NIGHT ON THE TOWN WITH COREY AND JOE BONAMASSA

My mom is home now and seems to be doing well, but last Tuesday night she was still in the hospital getting over pneumonia complicated by asthma. Tuesday was a rainy, foggy, and kind of chilly evening in Knoxville, Tennessee, but Corey (my son) and I were determined to relieve a week’s worth of worrying about her by enjoying a good meal, some pale ale and tea, and some great blues.

Joe Bonamassa, one of the world’s greatest guitarists blew us away! Corey could not believe an acoustic guitar could be played the way Joe delivered it Tuesday night at the Bijou Theatre! Awesome and unbelievable were two words that he used over and over to praise Joe’s playing. Check out this audience shot clip of a similar performance:

As one well lubricated guy in the balcony screamed, “You freakin’ rock, dude!”

Joe Bonamassa got his first guitar at age 5 and by age 7 he was playing Stevie Ray Vaughn tunes note for note. At the age of 11, during a short period of being mentored by Danny Gatton, he learned such styles as country and jazz as well as heavy rock. During this time with Gatton, Bonamassa sat in with Gatton's band whenever they played in New York. He first opened for B. B. King at 12 years of age. After first hearing him play, King said, “This kid's potential is unbelievable. He hasn't even begun to scratch the surface. He's one of a kind.”

Corey and I had dinner at the Downtown Grill & Brewery on Gay Street before walking the two blocks to the Bijou. And BTW, if you’ve never attended an event at the Bijou, you’ve missed an intimate little 900 seat venue for music.

Corey had his traditional chicken sandwich and fries, soaked down with glass after glass of unsweet-tea, while I enjoyed half a Hawaiian pizza (pineapple, bacon, and ham) with added onions, marinated in the Brewery’s own Downtown Blonde Ale (a light-bodied Kolsch displays a smooth malt note and a hint of fruit flavor in the finish. The Kolsch style has little hop flavor or aroma, letting the sweet malt taste prevail.)

Outside the Bijou we stopped to take a photo of Joe’s equipment trailer, and then went inside out of the drizzle. I gave Corey a tour of the theater, since he had never been there. I told him some of the history of the theater, mainly about it once being a brothel, and during my time at the University of Tennessee, a porn theater! He was shocked to hear that I had once visited such a place, but I was merely skimming the surface of my colorful past!

I also mentioned that some say the Bijou is haunted!

I got a shot of Famous Grouse blended scotch whiskey over ice and preceded up stairs to our loggia seats. Our view of the stage was completely unobstructed, situated along the right wall of the auditorium, just behind the upper level box seats. To our left, the balcony seats began just one level up from our view. We could get up and leave the theater and come back without bothering a soul!

Corey had never heard of Joe Bonamassa, but he became a fan Tuesday night. He has always loved “slide” guitar, like his daddy, so I’m sure there will be a couple of CDs of Joe’s in his vehicle soon!

I’m looking forward to more “nights on the town” with my son in the coming years.

Whiskey Scars, Bobby Bare Jr., and Son Volt

Tuesday night was terrific…Ron and Paul on the town again!

It’s good to be retired and out on the town…not having to worry about “tomorrow is a work day!” God, I hated that and am so thankful things worked out so that I have this free time. Time to enjoy my favorite’s in concert even during the week! All the free time I can stand right up until the end of my time.

We hit the ground running, charging up the hill from the parking garage to the back door of the Downtown Grill & Brewery and into the restroom. The twenty minute ride into Knoxville is sometimes uncomfortable with bladder urges in check until the last step before the porcelain bowl, and you almost think you’re going to lose it before the horse is out of the barn!

We passed on through the Brewery and out on Gay Street and headed for The Old City and The Crown & Goose. We looked over the menu, but decided to get a sampler each of their most popular micro-brews!

Having sampled the beer, surveyed the waitresses, and taken a few snaps, we were off in reverse direction to the Brewery. We took the high-top table nearest the door, ordered White Mule and Downtown Alt (for me), and watched the evening’s dinner traffic come and go. Ron ordered their famous burger and I sampled the “fish & chips” and washed it down with two more micro-brews! Mighty tasty grub!

We then made our way over a block to Market Square, where we intend to take in Robert Earl Keen with Jypsi next week at the Farmer’s Market.

We decided to have a Sierra Nevada and a Yuengling at the Preservation Pub before making our way on to the Bijou Theatre, and enjoying our evening with Bobby Bare, Jr. and Son Volt! You’ll notice I took a bar shot and a couple from the bathroom! Ron said, when I finally came out of the restroom, “I was wondering what was taking you so long when I saw the flashes coming from under the door!”

The walls of the pub was also festooned with hilarious photo art with words of wisdom from little known’s like “Whiskey Scars” to Tom Waits!

I took a few existing light shots of the bands to post, and one three shot merge I made of the inside of the refurbished theater. It is about a third the size of the Tennessee Theatre, but a beautiful place just right for small bands to spread their early wings. Don’t laugh at the name Bobby Bare Jr. either, because Ron and I were wonderfully surprised at the great music they presented to us. The band is made up of all Tennesseans, Bobby, of course, the son of Bobby Bare Sr., lives in Nashville, the horn section was from Oak Ridge, the drummer was from Mt. Juliet, and the bassist was from Kingsport - just hometown boys, and one girl, doing well!

SATURDAY NIGHT ON THE TOWN

You can only hike and look for wildflowers so much. Sometimes you just have to take a break and go out on the town.

Saturday night we all met at Bonefish in Knoxville and started out with Bang-Bang Shrimp, and great bread dipped in olive oil, salt, and pepper! Then we gorged on fresh seafood like salmon, grouper, wolf fish, shrimp, and scallops! Of course it all had to be washed down with Yuengling draft!

It seems we always go out to eat somewhere each year around this time, evidenced by the arrival of young boys and girls all dressed for their local proms! We saw them same time, same place, last year, but we have also enjoyed watching them at Carrabba’s in years past. Note how the Dragons are critiquing the gowns! Oh yeah, check out the tux with the backward ball cap! Where's Mr. Blackwell when you need'em?

Another group arrived as we were standing outside, letting our food settle, so I decided to be their paparazzi for the evening. I have no idea who these people were, but some took the time to wave or smile at the camera. Oh well, it distracted me from my original intention of going next door to Maggie Moo’s for a double dip of cookies’n cream! As you can tell I didn't need it anyway!

After meeting in the parking lot to exchange magazines, and making it look like a dope deal going on out of the trunk, we made plans to meet up at Borders Book Store. There I found and bought two of Cormac McCarthy’s books. Jeff (FHB) got me started reading again by sending me “No Country for Old Men” and demanding I read it before he returns to pick it up! Well, I saw the movie, and have since finished the book, and I thoroughly enjoyed them both! I now look forward to reading All the Pretty Horses (1992) and The Road (2006).

Well, at least three of the Dragons will be back on the shopping trail tomorrow, while Steve works, Ron delivers an old bedroom suit to a local “goodwill” type store, and I mow the lawn!

However, another rest day comes Tuesday evening for Ron and me as we are set to enjoy a group called “Son Volt” at Knoxville’s legendary Bijou theater. Of course, we will stop in at the Downtown Grill & Brewery prior to show time to enjoy a burger and micro-brewed Downtown Ale!

Now be sure to follow all the links…I worked hard on them, and you might actually learn something!