show review
jimi Fri Apr 08 '05
156
Ventura Theatre, Ventura,
Rank: 7 Posted: Thu Apr 14, '05 12:03 pm

I've seen Joe so many times now over the years that i've lost track! However, every time it's the same magic I experienced the first time... he's absolutely the greatest IMHO! Lots of rarities (Strange, etc.) this time and at least one new tune that I hope to hear again on the new CD. Matt's upright bass was very cool. Tough to hear Galen all night. And Joe's volume was too low for the 1st set; too loud for the 2nd. I look forward to seeing Joe again soon.

One caution: I do NOT recommend you purchase the Fanfire backstage passes to see Joe at the Ventura Theatre next time he performs there. Here's why: (1) The Ventura Theatre told me I could not pick up my passes at Will Call until 7 pm, even though the letter said 5 pm. The Ventura Theatre told me they'd "just got off the phone with the guy in charge, come back at 7 pm." Consequently, we arrived at 7 pm only to discover that we'd missed the sound check! (2) Fanfire told me dinner was included so we sat right at the stage only to then be rudely kicked-out by The Ventura Theatre staff - no dinner... So, I paid $500 (2 platinum passes) to sit in general seating. Suffice to say we felt robbed, we were starving & we'd had too much to drink so we didn't go backstage. Before you say I am crazy, I met Joe & the band backstage last Sept in LA and he put a great big autograph in gold ink on a JS1000 that I purchased for him to sign - very very cool, indeed! So, I am a pretty lucky guy & can't complain too loud. Moral to my story: if you've got the dough, buy the backstage passes to meet Joe and the band however, don't purchase them for Joe's future shows at The Ventura Theatre, those people suck.

cheese101 Fri Apr 08 '05
156
Ventura Theatre, Ventura,
Rank: 10 Posted: Mon Apr 11, '05 12:41 pm

Awesome show, even longer than the one in Anaheim. What can be said, the man is totally in his prime and we are the lucky beneficiaries of that! Please Joe, many many more years of what you brought to Anaheim and Ventura!! All you Satchaholics going to one of the upcoming shows, you are in for a treat, hold on to your socks and shoes, they're gonna be blown OFF!!

And please Joe, can you find a way to work on recording the new CD while also touring and playing just like you did last night!!! I know, I know, I'm very bad and very greedy... just can't get enough, either live or recorded!! Thanks for sharing!

And PS, thanks Galen, for the pick!!! Very cool!

playguitar741 Fri Apr 08 '05
156
Ventura Theatre, Ventura,
Rank: 9 Posted: Sun Apr 10, '05 2:43 pm
Joe and the band just DOMINATED the Ventura Theatre 4-8-05. He made up for the 4 month delay and then some. Joe was absolutely on fire and played a blistering 3+ hour set with cool rarities like Hordes of Locusts and Strange. I like that he's improvising a lot and tagging on cool jams at the end, especially the one at the end of Always with me, Always with you. The audience at the Ventura Theatre was the most energetic audience I have ever seen at a Satch show and I think that fueled Joe's playing...he actually was jumping around! It was also a younger crowd which is also a new one for me. Normally I am one of the few under 25 at his shows but I saw a lot of teens there having a blast. Good to see younger kids are getting familiar with Joe...somebody needs to carry the torch after he's gone! The only complaint I have was Joe's volume was too low during the first set and it was tough to hear him over the drums, but during the second set they turned him up and it was great. His new signature amp sounds unreal and I highly recommend checking one out for yourself. All in all a fantastic show!

eedan Fri Apr 08 '05
156
Ventura Theatre, Ventura,
Rank: 10 Posted: Sat Apr 09, '05 7:47 pm
ABSOLUTELY AMAZING! Beyond my wildest dreams. This was my (our) first time to see Satch in person and the energy and talent that this man puts forth is beyond description. We were able to sit along the stage in the center and for a good portion of the show he was like 5 feet away. His choice of material in my opinion was right on... a good mixture of old and new! It seemed as if he played for nearly 3 hours... wait he DID.

petrucci_js Fri Apr 08 '05
156
Ventura Theatre, Ventura,
Rank: 10 Posted: Sat Apr 09, '05 9:20 am
WOW what a show!!!!! Joe gave a mind-blowing performance. Searching, Morrocan Sunset, Always With Me Always With You, and all the others featured incredible improvisation. It was three hours long, and every second of it rocked! I believe that Jeff and Matt gave wonderful performances as well, although I couldn't really hear Galen very well. I was amazed by Joe's control over feedback on each string. He used 4 or 5 different guitars, but I didn't see the one with flames (with the Silver Surfer on the back). All in all, it was an incredible experience...

pappymojo Fri Apr 08 '05
156
Ventura Theatre, Ventura,
Rank: 10 Posted: Sat Apr 09, '05 7:24 am
Another fantastic show. The Ventura Theater was a great spot to see Joe and the band. We had seats for dinner, and were about ten feet from the stage. It just doesn't get any better. The two guys playing acoustic guitar to open for joe were really good. It's hard to entertain a crowd with just two acoustic guitars, but those guys pulled it off. (and sold a lot of CDs too)Joe and the band were great as always. They played a lot of older tunes, with a lot of newer ones mixed in. I think Matt was really on, and I loved the stand-up bass.Jeff and Galen sounded excellent, but Galen could have had a little more volume.Joe is still the best. It was good to see a few of the online community and put faces with those screen names. Joe, if you read this, We are all so glad you got over your pneumonia, it was worth the wait to see you. (I've had that and you are right--it's no fun at all.) Until the next time---Thanks you for a great experience. Pappy Mojo