by Brian & Kim Jones
If you are a guitarist, or just someone who loves the sound of a guitar, then the G3 show is truly the creme de la creme. Arguably, three of the most gifted guitarists in the world shared the stage for an awesome four hours of pure entertainment.
Malmsteen opened the show and he awed the crowd with his signature speed and accuracy. A showman to the end, he was a whirlwind of movement with his guitar spinning through the air and picks flying out to the waiting crowd. Stirring performances of "Far Beyond the Sun", "Blackstar" and "Evil Eye" were topped off with a rousing tribute to Jimi Hendrix when he played "Red House". His band can not go unmentioned here, as they brought it big. Mick Cervino (bass), Patrik Johansson (drums) and Joakim Svalberg (keyboards) were tight musically and were, basically, on fire. The showcase solos that each band member did brought the crowd to its feet and really showed outstanding musical ability, and showed why they truly compliment Yngwie's style.
Next in the line-up was Steve Vai. Can you say "blown away"? I was ... and there's just no other way to describe it. From the moment that he took the stage (with his three necked guitar) to the final note of his set, he was ON. The high point of the set, for me, was when he played "For the Love of God". For my husband's favorites, you need to add "The Reaper" and "The Attitude Song". His band, Billy Sheehan (Bass), Tony MacAlpine (Guitar and Keyboards), Jeremy Colson (Drums) and Dave Weiner (Guitar) was off the chain! When Tony stepped up to center stage and starting trading licks with Vai I just about lost it! Billy was in top form himself and Jeremy and Dave, not to be outdone, showed some truly outstanding musicianship to round off a set straight from Planet Vai.
Satch followed Vai and, of course, where there's Satch, there's "Satch Boogie"! He serenaded us with "Flying in a Blue Dream" and "Always With Me, Always With You". "The Mystical Potato Head Groove Thing" brought the crowd to its feet and really highlighted Joe's flawless technique. Joe showed off his new flame guitar (that was really cool) with typical Joe style. I, personally, wouldn't have even wanted to attempt following up after Vai's stellar performance, but Joe did and he did it with flair and panache that was just pure Satch. His band, of course, was in top form. Galen Henson (guitar), Jeff Campitelli (drums) and Matt Bissonette (bass) showed us all that they can keep up the pace with the man himself.
The finale was, in a word, great! Yngwie's "Voodoo Child" truly came to life in the hands of the three guitar-gods. Talk about a shred-fest. Vai's stirring performance of Hendrix's "Little Wing" was next and it was a great song to showcase the versatility of all three musician's with the melodic, masterful soloing. It was a fitting build-up to Joe's turn at bat. Joe came strong with Neil Young's "Rockin in the Free World". His trademark bag of tricks was highlighted in a big way during that piece and it brought the SRO crowd to its feet once again.
The show was worth the drive, the aching back (hey, I'm not 18 anymore) and the sound of a million or so crickets in my head that came from standing in front of PA speakers bigger than me ... (never had my ears ringing that bad in my life). The staff at the Tabernacle was a big help and Amy, Matthew and Dallas all worked really hard to help get me everything that I needed, so they deserve a special thanks. If you get a chance to see one of the final G3 shows on this tour, DON'T PASS IT UP.
