The Blues Shines Bright in Long Beach

Photos and words by Steve Rose

The Terrace Theater in Long Beach was the place to be for an unforgettable night of blues. Guitar legend, Joe Bonamassa, and his band played for over two hours and left it all on the stage that night. Bonamassa, a masterful musician, whose guitar prowess is often discussed, had fans lined up early at the center of the stage to check out his amps and pedals to gain insight as to what types of tools this blues master is using. As the lights dimmed, the excitement and energy in the venue were palpable, creating a sense of anticipation. Kicking off the night with a “Hope You Realize It,” an upbeat number that was great to get things going for the night. The energy in the theater was upbeat and jovial and remained that way throughout the show.

The thoughtfully curated setlist included fan favorites such as "Love Ain’t a Love Song" and "I Feel Like Breakin’ Up Someone’s Home Tonight," each performed with the raw passion. The performance of “Self Inflicted Wounds” really stood out amongst the other great songs. From the beginning rumble of bassist Calvin Turner’s notes as he skillfully moved around the fretboard, to the duo of Jade MacRae and Dani De Andrea shining as backing vocalists. The complete integration of the band and their musicianship really came together during that song. Legendary organist and keyboardist, Reese Wynans adds a lot of depth to the overall sound of the band and provides texture to these songs. Drummer, Lemar Carter is a monster behind the kit. He plays with purpose, with power, and at all times, within the song. Joining Bonamassa on guitar is his friend and co-producer, Josh Smith. Josh, an outstanding guitarist in his own right, and someone that Joe has called the best on the stage, was fantastic handling the rhythm duties and on a few songs, got to step into the spotlight and show the crowd why he’s considered such a phenomenal guitarist. To me, Joe’s guitar work on “The Last Matador of Bayonne” was the highlight of the night. It’s such a great tune and his solo is jaw-dropping.

As the night was wrapping up, the band broke into “Just Got Paid.” A well-done ZZ Top cover that got the fans on their feet with this energetic tune. During the song, Bonamassa, infused some of the elements and key parts of Led Zeppelin’s “Dazed and Confused” which was really cool to hear develop. A powerful drum solo followed that left Carter as the only one on stage to further highlight his talent and as the drum solo was winding down, the band rejoined him on stage and finished up the song before taking a brief break. A few moments later, the band returned and prior to playing the final song, Joe explained to the crowd that he was sick of playing this particular song - even though it was the song that put him on the map. He changed his stance on the song because it’s one that is often requested or asked about since being off the setlist and as a result, “Sloe Gin” is back as the closer. The crowd went crazy and were really appreciative that it had returned to the set.