Right before the show, I received word that the photographer couldn't make it. "Oh shit" I thought to myself. After a five minute tutorial on how to work the camera, I was off to Providence to discover if I was a capable back-up photographer, and to see a great show.

I arrived at the venue in time to catch the end of Crosby Loggins' set. I didn't see enough of the performance to form a salient opinion and write anything meaningful. What I did see was pretty good. Crosby, the son of Kenny Loggins, has a great voice.

After a very quick break, next up was Todd Wolfe. Wolfe played guitar and sang while Dave Hollingsworth (drums) and Suavek Zaniesienko (bass) provided the foundation to this blues act. Wolfe is an accomplished musician and watching him perform was a real treat. His guitar of choice was a Gibson SG. It's nice to hear and see a blues player use something other than a Strat.

Joe Bonamassa took to the stage with his Gibson Les Paul strapped over his shoulder, and immediately blew away the crowd. The band was solid. They played together seamlessly. It was a dynamic set as well, with screaming blues riffs coupled with quiet and delicate moments. One of my favorite moments was during a Led Zeppelin cover when Joe was rubbing the strings with his hand to emulate Jimmy Page to near perfection.

Bonamassa used a modest arsenal of guitars during the set. The Les Paul and the Fender Strat sounded the best. The songs he played on acoustic sounded good too. The sound of the Telecaster wasn't the greatest, except when used to emulate an Indian sound.

After leaving the club I had a moment of clarity. I'm no photographer, but can muddle through it to get some decent shots. Also, Joe Bonamassa kicks ass.

| 11.20.2007 | Review by J. Pierson |