This was the one and only time (so far) I've seen Joe perform. He was flawless! Not that I was waiting for a mistake but if there was one I didn't notice. Joe and the band were one of (if not the) best performances I've ever heard. I knew he was a fabulous guitarist from listening to his recordings but to hear and see him do the things he does on stage is beyond words super spectacular. From the very first notes I heard played in the dark as Joe took the stage until the last chord I was in "Guitar Heaven". Joe is definiately one of the greatest guitarists, performers and songwriters ever. I'm really not one to compare and rank but Joe is really exceptional. In my opinion there may be guitarists as good as Joe but none better. (A few I can think of that can keep up with Joe are Phil Keaggy, Eric Johnson and Steve Vai.) I will be watching Joe's schedule so I can see him the next time he comes to my area.

Until then, keep on writing and playing, Joe, for you get better every year.

Song of Hope

Satch played flawless as usual, the man delivers precise guitar playing every time I see him. My seat was in the second row, stage left. The only problems with the sound were because of my location. I was basically in front of Galen and Matt's amps. Matt's sound was smooth, but Galen sounded twangy and loud (again this was because of my location). It was kind of like I was sitting in with them in a jam room, because most of the PA sound I could not here. But overall I can't complain, because Satch's tone and playing were perfect. The setlist was unlike anything I've seen him play. I enjoyed the entire show. The opening act was very good. One man and a fretless. I don't remeber his name, but he was very good. He also had a good sense of humor, stating that he couldn't even tell that 4 hurricanes went through Florida recently, and that Floridians are resilliant and he commended our 'balls'. He also saw a dead alligator in the road, and said any state that has alligators as road kill is pretty cool ;-)

After the show I met Satch at the meet n greet. The guy was so laid back and friendly. I was not nervous at all meeting him, because his attitude made everyone in the room feel comfortable and relaxed. He shared stories with people and answered all questions. The story that sticks out in my mind is what the deal is with the hat he always wears. Apparently some ladies in Alabama hand make these hats from scraps and pieces of material. They then say some prayers over them, and sell them.

The bottom line: The show is a must see. If your lucky enough to meet him, you'll find that he enjoys and appreciates his fans. His attitude will make you feel like you've met him before.

Some pics of the evening are here: http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/bmwmocfwebmaster/my_photos This is pretty much the entire 1st set. The ushers at Ruth Eckerd Hall started telling everyone "No more pictures!" They were pissed, so I took the camera back to the car during the intermission. I'll post more pics later so check back :-)