Joanne Shaw Taylor performed at the Celebrity Theater and killed it. Her vocals, guitar playing, and storytelling – she’s got it all. I noticed right away this was a guitar-watching crowd as the stage light lit up the faces and all you saw was a serious vibe like they were studying for an exam. No smiles unless Joanne told a story or cracked a joke. She dazzled them with timeless solos, letting the guitar do the talking, like the great ones do.
Taylor started things out with some slower jams — maybe getting warmed up, maybe warming the audience up, but it didn’t take long for her to get revved up. After performing a bunch of her hits, and a telling couple of stories – one particularly about Joe Bonamassa – Joanne fired it up with “Won’t Get Fooled Again,” featuring Joe. Taylor’s beautiful voice is really showcased on this one. “Watch ‘Em Burn” was next, proving her guitar-playing skills; off the charts! It brought the venue to its feet, giving Joanne a standing ovation,and letting her know why they were there: to watch her guitar catch fire.
“I’ve Been Loving You Too Long” was next, which again got the crowd on their feet. Joanne then told another story while she changed guitars, this time an acoustic one for a tribute to her mother called “Fade Away.” As pretty as it gets.
Joanne finished strong with a couple more jams that showed off more of her skills with “Runaway” and “Bad Love” before saying goodbye to Phoenix, thanking them for having her, and returning to the stage for one last song during the encore. “Mudhoney” would finish off an incredible night of blues and send these fans home wanting more, but definitely satisfied.
Images: © Rick Scuteri for ABS
