MUSIC

Award-winning blues rock star, guitar hero and singer-songwriter Joe Bonamassa will perform at the Wang Theatre on May 10, 2013 at 8 p.m. The one-night-only show is in support of his brand new solo album Driving Towards the Daylight, which made its debut at #1 on the Billboard Blues Chart, the eighth time a Bonamassa album has debuted at #1.

Bonamassa’s new album is receiving rave reviews: All Music Guide said, “the arrangements and guitars mesh together like whiskey and soda” and MSN.com calls it “nothing less than astounding.” American Songwriter ranks Bonamassa “among our greatest living guitar players.” Across the pond, UK’s Guitar & Bass says its “one of his best,” The Sun calls Bonamassa’s playing “jawdropping,” and Guitarist said “his guitar, voice and songs are simply better than ever.”

Also recently released is the DVD/Blu-ray Joe Bonamassa: Beacon Theatre – Live from New York, which showcases the stunning and sold-out two-night performance at New York City’s legendary Beacon Theatre last November and features special guest Paul Rodgers, John Hiatt and Beth Hart. The two-DVD set includes a bonus disc of special features with two extra songs, behind-the-scenes footage and a photo gallery.

Besides his own solo work, Bonamassa has kept himself busy with multiple side projects. He formed hard rock band Black Country Communion (BCC) with Glenn Hughes (Deep Purple), Jason Bonham (Led Zeppelin, Foreigner) and Derek Sherinian (Dream Theater, Billy Idol); releasing two albums – 2010’s self-titled debut and 2011’s sophomore album 2 – and a live two-disc DVD Live Over Europe during the span of twelve months. Just named “Best New Band of the Last 10 Years” by VH1 Classic’s That Metal Show, the group recorded a third studio album, Afterglow, set for release on October 30, 2012. Bonamassa also recently collaborated with one of music’s most powerful female voices – singer-songwriter Beth Hart. Hart and Bonamassa come together on the new covers album Don’t Explain, featuring scorching versions of 10 classic songs first made famous by artists including Billie Holiday, Etta James, Tom Waits, Ray Charles, Delaney & Bonnie, Bill Withers and Aretha Franklin.

Bonamassa tours the world regularly and his ability to connect with live audiences is epic. He generally has no opening act and he never leaves the stage until the last encore two hours later. During his 2011 tour, Bonamassa wowed crowds across the U.S. playing some of the largest tour markets and venues yet, with sold-out shows in Minneapolis, Chicago, Detroit, Seattle and two sold-out shows at Beacon Theatre. After a show at the Grove of Anaheim, The Orange County Register’s Ben Wener raved, “I haven’t seen anything so dazzling since Steve Ray Vaughan at the Wiltern in ’86.”

A child prodigy, Bonamassa opened shows at age 12 for blues legend B.B. King, who said after first seeing him play, “This kid's potential is unbelievable…He's one of a kind.” Bonamassa’s recording career began in the early ’90s with Bloodline, a rock-blues group also featuring Robby Krieger’s son Waylon and Miles Davis’ son Erin. His solo debut was in 2000 with the Tom Dowd-produced A New Day Yesterday.