I went and saw Jesse Johnson at Londzell's Martini Lounge and Restaurant in Roswell, Ga on January 13, 2011. This was my first time seeing Jesse as a solo artist live in concert.

The day started way too early for me. I got up at 7:30 a.m., a full 5 hours earlier than I normally get up. I got ready, packed the car and waited on Jason for our scheduled departure time of 9 a.m. Of course it didn't happen, Jason was late as usual. We got on the road around 10 a.m. Unfortunately I was driving which I really hate and on top of that there was snow and ice in Atlanta. Something I know nothing about driving in(and evidently they don't either) Everything was fine until we got to the other side of Montgomery where we started to see ice on the side of the road. Nothing major, but it progressively got worse the further North we went. We hit the outskirts of Atlanta and this is where I started stressing. We had to go to Roswell which I had never been to and the snow and ice were getting bad at this point. Jackasses still driving 100 in the ice. Not good. On top of that, I missed my turn and would probably still be circling Atlanta if Jason didn't have his GPS which got us back on track. We found our exit and had to do the loop around a few times because of the bumper to bumper traffic and the ice

We checked into the hotel. Jason was annoying the shit out of me by saying "Snow" every 10 seconds ala Butthead. Evidently he had never actually seen snow where it was on the ground. When it actually snows down here, it just melts when it hits the ground. I guess he doesn't remember the great storm of 74 or when ever the fuck it was. Anyway, he went and played in the snow, took pictures and threw snowballs. Then we went to find this club to see if the show was actually going to happen. Well we couldn't find the place. GPS was showing a Wendy's. Well the place was in a strip mall next to a taco place. We did bump into somebody we knew and were assured the show was going to happen. We went back to the hotel, chilled out and got ready for the show.

The show was suppose to start at 8 p.m. We left our hotel around 7 p.m. and it took us 23 minutes to drive 6 tenths of a mile. We walk in the door and there's Jesse. He had just got done with soundcheck. He actually remembered me. I introduced him to Jason and we chatted for a few minutes before he left. We were among the first people in the club. We had the first table in the second section of the club. They wouldn't let us in the front. There was only one ticket price so I don't know if this was suppose to be the VIP section or what. I noticed a disturbing trend on who got to sit in the front section and who sat in the back. Don't you know who I am? I'm the world famous Rhastus and I don't drive 6 hours in the ice and snow to sit in the back. Illusions of grandeur aside, it was a good thing nobody gave us shit when we got on the floor or I would have been raising Holy Fucking Hell!!!

We ordered a few drinks and hung out. well 8 p.m. came and went. They had a young lady come out and sing to backing tracks. She had a nice voice, but when I go to a club I want a band. I can sit home and listen to my cds. Well due to my excessive liquid consumption, I was in the bathroom alot. It seemed like everytime I went in there somebody came and introduced themselves to me. "Hey I know you from Facebook or Prince.org or somewhere else on the Internet" Most of the peeps where Cool, Some not so much. Atleast the guy snorting coke didn't talk to me. Jason said that dude was in there every time he was in there. Nice.

Next was karaoke Crackhead. Now I'm not paying attention. I'm too busy drinking Jason's beer since mine was all gone. Dude comes out and starts singing Journey. Jason said he was wearing a skirt, but like I said I don't care. Finally I look up at some point and dude is singing Pearl Jam rolling around on the floor with no shirt, gut hanging out. Yikes. Then we got the DJ spinning records. Enuff already .Finally sometime around 10:30 p.m. Jesse is introduced and the show is finally on!!!

Here is the setlist with my comments to follow

1. Intro

2. Slo Burning

3. Be your man

4. Red house(Instrumental)

5. Free World

6. Bare My Naked Soul

7. Cry Like the Skies

8. I want my Girl

9. Verbal penetration

10. Jesse's story about the trip from the airport

11. We R so Strong

12. Vibe

13. The Wind Cries Mary-Instrumental

14. Some blues song I don't know the name of

15. Hear my Train a Comin'

16. My Life

17 Love Struck

18. Can you Help me

19. Love Struck-Guitar solo

20. Don't throw yourself away

21. U & I R we R us

22. Black in America

23. Ali vs. Frazier

24. Love Letters

25. Little Wing

26. Stone free

27. Voodoo Child(slight return)/Funky Dollar Bill

28. I Miss

Main show concludes about 2 hours

Jesse Johnson unplugged

Jesse comes and sits on the front of the stage. He continues to play and tell stories

29. 777-9311

30. Jungle Love

31. Crazay

32. Story about first coming to Minneapolis and meeting Prince and the Time

33. Love Letters #2

34. Blondie(Skillet)

35. Bleeding Heart

Jesse came out in Hendrix mode sporting a head band and fro. He was backed by a drummer and bass player( I talked to them before the show, but I'm bad with names) No keyboards. This was power trio time!!! Jesse opened with Slo Burnin' and I didn't recognize it at first cause the vocals were down in the mix. About half way through the song we went down to the floor and stood right in front of Jesse. When he launched into Be Your man the floor filled up. Next was an instrumental version of Red House. . The show continued with Free World and Jason and I just looked at each other. It was already worth the drive and Jesse was just getting started. Jesse wasn't playing as he launched into the title track from my favorite of his solo albums Bare my Naked Soul. Jesse had a setlist, but he was taking request all night. This was good and bad at the same time as the band wouldn't know what he was playing or he would forget the words to some of the songs. Cry like the skies was a bittersweet moment for me. this was me and my ex wife's song. How do you turn a ballad into a guitar highlight? Don't ask me, but he did with I want my girl which caused Jason to exclaimed"Where do I get that version?"

Next were a couple songs from his latest album with a story about his trip from the airport sandwiched in. Jesse was down to earth, kidding with the crowd all night long. Vibe was next and that was a surprise for me. More Hendrix as an instrumental version of The wind cries Mary and some more blues. The next group of songs was the best part of the show for me. Jesse launched into Hear my train a coming. You got to be Fucking kidding me!!! It was so sick it was ridiculous.My second favorite guitarist covering my favorite. Fuck Yeah!!! I told Jason I wasn't going to anymore concerts after this. What's the point? Its all down hill. And to follow it with My Life. Get the Fuck out of here. I died and went to guitar heaven. Love struck kept it going. Jesse forgot the second verse and was trying to get us to sing it. Jason was pulling up the lyrics on his phone. Classic. My favorite Jesse song Can you help me was next. Then he went back into the solo from Love struck. Outstanding!!!

Jesse did a set of more jazzy material including 3 songs off his new album along with Black in America. It was back to Hendrix for Little Wing. Simply Beautiful. Somebody yelled Stone Free and he obliged. The opening riff to the baddest song ever followed with a little Funkadelic thrown in for good measure. Jesse closed the main portion of his show with I miss. This was about 2 hours. I could have left more than happy, but now it was bonus time. Jesse Johnson Storytellers.

Jesse came to the edge of the stage and sat down and invited the crowd to come up close. The crowd was light due to the horrible weather and it was now after midnight on a weeknight, but it seemed like everybody in the club around him. Like he said earlier in the show. it was more of a private party than a concert at this point. Some drunk guy yelled 777-9311 which he did. Next was Jungle Love which he did the whole song of. Peep the video on my Facebook page with my horrible vocals. Sly didn't show up, but Crazay followed anyway. Jesse then told us the story about how he first came to Minneapolis and met Prince and the Time. Good stuff. He played the riff to Blondie. Now Jason is sitting right next to him and whispers to him to put a little Skillet in there as well which he did. The slow blues of bleeding heart closed the show.

But wait there's more. For the low price of $19.99 you get ... Ok you get the picture. Jesse probably hung out for atleast another half an hour signing cds, taking pictures, just talking to everybody, throwing in a few riffs here and there. Jason got his pink 12 inch single to be your man autographed and we both got pictures with the man. I loaned my sharpie to someone to get something signed and they went out the door with it so I didn't get anything signed. Good thing I hauled all that shit to Vegas a few years ago. We were about the last people to leave the club and it was well after 1 a.m. We said our goodbyes to Jesse and headed back to the hotel in the 13 degree weather.

So was it worth the 6 hour drive in the ice and snow and the 3 hour wait in the club. Fuck yeah. Hands down the greatest display of guitar playing I've ever seen. If he comes anywhere near you. Go, You won't regret it