Witnessing guitar virtuosos Joe Satriani and Steve Vai share a stage at the Murat Theater was a once-in-a-lifetime experience for any rock/shred guitar fanatic. As co-headliners, the two guitar heroes traded blistering sets, dazzling the crowd with their otherworldly skills. The tour celebrating their iconic album projects and incredible musicianship kicked off with the apt pupil, Steve Vai.
Vai
Steve Vai’s set was a mind-bending kaleidoscope of skill and showmanship from start to finish. Opening with the high-intensity and operatic “Avalancha”, he proceeded to melt faces with superhuman precision and his avant-garde compositional style. A master showman, Vai delighted the crowd with his bizarre flourishes and exaggerated facial expressions. Many people had phones out recording video snippets as his technical prowess definitely warrants a second watch later; it is almost too much to take in the first time around.
While Vai clearly reveled in shredding mayhem on up-tempo rockers, he revealed his versatility on more sublime pieces. His soulful interpretation of the ballad “Tender Surrender” showcased his liquid legato phrasing and profound melodic sensibilities. His set wrapped with probably his greatest hit, “For the Love of God”. The 1990 music video played in the background, full of powerful religious and spiritual iconography.
The pentultimate song on the Vai’s setlist was “Teeth of the Hydra”; the titular instrument was wheeled onstage under a sheet and dramatically revealed by Vai before he began shredding on the Franken-guitar. The concept for the Hydra was brought to Ibanez by Vai in 2021, and is composed of 12-string, 7-string, and bass necks. In the spirit of excess, an NFT was also available upon public release in 2022.
Steve Vai’s performance walked the tightrope between extravagant absurdity and elite musicianship, guiding the crowd through a kaleidoscope of strange, beautiful, and heavy guitar mastery. It was a singularly unique experience that could have only come from one of the most fearlessly innovative players in rock.
Satriani
Satriani emerged shredding through favorites like “Satch Boogie,” “Surfing With the Alien,” and the anthemic “Flying in a Blue Dream.” His playing was as elegant as ever, flawlessly executing challenging passages with his signature phrasing and melodicism. The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer’s band was incredibly tight, powering through the intense numbers with ease His utilization of harmonica on several of his tracks was a fun and surprising addition as well.
Satriani has a brilliant mind for storytelling, made even more challenging for him since the vast majority of his songs are instrumental only. Tracks like the ethereal “Always With Me, Always With You” and the mysterious and alluring “Sahara” engaged the audience with their rich atmosphere and panoramic melodies. His playing oozed with sensitivity and restraint one moment, exploding with powerhouse chops and whammy histrionics the next.
From tender emotive melodies to white-knuckle rock artillery, Joe Satriani spent the night displaying the full breadth of his guitar mastery. With spirit and soul, he elevated the concert experience into a celebration of the expressive possibilities of the electric guitar.
Jam Sesh
The real magic happened when the upper echelon of instrumental rock/metal united for an encore jam that had the crowd taking in the moment with rapt attention. Trading licks, solos, and shred runs at bewildering speed, it was a beautiful conversation between two of the most important rock guitarists of their generation. Their camaraderie and mutual admiration were palpable, though it is interesting to note that they were a bit more subdued when playing together onstage. There was less direct interaction between the two than I expected, as they for the most part stood angled next to each other while playing
While their individual sets were extraordinary, it was seeing the masters join forces that made this a show nobody in attendance will soon forget. Their obvious mutual respect and friendship made the “duels” less about competition and more a shared love for pushing the boundaries of what’s possible on guitar.
The jam session was facilitated by Satriani’s band, and there was plenty of opportunity for solos all around. The encore set was “short”, led off with a new collaboration track called “The Sea of Emotion, part 1”. While they played, a music video directed by ZZ Satriani (Joe’s son) rolled on the big screen behind them, heavily influenced by 60s counterculture.
This was followed up by two covers, both featuring vocals by Satriani’s rhythm guitarist/keyboardist, Rai Thistlethwayte. First up was “You Really Got Me”, probably best known as a Valen Halen cover, but originally by The Kinks (Vai has a degree of separation from Van Halen as the former guitarist for David Lee Roth’s self-named supergroup). The finale was an extra-long rendition of Metallica’s “Enter Sandman”, featuring Joe Satriani on harmony/backing vocals.
Whether shredding through deep album cuts or indulging in bluesy improvisational journeys, Satriani and Vai delivered for their diehard fans and casual music fans alike.