Please post your review of the show here. Steve and the band love reading your reviews.
Please do not post in this thread if you did not attend the show.
Jeroen
vai.com
REVIEWS: 27 SEP 2007 - PHILADELPHIA, PA
Did you attend this show at the Keswick Theatre in Philadelphia?
Please post your review of the show here. Steve and the band love reading your reviews.
Please do not post in this thread if you did not attend the show.
Jeroen
vai.com
Please post your review of the show here. Steve and the band love reading your reviews.
Please do not post in this thread if you did not attend the show.
Jeroen
vai.com
The Show was awesome guys!
It had everything a vai fan could ask for, even a little James Brown impersonation.
Although there were some problems with Steve's rig in the beginning, it was worth waiting a few minutes to hear the result.
I had a great time at the Ibanez Dayz event the day before at George's Music, and the show tonight just blew me away.
Ryan
It had everything a vai fan could ask for, even a little James Brown impersonation.
Although there were some problems with Steve's rig in the beginning, it was worth waiting a few minutes to hear the result.
I had a great time at the Ibanez Dayz event the day before at George's Music, and the show tonight just blew me away.
Ryan
The show was simply amazing. Steve is all about the music, not ego. He let the other guitarist do an entire song! Class act. The violinsts were great...and one of them was even pretty 
. The entire band was very tight, and it looked like they were having fun.
Steve's playing was great, and even though he plays these songs all the time, it still sounds fresh, like he enjoys playing them. Even more than the music, he just comes off as a really good guy.
I've been a die hard Satriani fan forever. My friends always talked about Vai, but I never took the time to listen to the music. This was my first Vai concert, and now I have to go and buy all the CD's.
The Keswick is a great venue and I hope he plays there again. He said he was 47....he doesn't look a day over 35.
. The entire band was very tight, and it looked like they were having fun.Steve's playing was great, and even though he plays these songs all the time, it still sounds fresh, like he enjoys playing them. Even more than the music, he just comes off as a really good guy.
I've been a die hard Satriani fan forever. My friends always talked about Vai, but I never took the time to listen to the music. This was my first Vai concert, and now I have to go and buy all the CD's.
The Keswick is a great venue and I hope he plays there again. He said he was 47....he doesn't look a day over 35.
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Woollybugger
- Newcomer
- Posts: 9
- Joined: Sat Feb 19, 2005 1:20 pm
I can't be upset at Vai for trying new things and staying fresh. You could also tell that the musicians were giving it 110% up on stage and having fun.
That being said, I seriously miss the old band (last 3 tours). I've become so accustom to seeing Vai on stage with his right hand man, Billy Sheehan on bass, and McCallphine and Weiner on guitar.
Well, Dave was on stage, but he was never used more than an average backing guitar. The two violins were OK, but I paid to see guitar shredding and when there were 3 guitars on stage as in past, there were some intense jams. Last night was week. Crying machine was lame especially without Billy. It sounded flat. The bass player was a no talent hack compared to Billy Sheehan. Billy compliments Steve....this guy did nothing of the sort other than take up stage space. The bass player for Mark Wood was much better. Bring back Billy, or Stu or Galen....someone that compliments Steve.
Jeremy Colston was awesome as usuall, but leave the traveling circus drum kit at home next time. Stay on your kit behind Steve...much better sound.
After trying to be a comedian (Steve stick with the guitar) and fairly boring setlist, the show finally started getting good the last 1/2 hour. This is when Steve started playing guitar. At this point I was already done with the show.
If you're gonna bring the violins along, then go all the way and use the entire orchestra. Otherwise, stick with the guitars.
Steve, you rarely dissapoint, but tonight was far from inspiring.
The Keswick was a far better venue than the Trocadero, which we had to squeeze into 3 years ago. Keep on rocking Steve. I'm sure to be there next time your back in town.
Overall a 3 star night out of 5.
That being said, I seriously miss the old band (last 3 tours). I've become so accustom to seeing Vai on stage with his right hand man, Billy Sheehan on bass, and McCallphine and Weiner on guitar.
Well, Dave was on stage, but he was never used more than an average backing guitar. The two violins were OK, but I paid to see guitar shredding and when there were 3 guitars on stage as in past, there were some intense jams. Last night was week. Crying machine was lame especially without Billy. It sounded flat. The bass player was a no talent hack compared to Billy Sheehan. Billy compliments Steve....this guy did nothing of the sort other than take up stage space. The bass player for Mark Wood was much better. Bring back Billy, or Stu or Galen....someone that compliments Steve.
Jeremy Colston was awesome as usuall, but leave the traveling circus drum kit at home next time. Stay on your kit behind Steve...much better sound.
After trying to be a comedian (Steve stick with the guitar) and fairly boring setlist, the show finally started getting good the last 1/2 hour. This is when Steve started playing guitar. At this point I was already done with the show.
If you're gonna bring the violins along, then go all the way and use the entire orchestra. Otherwise, stick with the guitars.
Steve, you rarely dissapoint, but tonight was far from inspiring.
The Keswick was a far better venue than the Trocadero, which we had to squeeze into 3 years ago. Keep on rocking Steve. I'm sure to be there next time your back in town.
Overall a 3 star night out of 5.
First and foremost what made it awesome was the fact that my wife, who is a huge Vai fan, and I took our 4 year old to his first concert... He woke up this morning asking when we were going to see him again... Needless to say he loved the show... How couldn't he since I was playing soothing Satch and Vai songs to him while he was in his crib as an infant.
I agree with the comments made above... Boy I missed Billy and Tony... However the musicians that Steve picked out where awesome. The violins were a very nice edition.
He played several jams off Alien Love Secrets and one of my favorite Vai songs, Tender Surrender. Great song! Although I really missed For The Love Of God, which you might be tired of playing by now... We'll have to wait for it the next time around.
Great show, thanks Steve and company
I agree with the comments made above... Boy I missed Billy and Tony... However the musicians that Steve picked out where awesome. The violins were a very nice edition.
He played several jams off Alien Love Secrets and one of my favorite Vai songs, Tender Surrender. Great song! Although I really missed For The Love Of God, which you might be tired of playing by now... We'll have to wait for it the next time around.
Great show, thanks Steve and company
I went to the show last night and my biggest disappointment was the crowd. Anyone who attended the show last night should be ashamed of themselves. When Vai hit the stage, I saw 3 three people, including myself, stand up and cheer for the greatest guitar player on the planet. I bought tickets for a rock concert, but felt like I walked into a movie theater. Shame on you, Philadelphia!!! 
I am sure Steve felt the lack of energy in the crowd and I honestly felt that was the reason he walked off stage in the middle of Juice(?). The rig sounded fine to me. It was the crowd that didn't sound right.
I am pretty sure Vai just mailed it in last night, due to the lack of enthusiasm in the crowd.
With that now off my chest, I thought the show was great. The violins were a great addition. Ann Marie is a babe and really played beautifully. Alex is just awesome and I thought he blew Mark Wood off the stage when they had their little mini duel at the end of the show.
We rushed the stage for the encore and the crowd finally got into the show. Too little too late in my opinion.
Anyway, thank you Steve for a great night and, on behalf of all Philly Vai fans, sorry for the lack of enthusiasm. You certainly deserved more than we gave you last night.
Peace out.
I am sure Steve felt the lack of energy in the crowd and I honestly felt that was the reason he walked off stage in the middle of Juice(?). The rig sounded fine to me. It was the crowd that didn't sound right.
I am pretty sure Vai just mailed it in last night, due to the lack of enthusiasm in the crowd.
With that now off my chest, I thought the show was great. The violins were a great addition. Ann Marie is a babe and really played beautifully. Alex is just awesome and I thought he blew Mark Wood off the stage when they had their little mini duel at the end of the show.
We rushed the stage for the encore and the crowd finally got into the show. Too little too late in my opinion.
Anyway, thank you Steve for a great night and, on behalf of all Philly Vai fans, sorry for the lack of enthusiasm. You certainly deserved more than we gave you last night.
Peace out.
I definitely think the crowd could have been better as well. My husband and I were in row GG and my husband gets very into concerts, being a musician himself, and people around us seemed annoyed with his enthusiasm – it didn’t make sense. But in defense of the crowd not coming up until the end, I had a center aisle seat and they weren’t letting anyone move forward or stand in the aisle; at the end everyone rushed and there was nothing to be done, but anytime someone tried to move forward earlier in the show they were ushered back.
Also, I’ve seen a lot of shows at the Keswick and this seems to be a normal occurrence there. I saw Queensryche do a killer show to a crowd that mostly sat. It’s almost like the intimacy of the theater makes people feel they should be sitting respectfully or something.
As for Steve’s gear, we could definitely tell there was a problem with his sound. The guitar tech spent a lot of time playing with it before the show so I suspect there was a problem early on (the opening band also had problems with the bassist’s sound, possibly related?), and I definitely noticed the difference when he returned to the stage. There should have been harmonics in what he was playing and that clearly didn’t happen the first time around.
That being said, the rest of the show was great. I rather respect Steve for not always traveling with a big-name backing band. I don’t know what his reasoning is for doing so…maybe wanting to give young talent more exposure, maybe just enjoying trying something new, but it’s a-okay in my book.
Dar
Also, I’ve seen a lot of shows at the Keswick and this seems to be a normal occurrence there. I saw Queensryche do a killer show to a crowd that mostly sat. It’s almost like the intimacy of the theater makes people feel they should be sitting respectfully or something.
As for Steve’s gear, we could definitely tell there was a problem with his sound. The guitar tech spent a lot of time playing with it before the show so I suspect there was a problem early on (the opening band also had problems with the bassist’s sound, possibly related?), and I definitely noticed the difference when he returned to the stage. There should have been harmonics in what he was playing and that clearly didn’t happen the first time around.
That being said, the rest of the show was great. I rather respect Steve for not always traveling with a big-name backing band. I don’t know what his reasoning is for doing so…maybe wanting to give young talent more exposure, maybe just enjoying trying something new, but it’s a-okay in my book.
Dar
WOW! So he did do For the Love Of God... We left as he was finishing Liberty thinking it was over... Usually I don't do that but 11:30 for my 4 year old was pushing it...
Cometboy... you were in a theater. I'd have to disagee... I've been to more Joe Shows, Vai, G3, etc... then I can count. They are pretty much the same. There is a whole lot of respect for the musicians there. But it's not like going to a big arena... Thank GOD! It's also why I felt comfortable taking my 4 year old to the concert.
Cometboy... you were in a theater. I'd have to disagee... I've been to more Joe Shows, Vai, G3, etc... then I can count. They are pretty much the same. There is a whole lot of respect for the musicians there. But it's not like going to a big arena... Thank GOD! It's also why I felt comfortable taking my 4 year old to the concert.
To Jem01 :
Understood. I have also been to more Vai/Joe shows than I can count and have been to the Keswick before. I know what to expect at these venues. The crowd last night was uninvolved and asleep, in my opinion. I understand the whole respect factor and I want quiet around me when Steve is performing, so I can concentrate on his every note. But there is also an appreciation factor and that definitely was not there last night.
Anyway, that's just my opinion. We're all entitled. I'll go away now.
Does anyone else have an opinion on this subject? I'd love to read it.
Still waiting to hear about the EVO experience.
Thanks
CB
Understood. I have also been to more Vai/Joe shows than I can count and have been to the Keswick before. I know what to expect at these venues. The crowd last night was uninvolved and asleep, in my opinion. I understand the whole respect factor and I want quiet around me when Steve is performing, so I can concentrate on his every note. But there is also an appreciation factor and that definitely was not there last night.
Anyway, that's just my opinion. We're all entitled. I'll go away now.
Does anyone else have an opinion on this subject? I'd love to read it.
Still waiting to hear about the EVO experience.
Thanks
CB
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molgolsonden
- Member
- Posts: 97
- Joined: Fri Feb 18, 2005 2:00 pm
I had a blast !!! Never saw Steve so loose and having so much fun onstage. Wonderfully fresh and exciting performance !!!
I have been a Vai fan for years. I never saw him in concert and I actually got tickets to last night's show from a neighbor who didn't even know who Steve Vai was and had mentioned it to me that he had tickets for it.
I never was at the Keswick either so last night for me was quite an adventure! I liked the Keswick a lot because of the following:
1. It was not in down town philthadelphia where parking is a pain in the butt, people are ignorant, and for all we know with how things are going, you might have gotten mugged or shot on the way to the venue. The town the Keswick was in was clean, nice, and had a very homey feeling. Parking was easy and there was no trash in the streets. Even my boyfriend, who had never been to the Keswick either said that he'd rather go to a show like the Vai show last night at the Keswick then go to something down town in Philly.
2. The sound quality in the Keswick was just amazing!
3. I liked the fact that there were seats to sit in that leaned back. You could really relax and enjoy the show. I hate going to a show where i have to stand around for hours and i can't sit down. It's even worse if it's so crowded you can't even move.
4. The people at the Keswick were super friendly and nice. Whether it was getting a beer or having someone show me to my seat, I felt a warm presence at this place that made my experience with Vai and Wood awesome.
I see everyone on here is saying the crowd was dead. Well I don't know where you were sitting but I was in row DD center and everyone around me was having a blast. On MANY occasions people stood up and clapped, we cheered, gave Steve the horns numerous times and even shouted out stuff when it was quiet so he could hear us and to let him know "you rock!". I didn't see anything wrong with the crowd at all. If you want a crazy rowdy concert, go see Slayer. Vai just doesn't come off as having his show play out that way. How I expected the show to be is exactly how it was. I'm used to going to heavy shows like Opeth or Lamb of God. After last night, I'd rather see more shows like the one Vai and Wood put on. My ears weren't ringing when I left, i didn't have beer spilled on me by some drunk moron, and some of the visuals combined with the music made me feel like I was high when the show was over. Awesome. Vai's fans were there last night at his show...maybe they weren't like how you remember from a past show, but we showed him our appreciation and enjoyed his wonderful talents on that stage. I would not hesitate to get a ticket if Vai comes back.
And yes it was cool to hear a good amount of songs from Alien Love Secrets which is one of my favorites. I cheered when I recognized them!
I thought all of the musicians in both bands were jaw dropping. Every song just sucked you in and their stage presence was very energetic. I already am planning to see the Trans Siberian Orchestra on December 8th in Philly to see if i can catch Mark Wood again. Just amazing stuff!!!
Great job everyone! Come back to the Keswick soon! And another thing, why is everyone saying that the Keswick is "philadelphia" when it clearly is NOT. It's Willow Grove. ???
I never was at the Keswick either so last night for me was quite an adventure! I liked the Keswick a lot because of the following:
1. It was not in down town philthadelphia where parking is a pain in the butt, people are ignorant, and for all we know with how things are going, you might have gotten mugged or shot on the way to the venue. The town the Keswick was in was clean, nice, and had a very homey feeling. Parking was easy and there was no trash in the streets. Even my boyfriend, who had never been to the Keswick either said that he'd rather go to a show like the Vai show last night at the Keswick then go to something down town in Philly.
2. The sound quality in the Keswick was just amazing!
3. I liked the fact that there were seats to sit in that leaned back. You could really relax and enjoy the show. I hate going to a show where i have to stand around for hours and i can't sit down. It's even worse if it's so crowded you can't even move.
4. The people at the Keswick were super friendly and nice. Whether it was getting a beer or having someone show me to my seat, I felt a warm presence at this place that made my experience with Vai and Wood awesome.
I see everyone on here is saying the crowd was dead. Well I don't know where you were sitting but I was in row DD center and everyone around me was having a blast. On MANY occasions people stood up and clapped, we cheered, gave Steve the horns numerous times and even shouted out stuff when it was quiet so he could hear us and to let him know "you rock!". I didn't see anything wrong with the crowd at all. If you want a crazy rowdy concert, go see Slayer. Vai just doesn't come off as having his show play out that way. How I expected the show to be is exactly how it was. I'm used to going to heavy shows like Opeth or Lamb of God. After last night, I'd rather see more shows like the one Vai and Wood put on. My ears weren't ringing when I left, i didn't have beer spilled on me by some drunk moron, and some of the visuals combined with the music made me feel like I was high when the show was over. Awesome. Vai's fans were there last night at his show...maybe they weren't like how you remember from a past show, but we showed him our appreciation and enjoyed his wonderful talents on that stage. I would not hesitate to get a ticket if Vai comes back.
And yes it was cool to hear a good amount of songs from Alien Love Secrets which is one of my favorites. I cheered when I recognized them!
I thought all of the musicians in both bands were jaw dropping. Every song just sucked you in and their stage presence was very energetic. I already am planning to see the Trans Siberian Orchestra on December 8th in Philly to see if i can catch Mark Wood again. Just amazing stuff!!!
Great job everyone! Come back to the Keswick soon! And another thing, why is everyone saying that the Keswick is "philadelphia" when it clearly is NOT. It's Willow Grove. ???
He did look like he was having a good time! I loved his facial expressions and at times he would have such a huge smile on his face.molgolsonden wrote:I had a blast !!! Never saw Steve so loose and having so much fun onstage. Wonderfully fresh and exciting performance !!!
I loved this concert! Steve is an amazing performer. As for the Venue it was great, personable, intimate. No matter where you sat you saw Steve. What's great is he does it his way doesn't sell out. I know we missed the old players but out with the old in with the new.
HOWEVER! Philly fans!
Steve deserved for us to just go a little crazy and we didn't, it's not a tool concert where the annoying kid next to you won't stop singing(my son). I couldn't stop moving but the two next to me didn't even tap their feet. They loved his performance! To each his own I guess? And for the love of god the song is named accordingly. Amazing.
Bravo! Mr. Vai! Happy Birthday to a guitar god!
HOWEVER! Philly fans!
Steve deserved for us to just go a little crazy and we didn't, it's not a tool concert where the annoying kid next to you won't stop singing(my son). I couldn't stop moving but the two next to me didn't even tap their feet. They loved his performance! To each his own I guess? And for the love of god the song is named accordingly. Amazing.Bravo! Mr. Vai! Happy Birthday to a guitar god!