Joe Bonamassa at the Adler Theatre -- November 29.
Friday, November 29, 8 p.m.
Adler Theatre, 136 East Third Street, Davenport IA
A genuine blues-rock legend who famously opened for B.B. King when he was only 12 years old, singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Joe Bonamassa makes his eagerly awaited return to Davenport's Adler Theatre on November 29, treating fans to the hard-driving talents that have resulted in 27 chart-topping Billboard Blues Albums (more than any other artist in history) three Grammy Award nominations, and collaborations with some of blues music's most iconic performers.
Born in Utica, New York, in 1977, Bonamassa, with the encouragement of his father, began playing the guitar at age four, and at 11, he was being mentored by guitar legend Danny Gatton. At age 12, he was fronting his own band called Smokin' Joe Bonamassa, and began establishing such a notable reputation through his New York and Pennsylvania gigs that B.B. King himself reached out with an offer to have Bonamassa open for him at approximately 20 shows. Before the age of 18, Bonamassa also joined the band Bloodline, playing with the sons of Miles Davis, Robby, Krieger, and Berry Oakley.
The artist began his solo career in 2000 with the release of A New Day Yesterday, which reached number nine on the U.S. Billboard Blues Albums chart. Bonamassa continued to see success in the blues genre, topping the chart with 2002's So, It's Like That and 2006's You & Me before making his debut on the Billboard 200 in 2007 with Sloe Gin, which reached number 184. Over the years since, his albums have continued to increase in chart success, with The Ballad of John Henry reaching number 103 on the Billboard 200, Black Rock, Dust Bowl and Driving Towards the Daylight reaching the top 40, and Different Shades of Blue and Blues of Desperation reaching the top 20. Several of the musician's video albums have also topped the Billboard Music Video Sales chart.
Beyond his solo work, Bonamassa has also collaborated with a wide range of artists. With singer/songwriter Beth Hart, he has released three studio albums – Don't Explain in 2011, Seesaw in 2013, and Black Coffee in 2018 – and one live/video album, 2014's Live in Amsterdam. In 2015, he was also featured on the Betty Davis tribute album Ooh Yea: The Betty Davis Songbook released by Mahalia Barnes and the Soul Mates. Bonamassa has also contributed songs to various other albums – including "Love Conquers All" on the 20 Dates soundtrack, "The Easy Blues" for Johnny Boy Would Love This: A Tribute to John Martyn, and a cover version of "Lazy" with Jimmy Barnes for Re-Machined: A Tribute to Deep Purple's Machine Head – and been featured on recordings by artists including Joe Lynn Turner, Ozzy Osbourne and Don Airey. Bonamassa is also a member of the hard rock band Black Country Communion alongside Glenn Hughes, Jason Bonham, and Derek Sherinian.
Hailed internationally as one of the greatest guitar players of his generation and cited by Guitar World Magazine as “the world's biggest blues guitarist,” Bonamassa has almost single-handedly redefined the blues-rock genre and brought it into the mainstream. And backed by a stellar band of legendary musicians, the set list for his most recent national tour this show will feature new songs alongside career-spanning favorites.
Joe Bonamassa brings his talents to Davenport of November 29, admission to the 8 p.m. concert event is $52-201, and tickets are available by calling (800)745-3000 and visiting DavenportLive.com/the-adler-theatre.
