Two Guitar Gods; One Stage
(Reno, NV) – Rock guitar royalty, Joe Satriani and Steve Vai brought the SatchVai Band’s “Surfing
With the Hydra” tour to Reno, Nevada. Before I dive into how amazingly awesome the
show was, I feel it’s incredibly important to meet the band, the SatchVai Band.
Satch: Also known as Joe Satriani, and a legend amongst legends. Satriani, a 15 time
Grammy Award nominated guitarist, currently has six gold and/or platinum solo albums
in his discography. He has also been in highly successful bands such as Chickenfoot
(with Sammy Hagar, Chad Smith from Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Michael Anthony
formerly of Van Halen), which garnered him yet another Gold record.
Satriani was also briefly a member of Deep Purple, as well as lead guitarist for Mick
Jagger. Satch is also responsible for the incredibly successful G3 Tour which features
himself along with two other amazing guitarists. Some of the featured guitarists have
been Eric Johnson, Yngwie Malmsteen, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Robert Fripp, and Stev Vai.
Recently, you have likely also witnessed Satriani traversing the globe with The Red Rocker, Sammy Hagar as part of “The Best of All Worlds” band.
Vai: Also known as Steve Vai, a three-time Grammy Award winning, guitar slinger. Vai,
who as a teen took guitar lessons from Joe Satriani went on to launch an incredibly successful career.
An accomplished guitarist, songwriter, producer, solo-artist, and “hired gun”, Vai has
racked up numerous accolades and awards. Steve has toured the world as a solo artist
and as a member of highly successful bands at absolute pinnacle of their careers. Such as Frank Zappa, David Lee Roth, Whitesnake, and previously mentioned G3 (with Satriani).
Kenny Aronoff: Also known as the extremely sought after drummer of the SatchVai
Band. Kenny’s resume is definitely beyond impressive! He has performed with the likes
of Johnny Cash, Bruce Springsteen, Sting, Rod Stewart, Dave Grohl, Sammy Hagar, Willie Nelson, and Bob Seger. That’s just to name a few! Like Satch, Aronoff is also part of “The Best of All Worlds” band with Sammy Hagar.
Pete Thorn: Also known as “the prolific guitar sideman” playing rhythm guitar in the
SatchVai Band. Thorn is an incredible guitarist, whose work ethic and skill found him
playing alongside the likes of Don Henley and as Chris Cornell’s solo band.
Marco Mendoza: Also known as the incredibly accomplished bass wielding vocalist of
the SatchVai Band. Marco has recorded, as well as toured with some of the biggest
names in Rock! Names such as David Coverdale of Whitesnake, Thin Lizzy, John Sykes, and Ted Nugent.
By now, you can probably tell that there was an immense amount of talent onstage for
the SatchVai ‘Surfing With the Hydra’ show. Quite honestly, every single one of the
aforementioned musicians brought one million percent to the show.
The show? What about the show? Afterall, that’s the important question. My ability as a
wordsmith, or word wielding wizard is unimportant here. What’s truly important is
whether the SatchVai Band ‘Surfing With the Hydra’ show is worth your hard-earned money.
Admittedly, there is an immeasurable number of adjectives I could use to describe the
performance. Words such as jaw dropping, awe inspiring, electric, electrifying, intense,
dynamic, sonically sound, immersive, unforgettable, frenetic, and full of raw power. All of
these could be and should be used to describe this show. This is an absolute true depiction of the SatchVai performance.
Satriani and Vai effortlessly feed off each other’s musical prowess, which simply
intensifies the experience for everyone in attendance. While witnessing the SatchVai
Band perform live was truly a magnetic experience, it was much more than that. It was
catching a glimpse into the souls of two masterful legends, if only for nearly two hours.
As if witnessing the professionalism, talent, and skill of this highly accomplished band
fronted by the Rock-guitar behemoths Joe Satriani and Stev Vai is not enough,
progressive metal band Animals as Leaders is also on the bill. In my opinion the
blistering set put on by Animals as Leaders is well worth the ticket price alone.
Armed with eight-string guitars and a drum set, Animals as Leaders absolutely ROCK.
Receiving a standing ovation at the end of their set was proof that they left the audience wanting more.
I say all of that to simply say, go to the show. Go to two or three shows, if possible. This is absolutely a show that you don’t want to miss!
Animals as Leaders are:
Tosin Abasi – Lead Guitar
Matt Garstka – Drums
Javier Reyes – Rhythm Guitar
Do not altar photos
Copyright: Chris Couture Photography
