Ooh baby! The crowd that had gathered to hear Peter Frampton perform Aug. 18 during Joe Bonamassa's Keeping the Blues Alive: Mediterranean cruise aboard the Norwegian Cruise Line ship Pearl knew that something special was about to happen. Frampton, who has announced that due to health reasons he is retiring from touring after his current farewell tour wraps up, could feel the electricity in the air too, and appropriately began his generous 90-minute set with "Baby (Somethin's Happening)." And while the pop superstar's fans were actually floating on water at the time, for the rest of the show the adoring crowd may just as well have been walking on air.

After his first song Frampton spoke to the crowd for the first time, offering a greeting of "Hello, boat people" and adding that, while the ship was headed to Malta, "Can we also go on to Cyprus?" After performing "Lying" Frampton spoke again, somberly this time, before performing one of his stated long time favorites "Lines on My Face" and dedicating the song to two fallen members of the Peter Frampton Band; keyboards player Bob Mayo and drummer John Siomos, both of whom played on the phenomenally successful Frampton Comes Alive. After playing the big hit "Show Me the Way" Frampton delved into the blues, his one-time and now renewed passion, performing three cuts from his latest album All Blues; the Hoagie Carmichael chestnut "Georgia on My Mind" and Freddie King covers "Me and My Guitar" and "Same Old Blues."

At show's onset Frampton had promised that the show would include some surprises, and among them were a performance of the title cut from 1981's Breaking All the Rules album and a stunning take on Soundgarden's "Black Hole Sun," performed as an instrumental with the brief exception of a few lyrics sang through Frampton's favorite toy, the "talk box." An extended take on "(I'll Give You) Money" afforded Frampton and various other band members an opportunity to take luxurious solos and the slow jam put the crowd in the perfect mood to sing along to another of Frampton's big hits, the mellow "Baby, I Love Your Way." The always popular "Do You Feel like We Do," with hot guitar solos, teasing breaks, more "talk box" talk and a surprise appearance from cruise host Joe Bonamassa closed the show.

Joe Bonamassa and Peter Frampton

Frampton's farewell tour continues into October and remaining dates can be found here.