12 he shared a stage with B.B. King.  He played in the not so famous collection of “children of musical legends” band, Bloodline.  Not being challenged, he ventured out on his own to discover he has one hell of a set of lungs!  Ever since, he has toured the world to continually resounding audiences and hasn’t sat down without a guitar in his hand… though I can think of two things I bet he does without a guitar.

I had the opportunity to chat with him, so I asked him a few things I thought you might like to know.

REAX:  Why Blues?
Joe Bonamassa:  Blues is a blank canvas that can be interpreted so differently through inflections and tone, transcending the music. The listener, the performer, the artist, everyone, will have a different take on it. 

REAX:  How are you able to be a full time musician as your sole source of income when the landscape of popular music does not reflect your style?
JB:  If you build it, they will come.  I rely on word of mouth and grassroots movements rather than traditional radio or Rolling Stone.  We have our own label, concert promotion, etc.  The fans are loyal and they have stayed through the years.

REAX:  Speaking of loyal fans, I have seen a few samples of ‘Smokin’ Joe Bonamassa’ tats on your fans.  Wow, what is that like?
JB:  Did you see the one posted all over the Internet, the one that makes me look evil?  I know of 7 or 8 of them out there.  It makes me think that I have to live up to them.  I don’t want to disappoint my fans.

REAX:  What was life like on your first tour?
JB:  It was the most exciting!  We had the worst accommodations. We were rank amateurs. The shitty clubs were the coolest.  Seeing it all for the first time was exciting, palpable energy.  We all piled into a Ford Aerostar van and took off for an adventure.  Now I can’t believe it but it’s 19 years later. 

REAX:  Have you ever taken any time off from active touring other than to record the next record?
JB:  Nope (said with a smile).

REAX:  So how decadent can life on the road get for you?
JB:  Just because we play the blues doesn’t mean we have to live life like Robert Johnson in 1926.  I think good food and good rooms are important. 

REAX:  What are some good and bad experiences with labels, management, record reps or anyone else?
JB:  The good is easy.  Michael Kaplan from Epic.  He believed in me, without him I wouldn’t be here.  Also, Tom Dowd, an amazing producer!  Bad?  My second solo record, So It’s Like That.  They kept trying to get a hit out of me with focus groups and meetings.  It’s just not me.

REAX:  What is all this Blues in the Schools stuff about?
JB:  It’s about kids.  Kids, bringing it to the younger generation… that’s what it’s all about.  Fans are bringing their kids to the shows and now there is a whole new generation of fans.  They say blues is a dying genre, so it’s all about the kids. We play in all-ages venues now and it’s more of a sit down audience. It is an environment where parents can bond with their children. Blues in the Schools is a program where I take the students on a blues adventure for about 45 minutes to an hour.  I teach them the heritage of blues and play some for them. 

REAX:  What is your favorite nickname? I have heard Smokin’ Joe, Smokin’ Joe Bonamassa, what else is there?
JB: My favorite nickname is still Opie.  It comes from Opie Taylor on the Andy Griffith show; blonde hair blue eyes, dorky white boy.

You know what they say, once you go Joe….

There are nine-to-fives, pretty yards,
That was never babe, in the cards.
I don’t live anywhere; I live everywhere,
This road is my home.
-----I don’t live anywhere, Joe Bonamassa

www.jbonamassa.com