PHOTOS + REVIEW — Joe Bonamassa at The Sound in Clearwater 2024 ⋆ Shows I Go To

PHOTOS + REVIEW — Joe Bonamassa at The Sound in Clearwater 2024

Joe Bonamassa • March 24, 2024 • The Sound — Clearwater, FL • Photos by Randy Cook — instagram.com/horns_raised

LIVE REVIEW: Joe Bonamassa

March 24, 2024 | The Sound, Clearwater, FL
Review by: Randy Cook /// @horns_raised

The man I refer to as the ‘greatest axe man alive’ shredded his way into the hearts of the crowd at the picturesque The Sound venue situated in Coachman Park, along the waterfront in Clearwater, FL. This show was rescheduled from a week ago Saturday when Joe tried his best to sing through a bout of laryngitis, but was not able to. I had friends who were set to make the trip down to South Florida the day after that originally scheduled Clearwater show where Joe had a date with his side project band, Black Country Communion, but he is not the vocalist so that show went on without a hitch. Returning from Keeping the Blues Alive at Sea IX 2024 Cruise, this makeup date was shoehorned in before the band began a needed break, before their next tour leg.

When I saw how awesome the weather forecast would be for this show I made sure to go a little early to enjoy the beautiful waterfront park prior to entering the venue. With no opening band this evening and Joe taking the stage at an announced 7PM sharp, I would eventually take a step out of the seating area to catch a quick photo of that amazing sunset I knew we would be in for.

The first thing I noticed was just how crisp and clear Joe’s voice sounded. I am not sure how many shows he sang for on the cruise this past week but we fans were treated to one of the most soulful sounding shows I have ever witnessed, both musically and vocally. From his first vocal notes and all the way though the show his voice was solid and never wavered. The thing that gets me is how humble this man is regarding his talents. He always puts his bandmates and their professional accomplishments ahead of his own. It was three fourths of the way into the set list before Joe made his band’s introductions and with this being my fourth time seeing him live, his modesty has been on display at every show I have witnessed.

It was just before the band introductions that Joe took a few moments to address the crowd as he get so lost in his own performance that I think he forgets that there is a mesmerized audience in attendance. It was at this time that he addressed the necessity of rescheduling last week’s show and interject some seriously funny humor. “Was this show supposed to happen last Saturday? Yes it was. Well, the reports of my demise are premature. I woke up feeling like I had been hit by a sack of doorknobs…I came down and tried the sound check that day at 4:30 PM and realized I had no voice”. He joked that “…once every thousand shows….there may be a reschedule here or there but for sure, he did NOT run off and join the Scientologists that are prevalent around the venue’s location. But if you check under your seat, I did leave you some literature to browse…” That one even got an actual out loud laugh from me as well as the crowd and then the band jumped back into the tunes and went on to close out the show in spectacular fashion.

One might say that Joe Bonamassa’s music is quite a change of pace for me, but heavy metaI and hard rock roots are based and born from the blues and my thought was if you were to put Joe in a metal band, a black t-shirt and some leather pants he would fit right in. Every time I have seen one of his shows he is impeccably dressed. What really makes one of his shows shine for me is the passion and soul in his vocal delivery and his songwriting abilities. Groove, great lyrics and an unstoppable beat. Joe’s music has a rich, full-bodied tone, which I have learned from reading about him that he achieves this through a combination of guitar and amp combination choice, and effects pedals, thereby allowing every note to ring out with clarity and presence. I find his music remarkably versatile, displaying a wide range of styles and it is easy to draw out his influences. He seamlessly blends elements of rock, jazz, country, and even classical music into his playing, creating a unique and eclectic sound that simply does not fit into any one musical genre. I really enjoy the song construction and his official videos showing he and his band matescreating the sound in studio just adds to it and in really brings the songs to life.

For my three songs behind the lens this evening, the two other photographers and I were given a tiny space that ensured we obstructed no paying patron’s view. This presented a challenge in that there were stage wires and microphone stands across any shots of the entire band, however Joe came out away from the mic stands a few times and gave us some unobstructed shots. After the three songs I allowed to photo is when I went out of the seating area and snapped a sunset shot quick before stowing my gear and coming back into the venue to enjoy the show.

After my first time seeing Joe perform and being absolutely blown away by this man’s live shows I professed that I would do my best to never miss another performance of his if I was able to attend. For anyone on the fence I highly suggest taking in a show of his.
For Joe’s future tour dates see here – https://jbonamassa.com/tour-dates/

Setlist for March 24, 2024:
Hope You Realize It (Goodbye Again)
24 Hour Blues
Well, I Done Got Over It (Guitar Slim cover)
Self-Inflicted Wounds
Shout About It (Ronnie Earl and the Broadcasters cover)
The Last Matador of Bayonne
Breaking Up Somebody’s Home
The Heart That Never Waits
Is It Safe to Go Home
Lazy Poker Blues (Fleetwood Mac cover)
Just Got Paid (ZZ Top cover)
Sloe Gin (Tim Curry cover)