Joe Bonamassa Reigned Supreme at The Colosseum
Photos and words by Steve Rose
Photo: Steve Rose
Joe Bonamassa took the stage to a thunderous roar from the capacity crowd at the famed Colosseum at Caesar’s Palace as he and his stellar band put on a remarkable two hour show. With fan favorite songs such as: “Evil Mama,” “Just ‘Cos You Can Don’t Mean You Should,” “Sloe Gin,” and “The Ballad of John Henry,” there was a great vibe being put out by the band that filled the room with joy and the excitement of what will come next. The night before the show, Journey closed out their residency at the Colosseum and Neal Schon invited Joe out to play “Lovin’, Touchin’, Squeezin’” with the band; and during Joe’s set, he invited Neal out to play the B.B. King song, “Nobody Loves Me but My Mother.” As soon as Neal was announced, the crowd stood and cheered as he took the stage for a one of a kind performance. They both took turns playing some slow blues and the crowd soaked it up and got more and more into it as they traded solos. These guitar legends played really well off of each other and this truly was a gift to every concert goer in this fabled arena. The night wrapped up with “Woke Up Dreaming” and “Mountain Time,” both of which should remain paired together whenever played, because they work so well and the audience seemed to agree as well.
This show was dubbed the Guitar Event of the Year, and it’s safe to say that it more than lived up to its moniker. The addition of Neal Schon will make any show that much better and the two of them together is hard to match. The Bona-Vegas show was fantastic and it’s safe to say that when you have Joe Bonamassa at the Colosseum in Caesar’s Palace - you’re guaranteed a winning hand.
