Blues-rock guitarist Joe Bonamassa made his return to North Carolina on Friday, March 13th as he took the stage at DPAC (Durham Performing Arts Center). A bit of an anomaly these days, there was no opener for the show and the event started at 8pm sharp. What might seem like a short setlist actually resulted in a two-hour show with a bit of something for everyone. It began with the title track off his latest release, 2025’s Breakthrough, followed by “Trigger Finger” off the same album, and the crowd was hooked from the start.
Bonamassa mentioned that backstage there is a brick wall adorned with signatures of past performers. He found his brick which read “Joe Bonamassa, 2010”, and added this was his eighth time playing the venue. From the sound of the crowd, many have seem him at every show. Feet were tapping, bodies were slowly grooving back and forth, and an older gentleman with a walker was so moved by the music that he danced his way through the aisles on more than one occasion.
The show weaved originals and covers in and out of the playlist – “Drive By The Exit Sign” from the aforementioned Breakthrough and “The Last Matador of Bayonne” from 2011’s Dust Bowl were well received from the crowd. The slow, mellow build-up on Last Matador erupts into a powerhouse of a song, with Josh Smith also highlighted in a guitar solo. Freddie King’s “Pack It Up” was a crowd favorite, as was “Well, Well”, a Delaney and Bonnie song that Bonamassa covered with the absent Beth Hart.
While Bonamassa is certainly the star of the show, he never fails to highlight the strengths of the rest of his band throughout the night as well. Back-up vocalists Jade MacRae and Danni D’Andrea shined on “Self-Inflicted Wounds” and “I Want To Shout About It”. Australia’s Lachy Doley joined the touring band this year as the new keyboardist after Reese Wayans announced his retirement in 2025. Doley fits in with the band perfectly and showcased his talents on numerous songs, most notably during “Pack It Up”. Bassist Calvin Turner who has joined Bonamassa for the last several years, provided a smooth groove that could be felt throughout the night. And lastly, Lamar Carter, referred to by Bonamassa as one of the greatest drummers of this generation, performed an incredible drum solo on “Well, Well”.
After a nearly two hour set, Bonamassa thanked the audience and left the stage. The crowd begged for an encore and erupted in cheers from the orchestra up to the second balcony upon his return to the stage. Before his final song, he stated that this was his 39th year doing this and reminisced about playing small clubs where 50-60 people used to show up. He jokingly states that his job is to come out dressed in the finest Sears activewear he can find on sale. But he also notes that he takes a large part in his own social media, and understands that he will never hear the end of it if he doesn’t play “the song you wanna hear”. Bonamassa ends the show with “Mountain Time”, and it blended everyone together so seamlessly. Everyone played their part, literally. There was the slow tap of the drums, the slight hum of the bass, the light playing of the keys, all forming a musical cloud in the background while he performed one last guitar solo. The crowd’s final standing ovation hopefully let Joe Bonamassa know that central North Carolina can’t wait to have him back here.
Though the spring tour is almost over, fans can catch Joe Bonamassa this summer across the U.S. before he heads overseas for a number of fall dates.
I’m Music Magazine Contributing Photographer KT Lafferty/Twelve07Photography
