Guitar star doesn’t fret over sound-marred Las Vegas gig

Say this for Joe Bonamassa, he rocks his amps off.

Headlining at 8 p.m. Saturday at Lee’s Family Forum, Bonamassa performed a memorable show in August 2023 at Chelsea at the Cosmopolitan. Midway through the performance the sound cut out — five times. The ace bluesman’s guitar setup overloaded the audio system.

“I apologize for the rig going out a record five times,” Bonamassa said that night. “This has never happened to me in my life.”

He ended with a flourish, playing fan favorite “Mountain Time.” Two nights later, Bonamassa headlined the Hollywood Bowl in his hometown of L.A., backed by a 40-piece orchestra and showing no ill effects of the Cosmo show.

Saturday is Bonamassa’s first Las Vegas show since that night.

“That was the difference in playing your first show, and 10,000 hours on stage,” Bonamassa said in a recent phone interview. “You’ve gotta keep your composure, because what you perceive is happening on stage goes by way faster out the crowd.”

Bonamassa’s latest release, “Blues Deluxe Vol. 2,” is a pair of originals and eight covers, ranging from Bobby “Blue” Bland, the Peter Green era of Fleetwood Mac and Albert King. Saturday’s show kicks off a U.S. tour, and is Bonamassa’s debut at Lee’s Family Forum, previously Dollar Loan Center.

It wouldn’t be a stretch to consider Bonamassa among the most respected guitarists anywhere. He toured with B.B. King at age 12. He was also on King’s 80th-birthday tour in 2005.

The 47-year-old Bonamassa can be considered a caretaker of B.B. King’s legacy.

“I think there’s a lot of us. I think that people like Kenny Wayne Shepherd and Gary Clark Jr., those of us in our mid-to-late 40s, all had ties to B.B. King,” Bonamassa said. “Over the years, B.B. made it very vocal, he was telling us, ‘After I’m gone, keep this thing going. Don’t let it die.’ ”

Faltering equipment can be dealt with to keep the blues alive.

“We’re hoping, God willing, we have an uninterrupted performance,” Bonamassa said. “If we have that, I’m happy.”

What Works in Vegas

Luenell at Jimmy Kimmel’s Comedy Club. Still drawing strong crowds, the star stand-up is also featured in “Hacks” on HBO. She plays Miss Loretta, and the writers are expanding her role. It can only lead to more laughter, which is what Luenell is all about.

Cool Hang Alert

“The Boyband Remix Brunch” is 1 p.m.-3 p.m. Sunday at The Composers Room at Historic Commercial Center. The event features tributes to New Edition, ‘N Sync, Backstreet Boys, Boyz II Men and Backstreet Boys. Also, muffins are involved. This is the start of something truly unique, the first show in an extended engagement, continuing Nov. 10. Go to TheComposersRoom.com for tickets and intel.

From last night, Joe Bonamassa gets a little help from his friend and sideman Josh Smith to finish this solo at the Chelsea at the Cosmopolitan. #RJNow @reviewjournal pic.twitter.com/JeyjMKn0AE

— John Katsilometes (@johnnykats) August 5, 2023

John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section. His “PodKats!” podcast can be found at reviewjournal.com/podcasts. Contact him at jkatsilometes@reviewjournal.com. Follow @johnnykats on X, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.