Live concert DVDs, although very popular, are not always the most well put together and exciting things to watch on your TV. For me, it’s always been the feel of the actual live show that makes me salivate. But, you can’t be at every show, so the DVD of the performance will always be an easy sell to the average consumer. Some are just plain boring. The sound quality is, a lot of times, not up to par, and the camera angles can be either set at one angle, or as the case with multiple camera shoots, literally make you dizzy with the amount of cuts and changes throughout the performance. But every now and then you get one that gets it just right. This is the case with Stillness In Motion, a double live DVD from Steve Vai.
For the unfamiliar, Vai is an absolute master of the electric guitar. His phrasing and technique are right up there with the all-time greats in that department. He has been around for a long time, first cutting his chops with the late Frank Zappa in the early eighties, and then reaching superstar status with stints in David Lee Roth’s first solo band and Whitesnake. What separates Vai from other guitar shredders is he is also a great performance artist. He rarely stands still and lets his fingers do the talking. He dances, reacts with facial expressions and his whole body at times. He is technically sound, very visual; he also dons elaborate stage wear and changes costumes frequently during his set.
Stillness In Motion was recorded at the Club Nokia in Los Angeles on October 12, 2012, and first caught my eye because I actually attended that show. This DVD gave me a new perspective as I relived the show on my home system. It’s a stunning performance with lots of highlights. Vai is backed by an incredible band including the magnificent Jeremy Colson on drums and vocals, Philip Bynoe on bass, vocals and “twinkle toes,” Dave Weiner on guitar ,vocals, and keyboards, and interestingly, Deborah Henson-Conant on electric harp. Yes an electric harpist, something that I had never witnessed before.
What follows are 27 tracks of pure fun and incredible talent. Great lighting enhances every minute and some great camera ideas. There are plenty of stop-motion and sped-up montages between and after the performances. Guitarists will love the camera that is attached to Vai’s guitar headstock, giving the viewer an up-close look at the guitarist’s outstanding technical ability and techniques. The band comes out racing up tempo with “Racing The World” from his 2012 The Story Of Light release. “Building The Church” spotlights his two-handed hammer-on skills. Speaking of church, there is the bluesy, gospel style “John The Revelator,” which features the searing vocals of special guest, the powerful Beverly McClellan, that had me “praisin’ the lawd”…
“Whispering A Prayer” is always a Vai concert highlight. There is so much depth and feeling in this dreamy number, that it can actually put you in a dream state, helped along, of course, by Deborah Henson-Conant’s hypnotizing harp accompaniment. Vai’s body language enhances the visual as he takes the melody into a crescendo. A must-see. I have adored “The Audience Is Listening” since I first heard it in 1990. The backing dialogue has been sampled in, of course, but it is an absolute treasure of a tune. Disc one of this 2 DVD set closes out with a nod to the man who first gave Vai his chance in the big time. Simply titled “Frank,” it is a fitting tribute to the late Frank Zappa whose music Steve Vai would transcribe while still in school.
The second DVD starts with “Build Me A Song” in which Vai invites members of the audience to help him write a song onstage, on the fly. After the final numbers of the live concert, the DVD shifts to “The Space Between The Notes,” a look into life on the road with Vai, his band and crew as they tour the world. Spread out in nine parts, it brings the world to the watcher through what must have been tons of video that has been painstakingly edited. The result is a great insight into Vai and his crew and how much fun and work it is to trot the globe. I must praise Steve Vai, who not only wrote and performed all the numbers, but produced this wonderful DVD as well. It is a treat for any fan of accomplished musicianship, in particular Steve Vai and his guitar wizardry. Stillness In Motion is also available in a two-CD package as well.
~ Junkman
