Review by Junkman
Photos by Ron Lyon
“It’s all about the guitar. I could give a damn about anything else tonight.” So said the 50-something guy next to me at the bar adjacent to the Wiltern Theatre in Los Angeles. He was not alone. A huge mass of guitar fans and freaks were on hand to witness the gathering of five top shred masters showcase their talents collectively on a Monday evening. They did not disappoint. Steve Vai, Yngwie Malmsteen, Zakk Wylde, Nuno Bettencourt, and Tosin Abasi banded together to give their fans the ultimate guitar rodeo. Throughout the evening, blazing fretboard work astonished all who attended.
It all got started at 8:00 with a backing band that featured bassist Pete Griffin (Zappa Plays Zappa), keyboardist Nick Marinovich (Yngwie Malmsteen), and drummer Matt Garstka (Animals As Leaders) doing an interpretation of the Boston classic “Foreplay/Long Time.” Out came the stars of the show, left to right, Bettencourt, Wylde, Vai, Malmsteen, and Abasi, who each took a turn at a quick solo. The crowd, by now primed and ready, erupted into a huge applause during each player’s moment in the spotlight.
As the smoke cleared, after the opening number, the stage was left to Animals As Leaders guitarist Tosin Abasi and the magic he performs on his eight-string guitar. Plenty of different styles were represented, from ascending arpeggios to finger-tapping techniques, for an interesting set. Songs included AAL numbers “Air Chrysalis” and “Physical Education.” For his final number, Abasi was joined onstage by Bettencourt.
Simply referred to as “Nuno,” his playing style differs radically from Abasi’s, but in a strange way, it fit in nicely. Nuno, a master at the ultra fast “shredding” approach, has a funkier side as well. This was none more evident than when he yelled out to the backing band: “Gimme something I can groove to.” With that, they busted into “Get The Funk Out,” a Top 40 hit for Bettencourt’s band Extreme in 1990, that got the room of guitar geeks tappin’ their toes. Afterwards, Nuno spoke of seeing Yngwie Malmsteen for the first time in Boston and mentioned how much of an influence he had been on his own playing.
He then grabbed an acoustic guitar and teased the audience with a few notes of “More Than Words,” Extreme’s Number One hit, before stopping and saying, “That’s enough of that.” Then he played Extreme’s “Midnight Express,” a Latin-tinged funky number. From there, he went electric, busting out a medley of his favorite licks from Extreme, which he said was inspired from a compilation video he had viewed on YouTube. Nuno was animated, much more than the other artists that appeared, leaping about, jumping on the drum riser, and all over stage right.
Nuno then brought out Zakk Wylde with a great introduction. “The only thing bigger than his heart are his biceps” referring, of course, to Wylde’s affinity for weight training. The two dueted on with a spirited cover of Citizen Cope’s “Sideways.” Wylde then took over, and after an over- the-top display of guitar pyrotechnics, he launched into the Black Sabbath classic “N.I.B.” that brought the crowd to its feet.
The tempo slowed down with a very bluesy version of Jimi Hendrix’s “Little Wing” that showed Wylde’s diversity. During this rendition, the burly guitarist took a stroll through the audience. Even though the house lights went up, I really had a hard time seeing him as he was literally mobbed with every step and stop. The only view I seemed to have of him were through the screens of hundreds of cell phones, practically an essential presence at concerts these days. The audience went totally “Wylde” as he performed the Allman Brothers Band classic “Whipping Post” with an arrangement that only slightly resembled the original version from the early 1970s.
Some things just seem the same but they never get old, and such is the case with Yngwie Malmtseen. The black, skintight clothing, numerous neck chains, long black hair, combined with all kinds of theatrical stage moves and a huge wall of Marshall amplifiers have not changed one iota in the last 30 years or so. But the sounds he creates with his scalloped neck white Fender Stratocaster are legendary. As this larger-than-life Viking strode his trusty steed (in this case, a white Strat), one could only wonder if he could extract any more notes as he hits more of them in one solo than most guitarists do in a whole show. Malmsteen is a true virtuoso, a master of his craft, and yes, a true guitar hero. I like to close my eyes and listen to him play his neo-classical style. It’s always an interesting way to get past the visuals and truly enjoy the gist of his virtuosity.
Malmsteen wowed the already-blown away crowd with some of his early tracks, like “Far Beyond The Sun,” as well as the breathtaking “Arpeggios From Hell,” which naturally showcased that particular technique to the tenth power. As If that wasn’t enough, he played acoustic guitar and was joined by Steve Vai on “Black Star,” the first track from 1984’s Rising Force, his debut release. Quite a stunning mix of guitar talent on a whole other level . It was almost like watching two opera singers duet.
Vai then took center stage and was joined by Tobin Abasi for more serious guitar acrobatics, something that Vai virtually wrote the book on. “Now We Run” And “Building The Church” are two fine examples in which Vai’s custom Ibanez guitar became a virtual extension of his mind and innovation. The thing I see and hear about Vai’s playing is that it is so well done that it seems almost too well rehearsed, as opposed to being a true jam. He seems to be in complete control of his playing at all times.
Nonetheless, Vai is always a treat to watch and listen to. He showed of his bluesy skills on “Tender Surrender.” His use of the volume control on this song is very engaging and virtually mesmerized the sold-out house. “Gravity Storm” is a harder-edged song with riffs that matched perfectly with Marinovich’s Hammond B3 style keyboard accompaniment. This opened the crowds’ collective jaws as Vai thrilled them with the heaviest notes of his repertoire.
Bettencourt, Wylde and Abasi joined Vai onstage for a mind-blowing version of the Edgar Winter Group’s 1973 hit “Frankenstein,” which was a perfect choice to spotlight each players’ chops, and add to the “jam atmosphere.” All these different styles melded together for the ultimate “shred buffet,” if you will. Not to be outdone, out came Malmsteen to join the fray for a rousing rendition of Deep Purple’s 1972 rocker “Highway Star,” on which Malmsteen actually sang the vocals as well as played guitar.
As you can imagine, it virtually blew the roof off the majestic art-deco Wiltern. It was the perfect way to send the happy guitar fans off into the Los Angeles evening — A song about hitting the road. Speaking of which, this tour will be coming to a town near you. Go check out www.generationaxe.com for more information. Yes, folks, it IS all about the guitar. If you are a fan, then this is the ultimate showdown of shred. Don’t miss it!
