We have created a special reviews thread on our Vai.com Message Board to hear your thoughts and feedback on the new album. Click here to visit the special thread.

2,500 random copies will contain a satin pass that will admit the purchaser into any one (1) meet & greet aftershow on Steve's upcoming Sound Theories tour. This aftershow pass is not valid without a concert ticket - aftershow pass holder must purchase their own ticket to the show. Terms and conditions apply. Instructions appear on the satin pass - all winners should read them carefully.

This deluxe digipak version of the album will NOT be available in stores. It can only be purchased through this website.

CLICK HERE TO PRE-ORDER THE LTD. EDITION DIGIPAK!

In the coming days, we will make EVO Premium Experience passes available as a ticket UPGRADE - meaning that you can buy EVO Experience passes, but you need to buy a regular ticket to the show through Ticketmaster or associate ticketing agencies. As this UPGRADE EVO ticket will not include a regular ticket to the show, it will be slightly cheaper, however, you will not be admitted to the venue without a regular ticket which you will need to show at the time you are checked in at the EVO Experience at the venue at 3:30pm.

For Europe, EVO remains on sale for all venues, and includes a ticket (with the exception of Ingolstadt and Paris.)

We will be launching our EVO Experience ticket sale for MOSCOW soon...

Volume I features Vai playing guitar with the Orchestra, which has earned worldwide acclaim backing artists ranging from Mike Keneally, Terry Bozzio, Tony Bennett and Natalie Cole to Nancy Wilson and the Yellowjackets. Together they bring new life to both existing and never-before-heard Steve Vai songs, including "For the Love of God," "Liberty," "The Murder" and "Attitude Song," among others.

Volume II features the Orchestra performing compositions penned by Vai, including “Shadows and Sparks” and “Bledsoe Bluvd.”

Says Vai, “I wanted to be a composer ever since I was a young boy. Though the guitar fell into my lap and my fingers were glued to the instrument, I studied composition and musical notation long before I even started playing the guitar. Through high school, college and beyond, I kept up my studies but the prospect of getting your music performed by an orchestra when you're only considered to be an over-the-top electric rock guitar shredder seemed virtually impossible. To be able to hear your music performed is the greatest gift a composer could hope for. This was a dream project for me.”

The full track listing for both discs is as follows:

Disc One - Sound Theories Vol 1: “The Aching Hunger”
1. Kill the Guy with the Ball
2. The God Eaters
3. The Murder Prologue
4. The Murder
5. Gentle Ways
6. Answers
7. I'm Becoming
8. Salamanders in the Sun
9. Liberty
10. The Attitude Song
11. For the Love of God

Disc Two - Sound Theories Vol 2: “Shadows and Sparks”
1. Shadows and…
2. Sparks
3. Frangelica Pt 1
4. Frangelica Pt. 2
5. Helios and Vesta
6. Bledsoe Bluvd.

A yet-to-be-titled companion DVD featuring highlights from the performances will be released on August 21.

Stay tuned to Vai.com in the coming days to find out how you can pre-order a limited edition deluxe digipak version of the album - available only through this website...

Also newly available is the new Classic Albums DVD feature on the Making of Apostrophe(') and Over-Nite Sensation. This fascinating DVD includes interview contributions from Steve and footage of Steve with the Zappa Plays Zappa band playing “Peaches En Regalia.”

You can order Buffalo here, and the Classic Albums DVD here.

Click here to check it out.

The Celebrity Online Scholarship Program is designed to reward and assist outstanding online students who demonstrate superior academic performance studying in their online Certificate Programs at Berkleemusic. The student recipients of each Celebrity Online Scholarship will receive an award of $1,250 to be used towards paying their tuition and helping them achieve their goals. A total of $80,000 in scholarships will be awarded to Berkleemusic online students annually.

For more information on the scholarship program, click here.

CLICK HERE TO BUY EVO PREMIUM EXPERIENCE TICKETS

Sep 07 - Phoenix, AZ
Sep 08 - Las Vegas, NV
Sep 09 - Anaheim, CA
Sep 10 - San Diego, CA
Sep 11 - Los Angeles, CA
Sep 12 - San Francisco, CA
Sep 14 - Portland, OR
Sep 15 - Seattle, WA
Sep 16 - Vancouver, BC
Sep 19 - Minneapolis, MN
Sep 20 - Milwaukee, WI
Sep 21 - Chicago, IL
Sep 22 - Royal Oak, MI
Sep 23 - Toronto, ON
Sep 24 - Buffalo, NY
Sep 25 - New York, NY
Sep 27 - Philadelphia, PA
Sep 28 - Sayreville, NJ
Sep 29 - Atlantic City, NJ
Sep 30 - Alexandria, VA
Oct 02 - Albany, NY
Oct 03 - Hartford, CT
Oct 04 - Boston, MA
Oct 05 - Providence, RI
Oct 06 - Westbury, NY

At this time, it appears likely that EVO Premium Experience tickets will be available for ALL shows on the tour.

Visit the Vai.com Tour Dates page for more information, and keep checking back for on sale dates and EVO Premium Experience tickets.

We'll be going on sale with EVO Premium Experience tickets for this event on Monday April 16 at 8:00pm local time (BST.) Regular tickets will go on-sale soon. Check back for more information about that in the coming days.

Steve will conduct an open mic discussion and Q&A about the album, jam with a local band, and meet fans for photos and autographs. The new album with be previewed, along with video from the new DVD, plus other exclusive footage.

Featuring Rob Balducci, Jeremy Barnes, James Ryan, Cereal Killer, Cory Jach Band and Doug Steele/Guitar Fight Club is hosting the jam session!!

Steve will be appearing for an autograph session, plus you'll get to check out the new Ibanez Jem 20th plus Ibanez's other new models, and meet Ibanez President Bill Reim.

For Paris and Ingolstadt shows only: As regular tickets to these shows are already on sale, EVO Premium Experience tickets are an UPGRADE to your ticket - they do not include a ticket to the show, so YOU WILL NEED TO PURCHASE A TICKET SEPARATELY.

We will be posting more details shortly, but in the meantime you can check out our EVO Premium Experience Info page (currently only in English - translations coming soon).

We also have an EVO 2007 FAQ on the message board. If you have questions, please post them there.

Also check back this week for updates and venue information for the upcoming European tour...

To help Gungi and his family cope with the significant costs of treatments, the "FRIENDS OF GUNGI" website was established with a PayPal depository where you can make a donation big of small, along with the "FRIENDS HELPING FRIENDS BENEFIT RAFFLE FOR GUNGI."

Well, I was sitting here thinking, it's been a while since I was out there with my own band playing a full show, but would it make sense to tour on an orchestra record since that's what's being released?

If I don't get out for at least a little bit now, it may not be another 2 years before I get a chance to.

What if I just do a quick stint of Europe and the US? Yeah, I'm feeling that need to get out and play for you all again....

Completed scholarship materials must be postmarked by April 27, 2007. Applicants will be notified of award by May 25, 2007.

Because tickets have gone on-sale very early for this event, we have not been able to coordinate a sale for EVO Experience Premium Tickets to coincide with the public on-sale. EVO tickets will be available as a ticket upgrade in the near future. You will need to purchase a ticket to the show through the link above separately. Stay tuned for more information as it comes to hand...

Tickets go on sale Saturday February 24, 2007. Stay tuned to Vai.com for more information as it comes to hand...

The new Jem features a hand-made clear acrylic resin body with 3D threads of color that swirl through the guitar body. When the tone knob is pulled up, the guitar glows green (this effect can be seen on the Vai.com Homepage). The tuner heads are also made of material to match the body, and crown a 5pc Jem Prestige neck with a rosewood board and pearl/abalone tree of life inlay. The body is equipped with DiMarzio Trans Jem pickups. You can see more of the guitar on Ibanez's new website.

Ibanez is also releasing a second new Jem - in black! The Jem77V is a companion of sorts to the Universe 777VBK, and features a black basswood body with pearl binding, mirror pickguard, DiMarzio Breed pickups and a tree of life inlay on a rosewood board. You can see this guitar here.