The concert was recorded at the historic Vienna Opera House July 2012 during a very special two-week long unplugged tour, played to a limited audience over seven exclusive European shows. Varying from Bonamassa’s predominantly electric blues shows, this presentation was an all-acoustic concert performance, making it a unique and very special show fans had been waiting years to experience.
Joe Bonamassa ‘An Acoustic Evening At The Vienna Opera House’ Trailer
The Opera House in Vienna, regarded as the “City of Music,”
was chosen for the main event because of its history and splendour, and
association with many legendary composers. Accompanying Bonamassa on
the same stage once graced by Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Brahms,
Mahler, and Haydn are traditional Irish fiddler Gerry O’Connor, who also plays mandolin and banjo; Swedish multi-instrumentalist Mats Wester on the nyckelharpa, a keyed fiddle; Los Angeles-based keyboardist Arlan Schierbaum
texturing the mix with celeste, accordions, toy pianos, and assorted
“organic” instruments; and renowned Puerto Rican percussionist Lenny Castro.Joe recalls, “Originally, when I had the idea of doing an all-acoustic concert, I imagined doing it solo. I’d surround myself with a bunch of guitars, tell the background story of each song, and then play it. Kevin believed the show would be more exciting with a band and he got to work. All of a sudden, we had a five-piece group, and 72 hours to rehearse 20 or so songs. It was amazing, different than anything I’d ever done before.”
Photo Credit: © Marcus Sweeney-BirdThe show is produced by Kevin Shirley, whose productions have been at the top of the charts for decades, including works from Led Zeppelin and Iron Maiden to Beth Hart and John Hiatt.
“To say this was a challenge is an understatement,” said Bonamassa. “To say this was a departure from anything I had ever done before is an even bigger understatement. I can say with full certainty that it was the most enjoyable tour I have ever done. On this tour I really learned the virtues of my singing lessons over the years. Take away those long guitar solos, all that sustain and that big Gibson sound and what is left leaves you no option but to dig deep and sing until you can't sing anymore.”
Photo Credit: © Marcus Sweeney-Bird
Photo Credit: © Marcus Sweeney-Bird
Photo Credit: © Marcus Sweeney-Bird
About Joe Bonamassa
As Joe Bonamassa approaches his 25th year as a professional
musician, he continues to blaze a remarkably versatile artistic trail,
and amass an authentic, innovative and soulful body of work.
Bonamassa’s career began onstage opening for B.B. King in 1989, when he
was only 12 years old. Today, he is hailed worldwide as one of the
greatest guitar players of his generation, and is an ever-evolving
singer-songwriter who has released 15 solo albums in the last 13 years.Bonamassa’s tour schedule consistently hovers at around 200 shows worldwide each year, and a heaping handful of markedly diverse side projects keep him thinking outside the box and flexing every musical muscle he’s got. He founded and oversees the non-profit Keeping The Blues Alive Foundation to promote the heritage of the blues to the next generation, fund music scholarships, and supplement the loss of music education in public schools. There’s a case to be made that Joe Bonamassa, like another star who shared the same initials, is the hardest working man in show business.
Joe Bonamassa will perform four exclusive concerts in London during March 2013
In March 2013, Bonamassa will perform 4 exclusive London concerts. Each concert will be specially filmed for DVD and will feature never-before performed live tracks. The four London shows will chronicle Joe’s rise from the intimate club surroundings of The Borderline to the prestigious Royal Albert Hall.
The four London shows will showcase a unique band configuration that will highlight diverse elements of Joe’s style. Each performance will be distinctive and will feature different set lists. Collectively there will be upwards to eighty new and old songs performed over the four nights.
The London concerts will start at the intimate 200 capacity London Borderline on Tuesday March 26, followed by sold out concerts at the o2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire (March 27), Hammersmith Apollo (March 28) and London’s Royal Albert Hall (March 30). For more info about the concerts click HERE.
JOE BONMASSA ONLINE
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