Yngwie opened and looked pretty much the same, if you added 50 lbs.
Same chops as always, and he actually SANG two tunes, "Red House" and "VooDoo Chile". He tossed the guitar around a little bit, but only threw it to an off-stage roadie once, but it was over his back and spinning.Vai came out second and his sound and style were "night and day" compared to Malmsteen. His guitar sound was much cleaner, and it was sort of a relief compared to the flurry of raging notes that Yngwie spewed out. Vai also had Billy Sheehan and Tony MacAlpine in his band, and a guy named Mike Wiener, a Philly native, on rhythm guitar. His band did a fantastic stunt where all four guitar players, (Vai, Sheehan, MacAlpine, and Wiener), would pick the notes on their guitar while playing the neck of another player's guitar. Mind boggling. Vai also sang a few tunes.
Satriani was the reason I went to the show, and after Vai's fretwork, I was afraid the Satch may have fallen behind his student. I was wrong. He played with such precision and cleanliness that everyone just had this glazed, mesmerized look in their eyes while he was playing. In my eyes he really showed everyone why he IS the man. He had a much simpler set up... no keys, just a four piece, and no singing. He was also very modest, giving credit to everyone but himself.
After Satch's solo set, Malmsteen and Vai joined him on stage for the last 3 songs. During the second song it sort of became apparent that Malmsteen probably got in trouble in Kiddiegarden for "Not playing well with others". Satch and Vai were doing this really cool dual guitar thing, and Yngwie would just jump right at all the cressendos with a flurry of notes, louder than Vai and Satch combined. It made me laugh... since it was so apparent that his much-publicised ego was shining through.
What a show. I know some people going to see the show at the A.J. Polumbo center in Pittsburgh tomorrow. Hope they do it again next year. Here's what the line ups have been on this phenom. It started back in '96.
1996 - Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, Eric Johnson
1997 - Joe Satriani, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Robert Fripp
1998 - Joe Satriani, Michael Schenker and Uli Jon Roth
2000 - Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, Eric Johnson
2001 - Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, John Petrucci
2003 - Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, Yngwie Malmsteen
