Joe Bonamassa at the Fox Performing Arts Center

Photos and words by Steve Rose

The city of Riverside, CA was treated to a special night when Joe Bonamassa and his stellar band played the Fox Performing Arts Center in front of a sold out crowd. Joe, a blues rock powerhouse, and no stranger to sold out venues, put on a fantastic show. On this particular evening, the fans were fired up to see him; oftentimes whistling and hooting during guitar solos and showering him with adulation before the songs were even finished. Yells of "yeah, Joe" were common utterances of the night from fans all around the venue.

Joe's band consists of Reese Wynans on keys, Josh Smith on guitar, Lemar Carter on drums, Calvin Turner on bass, and Danielle DeAndrea and Jade MacRae as backing vocals. The band was a cohesive collection of great musicians. Wynans, a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee and former member of Stevie Ray Vaughan's band, is familiar with playing alongside blues guitar legends. Smith, an outstanding guitarist in his own right, did a great job keeping the groove going and had a couple of moments in the show to step into the spotlight and showcase his skills. The rhythm section of Carter and Turner were locked in sync and kept the blues train chugging along throughout the evening. MacRae and DeAndrea, a pair of vocalists from Australia, were dynamic and MacRae had a few standout songs where her vocal abilities were able to shine.

The night began with "Evil Mama," a track that was a great way to kick off the show and a song that has been played pretty regularly since 2018, when it was released. "Dust Bowl," " Breakin' Up Someone's Home," and "Double Trouble" were a few highlights of the night. The night wrapped up with ZZ Top's "Just Got Paid" and "Mountain Time," a fantastic song that let Joe unleash his fretboard fireworks on an acoustic guitar.

Joe Bonamassa is one of the most consistent artists performing these days. I have been to a number of his shows over the years and he never has an off night. He and his band give it their all and leave the fans satisfied and a little awestruck by his proficiency on the guitar.