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B.B. King @ the Wellmont Theatre, Montclair, NJ - pics

photos by Tim Griffin

BB King

“I had the pleasure to see B.B. King at the Welmont Theatre in Montclair, NJ last week. B.B. was awesome as usual, but what impressed me more, was the restoration of this theatre. The Wellmont was one of my mainstays growing up as kid in the area in the 70’s and 80’s. With such theatres as the Bellevue, the ClairRidge and the Royal Theatre in Bloomfield, the Wellmont was considered the “dirty theatre”, and usually a last choice between the other theatres. However, it had some mystique to it, and as kids we were some times able to sneak in the side exit.” [Pete the Mac]

B.B. King, forever on tour, played a show at the new Wellmont Theater in Montclair, NJ on Thursday night (12/4). Coming out throwing guitar picks to the audience, the living legend, and eight-piece band, proceeded to perform for two hours. His set consisted of as many stories as it did songs. That included one story about not liking how modern R&B and rap singers disrespect women, and there was one sing along version of “You Are My Sunshine”, dedicated to all of the ladies. After the show ended with a version of “The Thrill is Gone“, B.B. stayed around on stage signing posters and handing out more guitar picks and other trinkets to audience members.

Guitarist Joel Zoss opened the show with a set of mostly old blues songs, including one by Leadbelly. More pictures below…

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opener Joel Zoss…

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If anyone didn’t know what the blues was, King encapsulates it this way: “Because I play the blues, people think I cry all the time. I don’t cry all the time. When I find something I want and I can’t have it, then I cry.” [az central]

More tour dates HERE.