In attendance last night were yours truly, my wife, and a friend/member of my congregation. He too is a metal head and aspiring guitarist so we were pleased to hear the last song over the PA before Joe came on was "2 Minutes to Midnight" by Iron Maiden
Per DVM's request, here is the set list from last night. He played for two hours 15 minutes straight with only a little kibutzing with the audience. He apologized for not having been back for 3.5 years (at that point, someone booed and he said with a smile on his face, "Hey, don't boo. We're back. We're back.") and commented that our definition of "spring coming" was much different from his
I didn't recognize the first song. Judging from another set list I found online, it's Cradle Rock
So Many Roads
When the Fire Hits the Sea
So, It's Like That
If Heartaches Were Nickels
Slow Train
Dust Bowl
You Better Watch Yourself
Sloe Gin
Ballad of John Henry
Lonesome Road Blues
Happier Times
Steal Your Heart Away
The Great Flood
Young Man Blues
Acoustic stuff leading into Woke Up Dreaming followed by more acoustic stuff, even with some sweep picking!
Django (that's what I wrote down, but I wonder if it was actually "India")
Mountain Time
Encore: Bird on a Wire
Encore: Just Got Paid
The band was the same as the last time I saw him and on the RAH video, except the drummer who looked like he might be more at home in a Skynyrd cover band. He was an excellent drummer nonetheless and Joe seemed to be having fun playing off of him.
Joe had his usual guitar tour de force. Lots of different Les Pauls in addition to his sig model. One had a Bigsby. One was a some kind of mutt. It had a Les Paul body with one bridge humbucker, wrap around tailpiece, single volume and tone controls, and a Firebird reverse-swept headstock. He also played a red 335, a white double-necked SG, and a Music Man. For Bird on a Wire, he busted out his shiny Tele. For Just Got Paid, he broke out the Flying V and all the band members donned cheeseheads. The theramin made an appearance on John Henry and Just Got Paid. Premier Guitar has
pictures of his guitars for this tour. On that page they also have videos with him talking about three tracks from the new album, all three of which he played last night.
My friend, who saw him with me in 07, said that Joe seemed better in every regard since the last time we saw him. I noticed that his singing seemed much more powerful. He really had command of the stage. His guitar playing was phenomenal. My friend said he was going to burn his guitars. My wife really liked a couple of the new tracks, commenting during the show, "We have to get that new album." Yes, ma'am! I just hope it's not another 3.5 years until he comes around again, although he promised it wouldn't be.
