Black Joe Lewis

As a native Austinite, I had always wanted to see Black Joe Lewis live as he is from Austin as well. I never had the opportunity to see him until now, when I moved to Knoxville! I'm so glad he came through though. He's even more talented than I remember, and his guitar chops are beyond compare. I loved how much the crowd was getting into it as well. He definitely brought it. The energy was amazing, and I had such a great time. The theater itself has such a good energy, and has perfectly preserved its history. It's like a much smaller version of the Paramount Theater in Austin. I only have a couple of complaints about the venue itself. The beverage selection was lacking - only beer and wine. There was not a single White Claw or other spiked seltzer or even a cider. I can't drink winer without it burning my stomach, and I'm pretty gluten-sensitive, so beer would not have been my first choice. The beer selection was really random as well - not the most popular beers from which to choose. Also, I didn't like how the merch tables were set up. I was on the first floor, and the tables were on the second, but only during the show!!! Normally, I am able to walk out in the lobby after leaving the show and purchase a T-shirt or album, but not in this case. This was pretty disappointing as I would have liked to have bought both. This had to be frustrating to the bands as well since they could have made some extra money. I really felt rushed out at the end of the show, which is an experience I have never had in any other larger city. I will attend future shows @ the Bijou, but I sure hope they will reconsider both their alcohol selection and where they set up the merch tables.