Just saw Joe Bonamassa at Sam Ash!

[traviswalk]

So I needed to buy some new strings and a One Spot ahead of a show tonight, so hop over to the Sam Ash on 48th Street in Manhattan since my office is right there. Take a stroll to the back room to check out the nicer guitars and who is sitting there noodling away on a Tele through a 18watt Reissue Marshall....Joe B!!!

After he took a break playing I introduced myself, shook his hand, mentioned I've seen him a boatload of times, asked about when Black Country would play NYC (to which he answered they are supposed to do a private event for John Varvatos during Fashion Week), listened to him demo some more guitars through other amps, etc. He was very gracious, very talkative and super freakin nice. Wow. Talk about making my day.

And of course the camera on my Blackberry is disabled by my work...so no pic to prove the tale!!

[PedalFreak]

I met him when he played a local gig. He was buying beer tickets at a local festival and watching the preopener opener. We talked about his Two-Rock and his Dumble that he had with him (he had just bought the Dumble shortly before that).

Was a nice, regular guy. Except with $70k worth of amps on stage :D

[KeithC]

Two cool stories there!
I sort of met him after a show. He was at the t-shirt table and actually handed the shirt to me I bought!

[heavysoul]

So I needed to buy some new strings and a One Spot ahead of a show tonight, so hop over to the Sam Ash on 48th Street in Manhattan since my office is right there. Take a stroll to the back room to check out the nicer guitars and who is sitting there noodling away on a Tele through a 18watt Reissue Marshall....Joe B!!!

After he took a break playing I introduced myself, shook his hand, mentioned I've seen him a boatload of times, asked about when Black Country would play NYC (to which he answered they are supposed to do a private event for John Varvatos during Fashion Week), listened to him demo some more guitars through other amps, etc. He was very gracious, very talkative and super freakin nice. Wow. Talk about making my day.

And of course the camera on my Blackberry is disabled by my work...so no pic to prove the tale!!

how'd he sound?

[traviswalk]

how'd he sound?

He sounded great! Playing at low volume. At one point he ripped off these very 'Yngwie' type licks and said to someone in his party that he just found some cool Yngwie video on Youtube so he learned some of his riffs. So he went and played about 30 second of pure shredding that was super clean and percussive like Yngwie...and Joe B wasn't breaking a sweat! It was really, really impressive!

[mvd18969]

I saw this thread and remembered that I had been meaning to post the clip below for a while now. Found it on youtube. A guy I knew from college had a local cable access show geared towards guitarists back in the early to mid 90s. Here's Joe B on his show...

P8dNTTDVOGo&feature=related

[Broken Cord]

I think Joe B is better than a lot of people give him credit for. He is a very talented Blues player, but he shouldn't be pigeon holed as only a Blues guitarist , like an onion, Joe has many layers.

[mojocaster.com]

I agree, he's a complete player, not a one-trick pony. I'm a big fan of his, and have always heard that, when met "in real life" he was a very gracious person.

[Ben S.]

I saw this thread and remembered that I had been meaning to post the clip below for a while now. Found it on youtube. A guy I knew from college had a local cable access show geared towards guitarists back in the early to mid 90s. Here's Joe B on his show...

P8dNTTDVOGo&feature=related


I enjoyed the playing and tone in that clip better than anything I have ever heard from him. Real cool. Thanks for posting.

Don't know if this is the case, but to me, it sounded like he had one amp clean and one dirty and blended them just perfectly at the same level of loudness.

[jtodds]

So cool Todd. Would have loved to been in that room. Joe B is such a great player, how fun it must have been to hear him do the Yngwie thing.
Cheers,
J

He sounded great! Playing at low volume. At one point he ripped off these very 'Yngwie' type licks and said to someone in his party that he just found some cool Yngwie video on Youtube so he learned some of his riffs. So he went and played about 30 second of pure shredding that was super clean and percussive like Yngwie...and Joe B wasn't breaking a sweat! It was really, really impressive!

[boldaslove1977]

So I needed to buy some new strings and a One Spot ahead of a show tonight, so hop over to the Sam Ash on 48th Street in Manhattan since my office is right there. Take a stroll to the back room to check out the nicer guitars and who is sitting there noodling away on a Tele through a 18watt Reissue Marshall....Joe B!!!

After he took a break playing I introduced myself, shook his hand, mentioned I've seen him a boatload of times, asked about when Black Country would play NYC (to which he answered they are supposed to do a private event for John Varvatos during Fashion Week), listened to him demo some more guitars through other amps, etc. He was very gracious, very talkative and super freakin nice. Wow. Talk about making my day.

And of course the camera on my Blackberry is disabled by my work...so no pic to prove the tale!!

great story... i never see anyone in there... i'm guessing no one else in the store knew who he was?

[drumfun101]

The more I follow Joe, the more random, old, videos pop up online that make me realize just how long he has been doing this...

Check out his new stuff on his site - "Blue and Evil (http://tiny.cc/vv8ik)" He also started a band with Glenn Hughes, Jason Bonham, and Derek Sherinian, called "Black Country Communion."

[RCCola]

Not sure why any self-respecting person would try guitars and amps out at a Sam Ash :)

Poor Joe. Definitely still loves the Fender's...

[travisvwright]

He is a very talented Blues playerReally? I've never seen him in a bowling shirt or sandals once.

[buddastrat]

Did you ask him if he could play Stairway?

That's cool if he could actually pull off some Yngwie. I learned a lot of Joe's Eric Johhnson rips. I guess Joe's like the rest of us, always practicing, tryin' to get better. Cool.

[traviswalk]

great story... i never see anyone in there... i'm guessing no one else in the store knew who he was?


Most of the sales staff knew who he was, but certainly the layperson didn't blink twice at him.

I also saw Eric Johnson walking into that same Sam Ash years ago when it was still Manny's, but he never picked up a guitar!!!

[Dave Shoop]

Great clip. It just amazes me to see guys who are/were such great players and so creative at such a young age. I really like Joe B. And he is 33 now ?

[BadAssBill]

Joe is one of the few famous guitarists who can shred with the best of them, but knows when to stop...and be expresive. My latest fav Joe song is The Jockey.

[Mikey Likes It]

Anyone who really likes Joe's playing in the clip posted above should check out the "Bloodline" CD.

[rcl]

Thanks for posting. Some folks you just want to think are cool regular people and he is one of those that I would like to think would grab a beer and geek talk over gear.

[cr8z4life]

Your info was dead on because they played a privated gig at the old CBGB's on the 12th...........Billy Gibbons opened up (after he played the beacon which I attended) then Black Country, and also Alice Cooper......

[original07]

Todd very cool story thanks for posting it.

[reddgeetarzan]

I saw this thread and remembered that I had been meaning to post the clip below for a while now. Found it on youtube. A guy I knew from college had a local cable access show geared towards guitarists back in the early to mid 90s. Here's Joe B on his show...

P8dNTTDVOGo&feature=related

C'mon Joe.....pick that STRATOCASTER back up! I LOVE hearing him play on a strat!!!!

[A440]

I remember his Dad's shop had a booth at a lot of the Philly guitar shows and he would mind the booth.

I remember him strolling around with a really beat up old strat and rippin' out some fast licks...