But step inside, get comfortable and enjoy the food, the drinks and the show! The show varies, this particular evening we were treated to several shows. First up of course were the décor and the ambiance, and the fact that a national recording artist was in town to entertain us musically for free, yep no cover charge here. Next we were treated to an hour of music by a local blues band known for their harp and 12 bar blues, Black Cat Bone. During their excellent set of some well-known Chicago style blues we were also entertained by a myriad of bartender talents. “Scuba Steve” takes good care of his patrons, fast, conscientious and quick to toss beer bottles the length of the bar to his cohort Travis, these guys are quite entertaining. Travis is occasionally spotted impersonating a flamethrower, and even if you miss the view of his pyrotechnics, you’ll probably feel the heat. With a gulp of “151” a bic lighter, and the sudden rush of bar staff running for cover, comes a six foot flame from the young Travis… ya gotta see this to believe it. Tell them the Applauze writers sent you! Next up, the girls behind the bar like to offer a few free shots…alcohol shots! Just sit back on your stool and tip your head back as they walk across the top of the bar, they’ll dump a dose of “Pucker” right on down! Need more, just ask they probably do it again!

Once Joe took the stage, all eyes and ears were on him. Hailing from upstate New York, Joe begin performing at the ripe old age of 10; by 12 he was playing with BB King and two years later he was invited to Fender Guitars to participate in a tribute to founder Leo Fender. The list of accomplishments goes on and on. You can visit www.jbonamassa.com to learn more. Joe’s style of blues is loud, in your face, high power all out guitar driven blues. He plays with a ferocity and intensity that is simply hard to imagine, let alone describe. Many of his songs feature several solos, with verses of lyrics intertwined to create sort of a musical path. His fingers, guitar, and amplifier seem to interact in a subtle yet very dynamic way that creates colorful nuances. We were treated to sounds as diverse as keyboards, horns and some almost non-instrument like tones. All together very musical, emotional and extremely technical, Joe is definitely a master of his craft.

Joe’s latest CD, “Had To Cry Today” is a mix of original and classic blues. You can hear the influences of BB King, Muddy Waters, Clapton and Buddy Guy. Joe’s unique style as he puts it, “elaborates on modern music’s most influential genre – the blues”. Joe, Eric and Kenny comprise the trio known as Joe Bonamassa, and together they played non-stop for two hours. You have to love a show with so much energy, spontaneity and entertainment. Fly in, have a drink, play a set of pure raw blues, and fly out… all in the span of a few hours. I was told that the folks at the Hanger Bar and Grill are already arranging for Joe to come back for a short visit again soon. It should be simple enough, Joe only needs to free up 3 or 4 hours on any given night, and he’s certain to once again pack the house. Scuba Steve also mentioned the bar staff is working on some new “acts” as well…. “we’re going to do really outrageous things behind the bar soon.” One can only wonder!

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