The duo shared the stage with a slew of other Gibson guitar heavyweights on the night, including Marcus King, Orianthi, Emily Wolfe and Warren Haynes
(Image credit: Gibson TV/YouTube)
Joe Bonamassa and Jared James Nichols shared the stage for a rip-roaring rendition of Cream’s Crossroads during the star-studded Gibson Garage grand opening gig last Wednesday (June 9).
The event, which doubled as the Gibson Live: A Celebration of Artists to Benefit Gibson Gives event, saw the two electric guitar titans take turns in serving up a melting pot of gained-up licks, rapid-fire pentatonic passages and oh-so tasty blues-infused phrases.
Donning a P-90-loaded Les Paul, Nichols had first stab at an extended lead effort, using his trademark fingerpicking approach to maximum effect, with JoBo following up with a dizzying solo of his own using a Vibrola-equipped SG.
Doubling up on the track’s iconic riff throughout, the two took their onstage chemistry to the extreme in the closing stages, trading riffs and licks aplenty before a stunning six-string flourish finished things off in style.
Their performance, which you can watch in full, starts at 1:20:40 in the video below.
The duo performed alongside a slew of other Gibson artists, with James Bay, Emily Wolfe, Samantha Fish, Margo Price, Morgan Wade and Warren Haynes all featuring on the lineup.
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Marcus King, Lzzy Hale, Joe Hottinger, Fer Casillas, Celisse Henderson, Jimmy Vivino, Laura Cox, Waxx, Sadler Vaden and Kip Moore also played during the Gibson Garage’s grand opening.
At the start of the event, Gibson CEO James Curleigh said, “Tonight is not just about the Gibson Garage, it’s about Gibson live around the world. Of equal performance to the Garage is Gibson Gives.
“Gibson Gives is our way of making music matter more, one guitar at a time," he continued. "We’re going to be partnering tonight with MusiCares and with Save The Music.
“MusiCares is an awesome program that musicians came up with to support musicians in times of need and we’ve been a partner with them for years.
“Save The Music is all about the next generation of musicians. It’s about the individuals, schools and communities all rallying around the power of music to create that next generation of inspired musicians.”
To find out more, head over to Gibson Gives, or visit the Gibson Garage to explore the brand's new emporium.
Matt is a Senior Staff Writer, writing for Guitar World, Guitarist and Total Guitar. He has a Masters in the guitar, a degree in history, and has spent the last 16 years playing everything from blues and jazz to indie and pop. When he’s not combining his passion for writing and music during his day job, Matt records for a number of UK-based bands and songwriters as a session musician.
