Lend Your Ear To Your Neighbor and Joe Bonamassa

A conversation and an act of generosity

I’ve gained quite a few subscribers since my last “Lend Your Ear” post and I’m incredibly thankful.

For my new readers, just in case you didn’t read my welcome email (I don’t read all of the ones I get….shhh…), Lend Your Ear is a joint effort by my brother

Daniel Joseph Petty

and I to share our love of music. Occasionally, we’ll select a song, artist, album, etc., and try to express just what it is we love about it and the meaning it gives to our lives.

If you’re just not that into music, that’s fine; no hard feelings. Feel free to ignore this post in favor of the more faith-driven essays.

And for this post I will be vague on a few details for privacy reasons. You’ll see what I mean.

Again, I’m really glad you’re here and appreciate your support.

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A few weeks ago, I transitioned into a new position within the company I work for. My previous role as customer service representatives was… interesting. Answering phone calls all day, to mostly complaining callers, was not ideal. But, I also had the benefit of working the front desk where I was able to interact with our customers in-person. This still brought challenges when dealing with the unhappy but also gave me the opportunity to strike up friendly conversations and meet interesting people.

During one of my last days in the front lobby, I was on the phone when a particular customer (we’ll call him Mike for the sake of the story¹) walked in and stood in front of me, waiting to pay his bill. The call was wrapping up and Mike was waiting patiently when I noticed his shirt. An interesting crest on his chest featured a few guitars, the Union Jack and words reading, “Tour de Force/ Joe Bonamassa/ Live in London.”

My mind raced back about 10 years to an incredible guitar player named Joe Bonamassa who I discovered via a PBS TV special in which he was playing at the legendary Royal Albert Hall in London. Watching said special, I was blown away by his powerful voice and interesting fusion of blues and rock. And I was a bit surprised to see a musician I’d never heard of welcoming the likes of Eric Clapton on stage as his guest. Needless to say, Bonamassa’s music entered my listening rotation and I’ve enjoyed music periodically ever since.

Never knowing just how people will react, I debated addressing Mike’s shirt. Some people simply do not care to talk when paying their bills. Other people are more relaxed and seem eager to have a conversation, but Mike is not one of our regular walk-ins so I really didn’t have any sort of rapport with him. Finally off the phone, and picking up on Mike’s calm nature, I decided to eventually ask, “Did you see Joe Bonamassa play in London?” His eyes and voice gave away his slight surprise as he answered, “Well… yes. Yes I did.”

That single question led to an almost 30-minute conversation. Yes, he’d seen Joe Bonamassa in London but he also knows Joe! Mike had somehow befriended someone who had a connection to Bonamassa’s band and had even spent time on the band’s tour bus. And not only that, Mike had revealed an incredibly interesting past which granted him encounters with numerous legendary musicians.

Mike’s previous job gave him unique access to live music as it came through central California. In the duration of his role, he was able to gather memorabilia and autographs by a wide array of musicians. Mike got out his phone and started to, humbly, name drop artists and talk about his collection.

We’re talking about a drum head signed by Ringo Starr (like Ringo Starr, one of two living members of The Beatles); a guitar signed by an Allman brother (I don’t remember the specific Allman), guitar picks from Eric Clapton and other items from artists like Buddy Guy, Muddy Waters, B.B. King, Stevie Ray Vaughn, and Tom Petty. Seriously, the list went on and on and I’m sure I’m forgetting half of the musicians he dished on meeting.

Still wanting to talk but short on time, Mike had to run and I needed to get back to the phones from my unexpectedly delightful break. We said goodbye and I offered my salutation, “looking forward to seeing you again.” I chalked it up to a cool conversation with an interesting man and kind of left it at that. I was thankful for the interaction and used it as a prompt to listen to Joe Bonamassa once again but didn’t expect anything else to come out of it. Thank goodness I was wrong.

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I’ll pause the narrative of this story here to dive a bit more into Bonamassa’s music.

First, the man is an absolute beast of a guitar player. I agree with,

Brady Putzke

, who commented on a recent note of mine, that Bonamassa is the best living rock/blues guitarist. He was 12-years-old when he opened for B.B. King. He knows what he’s doing.

On the harder -more rock- songs he plays with a ferocious power. He's one of few in the blues genre you could add to a weightlifting playlist. My prime example of sheer power would be his song “Black Lung Heartache.”

But not only is he a crafty shredder, the man can ease into a slow blues with the best of them. “Blues Deluxe” is as timeless as any of the blues classics and can make old and new fans of the genre feel right at home.

And while he is probably best on the guitar, he possesses an incredibly strong and soulful voice. He may not have the biggest range but he’s figured out how to use his voice perfectly. The combination of interesting/ narrative-driven lyrics pair very well with his ability to fill the room with his warm and rich tones. My favorite vocal performance of his would have to be from his song “Why Does It Take So Long To Say Goodbye.”

So if you’re looking for powerful rock or gentle blues, Joe Bomamassa has something for you. I promise you, I’m only scratching the surface here.

And now back to the story…

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My new position thankfully gets me out of the barrage of phone calls but it also takes me away from the front lobby and offers me much flexibility in my schedule. Well, two days into my new post I took my lunch break, away from the office a bit early. While I was gone, a co-worker sent me a text letting me know someone was asking for me and had left me something at the office.

I seriously had no clue what it could be. I have a little to do with grant-funding now at my job but, being only two days in the role, I wasn’t expecting any applications or other materials. I was a bit dumbfounded but highly intrigued at the mystery.

After a nice walk on my break, I made my way back to the office constantly thinking, “Nobody ever leaves me anything at work. What could this be? A BOMB?!” Okay.. I didn’t actually think anybody would leave me a bomb but I can be a bit dramatic² and I was just ready to find out what was waiting for me.

Back at the office, I turned a corner, laid eyes on my desk and my jaw dropped out of the shock of kindness.

Waiting for me was a four-disc Blu-ray set. The bottom of the packaging showed a crest featuring a few guitars, the Union Jack and words reading, “Tour de Force/ Joe Bonamassa/ Live in London.” Mike had stopped by the office to gift me a Blu-ray set of Joe Bonamassa’s four-day tour of various venues throughout London, including the concert at Royal Albert Hall I’d watched on TV 10 years ago!

While I’ve not seen Mike since, I have every intention of thanking him for his generosity the first chance I get.

Mike could have let our pleasant conversation be a one-off. I certainly had no expectation or desire to gain anything from this man other than perhaps another chance to chat. But this friend, this neighbor of mine, took it upon himself to extend a hand of generosity. He decided to take something of his own and, at no cost, offer it to someone he knew would enjoy it. This was a simple yet beautiful thing to do. And remember, beautiful things come from God.

So, lend your ear to Joe Bonamassa. If you enjoy guitar solos, the blues or rock at all, there will be a song in his catalog that you like. I guarantee it. But also, lend your ear to your neighbor. The next time you feel the nudge to strike up a conversation, do it. You could fall on your face. You could walk into an uncomfortable moment. This will give you something to pray about. But on the flip side, you could find you have more in common with a complete stranger than you could have imagined. And it may even spur you or someone else into an act of kindness. Lord knows how much our world could use more of those right now.

1. Although I do remember this gentlemen’s name, we have no ongoing contact or connection so I will not be sharing his name on the internet without his permission.

2. Just ask my wife…