Review by Shawn Perry
Photos by Alex Kluft
And now for something completely different: Toto on stage before a few thousand in the courtyard of a swanky hotel on the Pala Indian reservation. Under clear skies, stars a-blinking with a slight breeze to keep the night cool and comfortable, Toto brought the house down with a two-hour set filled with hits, new songs and impeccable musicianship.
The previous two Toto shows I caught were co-headliners with Michael McDonald and Yes. Seeing them by themselves for an entire evening opened up all kinds of possibilities. Not only did the band roll out the hits, they also delved a little deeper into the catalog, played newer music from 2015’s XIV (their first studio release since 2006), and, best of all, put the spotlight, at various turns, on each player to stretch out and push the limits of their chosen instrument.
In addition to guitarist Steve Lukather, keyboardist David Paich, keyboardist Steve Porcaro, and lead singer Joseph Williams, the band was joined on stage by drummer Shannon Forrest, back-up vocalists Mabvuto Carpenter and Jenny Douglas-Foote, percussionist Lenny Castro, and veteran bassist Leland Sklar, back in the Toto fold after an eight-year absence.
From the outset, the band was tight and in sync. Lukather took charge, and led the band through a stellar takes of hits like “I’ll Supply the Love” and “Stranger In Town.” The guitarist took the lead vocal (with ample support from Carpenter and Douglas-Foote) for the R&B-based “Georgy Porgy,” an early hit that Lukather said David Paich originally wrote for Maurice White of Earth, Wind & Fire. “Pamela” is notable for being the band’s first hit co-written and sung by Williams in 1988.
Toto is one the few classic rock acts working today that doesn’t shy away from adding new songs to their live show. Steve Porcaro, who released his own solo album Someday / Somehow over the summer, was pretty much left to himself to sing and play “Bend,” a bonus track from XIV, while others from the album — ‘Holy War,” “Burn,” “Great Expectations” and “Orphan” — made the cut and enchanted the audience. Because the newer material blends in so well with the older stuff, there’s no reason to think we couldn’t get another album or two out of Toto before they call it a day.
As for the solos, Paich tickled the ivories for an extra measure or two before launching into “Great Expectations.” During his spot, Lukather channeled his best Robin Trower and Jimi Hendrix. After the show, I asked the guitarist about the solo, and with his tongue planted firmly in his cheek, he said: “It’s an egotistical thing.” Paich stood at the side of the stage and marveled at the guitarist with the rest of the audience, commenting afterwards that he was glad he didn’t play the guitar.
Before “The Road Goes On,” Lukather talked about the band’s origins, and how they would gather at the home of the Porcaro brothers. From there, he dedicated the song to Jeff and Mike Porcaro, adding that the two late band members are in “every lick, every song” that Toto plays. This prompted the audience to pull out their cell phones and wave them in unison, creating a twinkling lights how. Even some of the folks watching the show from their hotel rooms jumped into the action.
Even though “Rosanna,” the final song of the main set, had everyone in the crowd and on stage dancing and snapping their fingers, it was “Africa” that got everyone out of their seat. The song’s catchy refrain set the scene for Castro to explore virtually every corner of his percussive arsenal while everyone else clapped along. It was a great way to end the show and send the faithful home with a twinkle in their eye and a spring in their step.
