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At the ripe old age of 38, Joe Bonamassa has become one of the premiere proponents of modern blues music.
As a child prodigy, he opened for blues legend, B.B. King, when he was just 12 years old. He went on to create no less than 15 solo albums, 11 which of became No. 1 albums on the “Billboard Blues” charts.
So it was no surprise when Bonamassa announced that his latest tour would be a tribute to the Kings. The trio of blues greats consisting of Freddie, Albert, and B.B., were literally the kings of the blues genre.
In what was most likely the longest set of the year at the Santa Barbara Bowl, Bonamassa played a fierce set of fiery guitar-drenched blues covers, incorporating a massive quiver of electric guitars.
The guitarist put together a masterful group of veteran musicians for the tour featuring Anton Fig, the drummer extraordinaire for 29 years on the David Letterman show; Reese Wynans on keyboards from Stevie Ray Vaughn’s original band; Michael Rhodes on bass; Kirk Fletcher on guitar; Lee Thornburg on trumpet; Paulie Cerra on saxophone; Ron Dziubla also on saxophone; and vocalists Mahalia Barnes, Jade MacRae, and Juanita Tippins.
The veteran musicians morphed into a magical blues-drenched ensemble that played a non-stop set that lasted nearly three hours.
The show wisely dispensed with the usual clutter of opening acts, allowing the band to play a full set, even in the confines of the bowl’s strict curfew.
Bonamassa played solo after solo full of ear-piercing guitar riffs. His cover of Freddie King’s “Going Down” brought back memories of Jeff Beck in his red sneakers playing the same venue in 1982. That cover was the biggest hit for the Jeff Beck Group.
Wandering backstage with my friend Anton and his lovely wife and young son, we searched the walls for some of my photos of the earliest rock shows at the bowl. My many musician friends have told me over the years that they had seen my historic images backstage, but I hadn’t been invited back there in over a decade.
In simpler days, I used to trade my early photographs for concert seats for my wife, with the bowl association. These included a 1977 show by Dave Mason, 1978 photos of Santana and Joni Mitchell, with Pat Metheny and Jaco Pastorius, and all the way up to an ’80s show by The Clash.
We couldn’t find the images in what has become a cavernous back-stage area. I have been a concert photographer and journalist for some 40 years and was taught old school journalism, with the cardinal rule that you never insert yourself into a story.
But in these days of blogging replacing the proper journalism of the past, I was tempted share my back-stage story at the Santa Barbara Bowl. As we lounged in the dressing room talking surfing, music and history, apparently someone whispered in Anton’s ear that I was Paul Mann and that I was banned from the bowl.
We both had a good laugh. Anton who as a musical legend couldn’t care less and myself not realizing that I had become so infamous, sort of the Whitey Bulger of the Santa Barbara Bowl.
But apparently there is some corporate curmudgeon who has taken it upon themselves to make me their own personal villain at the venue. To this day no one has had the gumption to actually explain to me why I might be banned from my home town venue or even what that actually means.
However, I heard second hand that it dates back to a 2011 concert by Katy Perry. I shot that triumphant hometown show on my little point and shoot and gave the photos to my national and international editors along with my review. The only one benefiting, of course, was miss Perry.
The rumor goes that her manager yelled at one of the key corporate players and that led to my banishment, sort of like a mid-century king banishing an errant knight. Or maybe more like a child taking back his blocks.
The real irony came when Miss Perry began hanging at Santa Barbara’s Number 1 dance club, the Wildcat. I happen to have been the resident light and video artist for the nearly two decades that the venue has held the prestigious title. When asked about the photo debacle, Miss Perry responded something to the effect, “That’s silly. F—k that s—t.”
She became my hero from that moment on. She also went on to record two hit songs featuring lyrics about her good times at the club. But I really have to thank whomever it is at the bowl who thinks I am worth their effort to single out.
I left my comfort shell as a journalist at the colloquial Santa Barbara Bowl and forced myself to take on much bigger projects in venues large and small, across the nation.
It was a glorious summer night at the Santa Barbara Bowl and from my old friends who were ushers and security guards giving me high fives, to friends who gave me more free beer from the bar than I could possibly drink, and finally my friends in the band, thank you for a night I will never forget.
But I fully realize that the Santa Barbara Bowl is not about me or the corporate minions that may happen to be in charge at any given moment. It is about the music and the fans who come to the show because they love the music.
In the front-row seat graciously provided me by the band, I was fortunate enough to sit next to a couple of ardent fans who flew in from Las Vegas to see their guitar hero. Across the aisle from me, there was a father and his 3-year-old son, with a guitar signed by Bonamassa.
Apparently the child has been obsessed with the guitar wizardry of Bonamassa since he could stand, and mimes his idols every move on video. Bonamassa was impressed enough to invite him back stage.
Working with organizations like Notes For Notes, Bonamassa has helped keep music alive in the minds of youth across America. He even played a benefit show last year at the Lobero, for the locally based charity that continues to mentor aspiring young musicians.
Bonamassa also played a benefit concert last year for Cadillac Zack’s seventh anniversary concert at the best kept secret blues club in the area, The Maui Sugar Mill in Tarzana.
The regular Monday night gig features the best in blues music, with a jar passed around for volunteer donations for the musicians. Bonamassa played along with one of the unsung hero of the blues genre, band leader Jimmy Vivino, from the Conan O’Brien show.
In fact, last Monday night Vivino played the eighth anniversary show with special guest Slash. It is a testament to all these great musicians that they volunteer their time to keep blues music alive and well.
I am off to Riot Festival in Denver and LockN Festival in Virginia. Stayed tuned for lots of photos.