Like StratDaddy, I have been a fan since "Surfing" but have never had the chance to see Joe in concert. It was well worth the wait!

Seeing Eric Johnson was a treat as well. He and Joe are way up the list of my biggest influences as a guitarist (along with Andres Segovia and Michael Hedges). I do wish they could have worked out the bugs in the sound during Eric's set. His playing (as well as Tommy and Chris') was top notch. I love the new songs (does this mean it won't be another 7 years between albums ;-) ) and nice to hear one penned by Chris! I was particularly impressed that, when a fan yelled "I LOVE YOU" right before Eric went into SRV, Eric stumbled, but just turned that stumble into a groove with Tommy, eventually hooking into the intro. Nice to see Eric interact with the crowd too, he's not known for being chatty! ;-)

Joe, well, what can I say that hasn't been said above. The sound, the band (Jeff, you are about as solid a drummer as I've ever seen in concert), the setlist (unlike others, I've never seen him in concert, so I liked the stuff off Surfing), Joe's presence, all of it. Perfection!

Nice to hear a good call & response on Crowd Chant! I was nervous after reading reviews of other shows. Way to go Boston!

As usual, I found the BPC disappointing as a venue. The sound, under the balcony, is awful. It bounces around and it's just not complimentary enough. I'd suggest the Somerville Theater in Somverville (Davis Sq) next time.

To any attending future shows: If you get the black shirt, just be aware that the tour dates/artwork on the back are at the bottom (I mean waaaay down) corner of the shirt, not the middle. I didn't look at mine after buying and was quite surprised.

Joe, I will be seeing you next time you come to Boston. Thank you for your energy and your inspiration! Thank you for sharing your joy with us! I wish I could give this show an 11!

Hello out there in JOEFANLAND!!

I've been a fan for about 10 years now.. coming on the seen abit later than some I know, but thankfully caught on eventually! I own all of his studio recordings and picked up a few DVD's.. 2 G3's and Live in SF! This was the first time I ever saw Joe perform live and in person.. and it was better than I could have hoped for! Truly an unforgettable performance!

No doubt I've seen some great shows and performances in my lifetime but that had to be the best. I would put it right up there with the SRV show in Boston at Mathews arena and seeing Al DiMeola at The Regattbarin town as well.(and that's some company...) I would have to say that it will be tough for anyone to put on a better performance than Joe did that Friday night. I mean, he and the band were pretty much flawless as they ripped through some difficult parts.. especially the classics. He was smokin' and most of the tunes were really kick-ass! I know it's one I'll never forget!

Also, I felt more than any other show that I've been to, the music was even better than the studio recordings! I expected it be a good show.. I didn't know how good it would turn out though.. Since it was inside the BPC, I figured the sound would be better than most venues I've been to, but you just never know exactly what you're gonna get.. but Joe just does things right! He and his sound guys hit it on the money. I thought about the hum problem Eric Johnson put up with for his opening set!? That was a shame.. Still a nice performance out of him.. sounded pretty good.. although the bass wast muddied.

What I found pretty amazing is that as good as EJ is in his own right.. Joe was just so much better that it was hard to fathom! I just kept shaking my head and smiling for most of the night! It was great to be there.. especially seeing Joe perform so close from row #5! I really got a kick out of when Joe made his guitar scream during and ending some of the tunes..The sustain was awesome as he brought it on down while mimicking the sound! Another thing I was really impressed with.. Joe had quite abit of charisma!

Thanks for a fantastic show Joe!!

I'll never forget it and hope to catch you around town once again down the road!

As a longtime music fan (first saw the Dead in '76 at 14), I honestly have never heard of Joe until my 17-year old son (becoming an accomplished guitarist himself) started listening to him several years ago. I really liked the music and bought the tickets for his 17th B-day.

I've seen the Dead (>120 times), the Who (4 time, first in '80), the Stones, Carlos (>5 times), Jorma (??), Clapton, and I don't know, the Kinks, Little Feat (w/ George), Skynyrd, Johnny Winters, Traffic, BB King, Muddy Waters, Peter Tosh, the Dregs, numerous club bands, and the list could go on. But Satriani, on the basis of one show alone, would be close to the top. He definitely plays to the crowd, but never puts style over substance. The band was tight, and he was amazing.

"Satch Boogie" rocks with any song I've seen live. Starting the show with "Blue Dream" was excellent, "Redshift Riders" was good, "Super Colossal" a highlight, "One Robot's Dream", "Surfing with the Alien" were excellent. Until one sees him live, it's hard to describe the energy he brings to a show. It helps when he brings accomplished musicians to back him up - the rest of the band was rock solid.

What struck me the most is, Joe's all about playing guitar as well as he can and having fun. He seemed to have fun, and we certainly did.

Although I have been hooked on Joe since Surfin with the Alien came out in 1988, this was my first chance to see him live. He lived up to all of my expectations, and even exceeded them. He had a wonderful energy on stage that came out in his playing as well as in his presence. The set list was a nice mix of old and new, with a surprising amount ( 5 songs)coming from Surfing with the Alien. His new bandmates fit right in the groove; they complimented his ability with their own, and the unit sounded really tight. The hall was a great space, although it was smaller than I had imagined. The sound quality was good from where I was sitting. I thought Eric Johnson was a great opener--the respect these guys have for each other is obvious. I was hoping for an encore with both of them, a la the G3 tours, but I guess you can't have everything. The only complaint I might have was with the sound quality during Eric's set. The bass was muddy on the end, as if the speakers were crying uncle. Luckily, they got it sussed out for Joe's set. The show was fantastic on just about every level. It's hard to figure out what to say without sounding cliche and like the rest of the hyperbole driven reviews. The thing is--this time, it fits. Joe and company rocked. Hard.

Did anyone else notice Favored Nations recording artist( and Boston local) Johnny A in the crowd? I saw him come out of the backstage access area a couple times to dig the show.

Set List: Flying in Blue Dream The Extremist Redshift Riders Cool #9 A Cool New Way Satch Boogie Super Colossal Just Like Lightnin One Robot's Dream Ice 9 Ten Words Mystical Potato Head Groove Thing Meaning of Love Made of Tears Circles Always with me, always with you Surfing with the Alien

Encore: Crowd Chant Summer Song

Just incredible. Amazing. I've been listening to Joe for almost 20 years now and I can't say enough about how good he is live. The whole band sounded great, the balance of songs was perfect, and Joe's interaction with the crowd was as good as ever. Joe has added some cool little jams to the old favorites and they sound fantastic. For me, the highlight of the night was the ending solo on Made of Tears.....just amazing. Thanks Joe and band for a great show.

Eric Johnson and his band were fantastic. Great songs, great energy, a perfect way to open the show.