Today, we did not have a reviewer on site. We were only allowed to photograph the usual first three songs and then leave the arena. The first three songs went by quickly – and it is only these that form the basis for this limited review. How the concert continued cannot be mentioned in this summary, but it started at a high level. How it went on and what we missed, those of you who stayed for the whole concert are welcome to share in a comment.
Joe Bonamassa – born Joseph Leonard Bonamassa – is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He began playing guitar at the age of four and started his own band, Smokin' Joe Bonamassa, when he was twelve. In 2000, he released “A New Day Yesterday”, which was his first solo album. Since then, he has released an additional 18 albums between 2002—2026, the latest being the live album “The Spirit Of Rory Live from Cork” which he released on June 19, 2026. His music mainly falls within the genres of blues and rock.
Bonamassa is primarily a solo artist but has also collaborated with other artists, such as singer Beth Hart, with whom he has released several albums. He also co-founded the rock band Black Country Communion together with bassist Glenn Hughes from Deep Purple, keyboardist Derek Sherinian from Dream Theater, and drummer Jason Bonham.
Joe Bonamassa had no support act at Avicii, but just before they took the stage, the song “Tuff Enuff” by the group The Fabulous Thunderbirds was played loudly over the speakers, a group that has also participated in Bonamassa’s blues cruise in 2024. The song heightened both the mood and the anticipation leading up to the performance of one of the most established artists in blues rock.
The concert started immediately at the scheduled time, and during the first three songs, no time was spent speaking. Joe both sang and played guitar – and what a player he is. First up was the song “Breakthrough”, the title track from the album of the same name released in 2025. The electric guitar is at the center and the feel from the blues meets a modern rock sound. Perhaps it is just that barrier between different genres that the song is about. One interpretation of the song is that it’s about breaking old patterns and finding new strength.
The next song, “Trigger finger”, roughly means trigger finger as on a weapon. One interpretation is that it’s about moving on and not getting stuck in the past. The drummer gets to shine, as does the choir, and there is, of course, a guitar solo. A mix of blues and rock gives the song drive, and it’s easy to get carried away.
He finished the three songs with “Twenty-four hour blues” – 24 hours of blue feelings that we perhaps mostly associate with sorrow, longing, loneliness, melancholy, and yearning. The long guitar solo that ended the song conveyed a lot of emotion. There was no mistaking his mastery of the guitar, and he expressed things that words are not enough to convey.
It is hard to justify a high rating based only on three songs from a concert. I can only guess that the rating would have been high if the whole concert could have been evaluated.
