Joe Bonamassa let the music do his talking for him during most of his Friday night concert at the Chicago Theatre.

For two hours, he entertained a sold-out crowd. His soulful singing was excellent, but his strength is in his guitar playing. Bonamassa can play blindingly fast, as he demonstrated on multiple songs. But he is also adept at slowing down, caressing the space between the notes. In both cases, he is a master at getting the most out of the blues melodies. He mixed originals ("Dust Bowl," "Self-Inflicted Wounds," "The Heart That Never Waits") with covers (Bobby Bland's "Twenty-Four Hour Blues," Guitar Slim's "Well, I Done Got Over It," Led Zeppelin's deep cut "How Many More Times.")

He did interrupt the music a few times to talk to the audience, first introducing his excellent band, which consisted of guitar, bass, drums, keyboards, and two backup singers. Calvin Turner on bass and Lemar Carter on drums provided driving rhythms, but guitarist Josh Smith and keyboardist Reese Wyans stole the show when they performed their solos. Joe introduced himself as the "Five-time Grammy Loser," a nod to his multiple nominations.

The second time Joe stopped the music to talk with the audience, he smilingly complained about paying for the "worst f*cking confetti show ever!" The occasional scrap of confetti that drifted from the ceiling was barely visible from my seat in Row G. At one point, the guitarist picked up a piece of confetti and flung it into the air in mock celebration.

Bonamassa returned to the stage for an encore - the crowd favorite "Mountain Time." He explained that his decision to skip this song last night led to "bitching and moaning" by fans on the Internet.

Tonight produced the opposite of bitching and moaning. Tonight's performance inspired smiles and standing ovations.