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sodascouts
10-23-2011, 09:27 PM
The show last night was terrific! No JD and the Straight Shots - instead BB King. Quite an upgrade!

I can't give a full review right now but I will once things calm down. While Joe did a great job, the promise to do a new song unfortunately was not fulfilled. Also, Pretty Maids was replaced by ILBTs. Not ideal, but a great show nonetheless. He sounded terrific and really rocked the Borgata!

JAHH got some great photos he's going to share. Exciting!

Ive always been a dreamer
10-24-2011, 08:51 AM
Well, I'm back home for the moment, but only have a few minutes to post. Soda, Henley Honey & hubby, and I had a great time. And it was wonderful meeting Just a Hired Hand and his wife, Tiffany Twisted. (And Happy Anniversary again, you too).

Of course, Joe was awesome even though we didn't get any new music from Analog Man. It was also a thrill and inspriation to see B. B. King.

Sorry, that I don't have time for more details, but there will be much more to come later. :thumbsup:

Brooke
10-24-2011, 10:44 AM
Replace PMAIAR with I.L.B.T.s? Jooooooe! :lol:

Glad you all had a good time and can't wait to hear more!

Koala
10-24-2011, 11:04 AM
Looking forward to hear more details! Good to hear you had a great time!

Glennsallnighter
10-24-2011, 02:15 PM
Glad you all had such s wonderful time. Just like the Eagles are busy, you guys are busy catching up with them! Make me wish I was anticipating another outing!

Topkat
10-24-2011, 05:51 PM
Glad you all enjoyed the show!! I heard that BB was going to be there. Sounds like it was fantastic!

Peekaboo
10-24-2011, 11:29 PM
Soda, I knew you were going to be seeing Joe in Atlantic City but I didn't realize it was only a week after the Tulsa and Newkirk concerts. 3 Eagley concerts in one week for you...Very cool!! :thumbsup:

It's too bad y'all didn't get PMAIAR but I'm glad y'all had a good time. I'm not all that familiar with BB King's music but I know what a legend he is and would've been thrilled to see him perform live. Can't wait for the review and pics.

Just Another Hired Hand
10-26-2011, 03:43 PM
I will be posting a review of this show shortly. Here is a picture of Joe performing "Walk Away".

Just Another Hired Hand
10-26-2011, 08:16 PM
B.B. King and Joe Walsh



The Borgata, Event Center, Atlantic City N.J.



October 22, 2011

B.B. King

I first discovered B.B. King when he collaborated with Eric Clapton on the CD “Riding with the King” in the year 2000.
It would be an understatement to say I was pumped when I found out I was going to this show. It helped overcome the disappointment when Don Henley appeared at Caesar’s Palace in Atlantic City and the tickets were gone in less than 2 minutes…missed that one.


As the stage was being set up, various mic stands were placed and different stage hands came out and tuned different instruments. A stage hand abruptly appeared and placed “Lucille” on a guitar stand. This caused a minor stir among the gathering crowd as a small army of camera phone photographers moved forward to photograph the iconic guitar.


At 8:07 PM the house lights went down and the B.B. King Blues Band took their places on the Event Center Stage. The show opened with the Blues Band performing two instrumental numbers, the first one sounding more “jazzy” than “bluesy”, but the second one was definitely “bluesy”. Each piece featured solo performance by all eight of the band members.


At the conclusion of the second number
B.B. King was assisted to the stage as he was introduced by the PA announcer. He was helped into his chair center stage, and upon sitting, he immediately began to throw guitar picks into the audience. He strapped on Lucille and played a blues guitar riff and then continued to throw guitar picks to the crowd.

He then introduced the band:
Van Fryes – keyboards
Reggie Richard – bass
Tony Coleman – drums
Charlie Dennis – guitar
Walter King – baritone sax
Melvin Jackson – tenor sax
Stanley Abernathy – trumpet
James Boldin – flugelhorn and band leader


Upon introducing the band, he asked, “Did I forget the drummer?” He suddenly realized they were all introduced so he remarked, “That’s what happens when you’re 86! My name is B.B. King, and I’m 86!”


His first song was “I Need You So” and before the applause was over he immediately went into “Rock Me Baby”. The performance of “Rock Me Baby” featured B.B. and Blues Band Guitarist Charlie Dennis keying off one another for some fantastic solo guitar work at the conclusion of which B.B. remarked, “He (Dennis) can really play!”


B.B. keyed off of Dennis and poked some barbs about his being a ladies man and whenever he was around he felt the need to hold Lucille a little closer because “I’m 86!”

B.B. went on again about his age, but I’m not complaining…I hope I can do half of what he does if I make 86.


The Set List:

I Need You So; Rock Me Baby; Key to the Highway; Nobody Loves Me (Like My Mother);
Every Day I Have the Blues; The Thrill is Gone; You Are My Sunshine.


As the show was nearing the end, a lady moved from the audience and presented King with a bouquet of flowers. He then noticed there were several youngsters in the audience and invited them forward to shake his hand. The show concluded with the band playing and King handing medallions and guitar picks to the audience members until he ran out. He thanked everyone and left the stage at 9:15 PM.


B.B King may be feeling his age, but it was special for me to have the opportunity to see this show business legend perform. His set list was short, but he and Lucille can still work magic on those six strings.


Joe Walsh


The house lights went back down at 9:42 PM. The band members took their places and out walked Joe Walsh, moving right up to Center stage and Starting off with, “How ya Doin’?” And…I could tell from the “talk tube” wrapped around his microphone stand that at some point we were going to be treated to another unique rendition of “Rocky Mountain Way”. He was dressed all in black, in what appeared to be black denim. He was wearing black and red shoes which made me wonder about something I had previously read about Joe Walsh and shoes.


In the Hard Rock Café publication, “Treasures of the Hard Rock Café” by Paul Grushkin and Joel Selvin, there is an article about a piece of Joe Walsh memorabilia on display in the Dallas, Texas café. It is a Fender Stratocaster guitar that Joe supposedly played when “Hotel California” was recorded. There is a picture of Joe on page 24. He is sitting on a bar, holding a guitar. The picture was taken in 1986 at the Dallas Hard Rock. In the caption, the authors observe that Joe is wearing pair of loafers he had traded with the elevator operator at the Dallas Hard Rock. Seeing Joe wearing those shoes at the AC show, well, one just has to wonder if Joe had not just struck a similar deal a few minutes before he took the stage. But I digress.


He started off with “Welcome”. His guitar playing from beginning to end was simply incredible. He has been playing these songs for so long I have no doubt he could play them in his sleep. He moved to “Life of Illusion”. He changed guitars before he would begin each song. For anyone that has ever seen Walsh perform before he was at his vintage best.


He would banter with the audience about his days in Montclair, New Jersey, observing, “Well I guess that makes me an official something.” which was greeted with a thunderous round of applause.


As the applause died down some very loud spectator voiced his desire to hear Joe play “ILBT’s”. (If you have to ask, you are not a Joe Walsh fan and I can’t risk “The Border” losing its “G” rating).

Joe responded, “Shhhh! It’s supposed to be a surprise!” which left everyone laughing. And as I previously observed He performed another unique, talk tube version of “Rocky Mountain Way”, including some incredible slide guitar work.


Right before he began “Life’s Been Good” he lamented that, “This song is probably the root cause of all of our problems. If I’d a known that I’d be known for this song, I probably would have written something else.” As he played the song, many scenes from Joe’s younger days were projected on the back of the stage that included him in a tank, breaking down hotel walls, riding in a limo and if you know the song, you know the show.


Before he played “Rosewood Bitters”, he observed that the song was written by fellow guitarist Michael Stanley, but he wished he had written it. The song is about a tired, long time performing guitar player who has the “Rosewood Bitters” (the wood most guitar fret boards are made of).


He introduced his back ground singers, Gia Tambora, Mini Martin and Ricky “Bubba” Washington, who each sang a verse of “Released”.


Unfortunately for me, he introduced the musicians so fast, the only names I got were drummer Drew Hester and Frank Allen, although I’m not sure what Allen was playing. For this show Joe used 2 drummers and a percussionist. Chicago fans will recognize Drew Hester as their alternate drummer. He also had another guitar player on stage (the guy was really good) , a bassist, and a keyboard player. If anyone knows the names of Joe’s band, shoot me a personal message or an email on the Border and I will be glad to edit this review to include them. I can’t find it anywhere on the Internet.


Right before he left the stage he began the very familiar guitar riff that starts “Life in the Fast Lane” . This was the fourth time I had seen him perform this song in person and, if possible, he just keeps getting better at it. He left the stage @ 10:55 PM to an ear splitting standing ovation.

It didn’t take long for him and the band to return for an encore which started off with ILBT’s. Upon concluding the song He put his hand on his hip, walked up to the microphone and made sure everyone heard him ask, “Are you happy now?” He then finished with "All Night Long".

As he struck the last note he had the amplifier set to do a repeating echo something that went on until a stage hand stopped it.

The Set List:
Welcome; Life of Illusion; Walk Away; Over and Over; Rocky Mountain Way; Released; Rosewood Bitters; Turn to Stone; In the City; Funk 49; Life’s Been Good; Life in the Fast Lane;

Encore – ILBT’s; All Night Long


There were two disappointments I found with the show. The first, Joe did not perform any songs from the new album, even though he hinted earlier in a Philadelphia radio interview, and the second, he did not team up with B.B. King and play at least one number with even though he opened the show by observing that, “B.B. King is one of the great ones we all studied.”


That being said I will not remember this as anything except an exceptional performance that I will long remember.

A side note: Tiffany Twisted and I went to AC to celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary. Meeting Soda, Dreamer, Henley Honey and her other half, who I 'll refer to here as Henley Honey's Honey made the trip more special. We all met after the show at the Metropolitan Restaurant. A splendid time was had by all. I am shrinking the pictures in Photoshop and I will be forwarding them to Soda when I am finished.

Koala
10-27-2011, 02:00 AM
Thanks JAHH!

EaglesKiwi
10-27-2011, 04:13 AM
Thanks for such a detailed review, JAHH. Glad you had such a good time. :guitar::headbang:

TimothyBFan
10-27-2011, 07:44 AM
I hope I don't tick anyone off by saying this, and I mean no disrespect to Joe but I seriously think I would have been more hyped about seeing BB King for this show. The man is freaking amazing even tho "he's 86". I got chills reading the reaction of everyone when they brought out Lucille!! :bow: I'd be willing to wager bets that even Joe is a bit awestruck by the legend. I will say I was saddened to hear he's gotten to the point that he had to helped onstage to his chair. But isn't it something that he still can do what he does? WOW!!

Thanks for that review JAHH!!! And congrats to you and TT---30 years!!!!

sodascouts
10-27-2011, 09:34 AM
Wonderful review, JAHH! Thanks so much! It was a pleasure meeting you and TT, that's for sure. It was a great show, and it definitely was a thrill to see a legend like BB King as well, although I was a bit disappointed he talked more than he played. But hey, it's BB King, I guess he's earned the right to ramble a bit!

Brooke
10-27-2011, 10:45 AM
Great review JAHH! Thanks so much and congrats to you and TT! Well done! :thumbsup:

WalshFan88
10-27-2011, 03:57 PM
Great review!!!

Henley Honey
10-27-2011, 08:56 PM
Excellent review, JAHH. I think you captured both peformances beautifully.
It was great meeting you and TT. Again, Happy Anniversary.
HH's Honey and I are just a few years short of our 30th and I would love to spend it at another Eagles show! We celebrated our 25th at the Hollywood Bowl show. It was a very memorable anniversary as was yours.

Prettymaid
10-29-2011, 08:11 PM
Did Joe sing lead on LITFL? When I saw him at the IL state fair he had a backup singer do it.

sodascouts
10-29-2011, 08:12 PM
He sang the verses himself, but a backup singer did the chorus.

Ive always been a dreamer
11-05-2011, 10:27 PM
Well I'm pretty late with my response, but I've been away for a while and am trying to play catch up on The Border.

JAHH - That was an awesome review of the show and I can't think of much of anything to add. And once again, I really enjoyed meeting you and your wife in Atlantic City. I wish we had had a little more time to get to know you, but it was a very enjoyable evening nonetheless. I hope you and TT had a wonderful weekend to celebrate your 30 years.

As far as the show, I thought it was wonderful, even though I was disappointed that we didn't get to hear any of the new songs and in spite of the fact that we couldn't get the audience up on their feet. I mentioned this in another thread earlier, but I think Joe appears to be healthier and happier than I have seen him in a very long time. He really seems to be energized and having a great time on this tour. I loved his band and Joe was at the top of his game. Party on, Joe!!!