Joe Satriani and Steve Vai are guitar gods to many and the inspiration for countless people to pick up a guitar and aspire to be on the big stage one day. Satriani and Vai have joined forces on the 38 date Satch-Vai Tour. The two have toured together on multiple occasions with a third guitarist throughout a span of 29 years for the G3 tours both in the US and abroad. This is the very first time that the two have toured as a duo-bill.
The tour made a stop in Durham, North Carolina on March 30 at the award winning DPAC, also known as the Durham Performing Arts Center. It was a beautiful Saturday evening and rather warm, but these guys were about to make the DPAC inside a lot hotter. Steve Vai was up first with his very talented band. Shortly into his first song “Avalancha,” one quickly realizes why this guy is a guitar hero to many. The guitar becomes more of another appendage to his body than just an instrument. Vai is such a treat both sonically and visually. He laid down face melting solos and had some of the most crucial guitar faces that I have ever seen. The way he played the guitar, stretching the strings so far that you are expecting all of them to snap. Multiple times he would hold it by the whammy-bar (don’t attack me if I am wrong with my terminology because I’m just a fan and not a guitar player myself) moving it all around. There was some minor talking between songs, but the emphasis here was on the music. The setlist was interesting as he went all the way back to 1990’s Passion and Warfare with “For the Love of God” and then up to 2022’s Inviolate with four other tracks. His setlist follows his photo gallery. It was a solid set from beginning to end that seemed to fly by! Also, major props to the other three members of his band who are incredible musicians themselves.
There was a short intermission for a set change over and then Satriani hit the stage to the title track from 1992’s The Extremist. Satriani also provided the crowd with lots of crucial guitar faces while he did his solos. His setlist favored his 1987 release Surfing with the Alien with four tracks being played from that epic album. He played selections spanning most of his career going up to “Nineteen Eighty”” from 2020’s Shapeshifting album. Satriani is also super smooth in his playing and makes it all look for effortless. As with Vai, major props to Satriani’s band as well because they were really good. A full setlist follows his photo gallery.
After Satriani played “Ice 9,” he invited his friend of over 50s years back to the stage. Vai returned, bowing to Satriani and thanking him. Then, they played their brand new song called “The Sea of Emotion, Pt. 1.” This is a song that the guys told Guitar World back in 1990 that they’d record one day when they become totally unpopular. Here we are 34 years later, and I would argue if anyone said these guys weren’t popular. As they played the song, the music video that they made for it was shown on the screen in the background. It’s such a great music video and if you haven’t seen it yet, do yourself and go watch it right HERE. They finished the show by playing The Kinks’ “You Really Got Me” and Metallica’s “Enter Sandman.”
Overall, it was one of the best shows that I’ve been to in a while. From beginning to end, it kept you wrapped up in the music. I still say that it would have been cool during the encore if they recreated that famous scene that Vai did in the movie ‘Crossroads.’ I can’t let that take away from my feelings about this show. The DPAC was almost completely packed and for good reason. If they come through your town, treat yourself to a night out (even if it’s a weeknight) because you’re in for something truly special.
Review & photos by I’m Music Magazine Owner/Editor Johnny Price
Steve Vai
Joe Satriani
Encore: Joe Satriani & Steve Vai together on-stage
