With a mixture of excitement, curiosity, and skepticism, I looked forward to another G3 show. After all, Joe and Steve have never let me down. But Yngwie? I've heard his stuff of course, but I've never been tempted to lay down my hard-earned cash. It always sounded like all flash and no substance. But I digress...Or do I? Yngwie's set was impressive (Wow, he can play really fast!), silly (how many times is he going to spin his guitar around?), pretentious (is that "classical" music I hear? Big deal.), boring (oh no, not again, didn't he just play this song?) and finally-- annoying (most of the time, especially during the encore/jam portion of the show, the part that has always been a lot of fun on previous tours! Good song selections (two of Jimi's and one of Neil's) but YM ruined 'em all with his hotdog b.s.!

Oh well...Joe was solid as usual -- fun and tasteful and funny. Steve surprised me with some new stuff (and a KILLER "For the Love of God"); it might be the best I've ever heard him.

Maybe Yngwei should consider opening for Weird Al; he could warm up the crowd with his comedy. My favorite part of his set was when the keyboard player told the audience to notice his vintage Marshall stacks and his 1967 Strat. That was supposed to be funny, right? Or was it just sad?

I told my wife when I got home that the experience that night was like a dream. It didn't seem real to me. I have spent many years listening to Joe, Steve and Yngwie on tapes and CDs, but this was the first time I saw them play live. I was completely blown away. I arrived a little late, so we didn't see all of Yngwie's set. I loved what Steve did with the 3 neck. I haven't seen anyone else post and describe it this way. On one of the songs, Steve started by playing rhythm by himself. All that time he was recording what he was playing. Then he switched from recording to playing back what he just played, and he played a guitar lead along with the playback. That was amazing! I had a little bit of a hard time hearing what the first song was that Steve played after the 3 neck songs. The sound was too loud and distorted where I was standing. But, the songs after that, I could hear crystal clear. I was speechless when he started playing "For the Love of God". I love that song, but it was 1000 times better live, seeing Steve play it.

I thought I was going to pass our when Joe came on stage. It was the moment I had been waiting for the past 10 years. His sound was fantastic. I loved hearing Satch Boogie, Crystal Planet. I have to admit that I started to cry a little when he started playing "Flying in a Blue Dream" because it is one of my favorite songs. I just couldn't believe I was seeing and hearing it live, being in the same building with Joe playing it. I was also blown away by "Always with You, Always with Me" which is another of my all time favorite songs, but everything Joe plays is my favorite.

I just have to say, thank you Joe for your music. I has meant more to me over the years than you could ever imagine. You are an inspiration to me and my guitar playing. Thanks Steve for your music. I don't have as much of your's yet, but I am working on getting more of your CD's. Thanks to both Steve and Joe, not just for your music, but for the people that you are, even when you are not playing.

I also really enjoyed Yngwie. I feel that he was a great choice for this years G3. When I heard there was going to be a G3 I was ecstatic that Yngwie was going to be there. I was not disappointed.

Thank you for a great evening.

Just want to start out by saying that Chicago does have the best fans in the US...makes me wonder why they have to attend shows in such shitty venues. The riv is great, if you're in the front 3 rows (rows ? ha...packed in like sardines)of a section...otherwise you're stretching to see a fretboard all night. And get to stand for 4 hours is a nice feature as well. How bout some air too ? Nice that Steve sat down for the 3 neck, about 100 people not in the balcony actually got to see anything. Nice ghetto to walk home thru too...

as far as the show, nice to see a crowd actually get Yngwie. they were cheering mightily. Yngwie, how bout keeping the band on stage & playing more songs, less noodling. "Little Savage", "Evil Eye" anything woulda been nice. AND STOP WITH THE LOUD NOISE AT THE END OF YOUR SOLO...it was lame in 1986

steve, another bad choice of setlist...no Attiitude SOng, House on fire, Shy Boy...come on. Great band, how about a solo tour one of these years !!!!!! and you DIDN'T play the Riv with Zappa, it was the Uptown down the street.

Joe, you kick ass buddy.

As usual Chicago gets ripped off with only 3 jam songs instead of 4...typical

Hmm, seems like the other's have given you a rather complete summary of what happened in the Chicago gig (see other reviews). In that case I will say what I felt about the show. I've watched the 1996 G3 DVD thousands of times and it still amazes me everytime I watch it. To me, G3 is like a distant dream. And to be able to see a G3 is a dream come true. It was so special, almost magical and truly an experience of a lifetime. I have seen Joe and Steve before. Both on solo tours. I would have seen Yngwie too, but he cancelled his show last minute last year. This year, G3 makes up for everything. Actually, it gave me even more! All three of them at once! It meant so much to me, to be able to see live, three of the best (and fastest!) guitarists on this planet.

Since it was my first time seeing Yngwie (I don't have any of his CDs), I didn't really know what to expect from him (except for the neo-classical style of course). So Yngwie was an eye opener for me. He's amazingly fast and I like some of his music. Very powerful and energetic. He was (as usual) over confident and played around a lot. ie. swinging his guitar around, throwing it up, spinning it around and even tearing the strings out one by one! He kicks his picks out to the audience and has probably gone through at least 30 picks.

Steve was exactly what I expected- a surpisingly good show. He has that magical touch he puts in all of his shows, always surprising you with something up his sleeve. Amazing skills displayed through his 3 neck guitar and his amazing band. Beautiful melody and a master of skills. Very versatile and fun to watch when the 4 of them (band members) played each other's guitar necks.

Joe was simply amazing. Seeing him play live was like entering another dimension- one that he can surrund you with that special Joe touch. Believe me, the ambience was like a fantasy. Seeing Joe perform through Chromeboy was the best thing. He also came out with a orange-y red guitar with blue flames. Such a cool looking guitar! I listen to Joe's music so much that I was afraid that I would get sick of it. But seeing Joe play live just made me like his music even more!

Then came the G3 jam. Truly amazing. From the reviews I read from earlier shows and comparing them to this show, all I can say is that the 3 of them have definetly improved and grown together. As usual, Joe and Steve had a telepathical link between them. But Yngwie wasn't that bad too. The 3 songs were a great choice and brought everyone and the show to the climax. The solos were great (though at one point, the 3 of them sorta lost it when nobody was playing for a few seconds!) Well, luckily, Yngwie came in to fill the space and Steve just waved his hands in horror! At one point, Steve imitated Yngwie kicking one of his picks to the crowd! The G3 jam was a show that displayed the skills of each player, the differences between them, but also the similarities and the magnificent performance of the 3 of them collaborating.

The acoustics of the Riviera was wonderful. All of the instruments could be heard clearly without any overpowering. Maybe it worked for me because I had earplugs on. 1) it won't 'overdrive' my eardrums to a point where all the sounds become muddy and 2) it protects my ears!! I wasn't in the front row, but I had a clear view because I was further back on a raised level that made me the same height as the performers on stage.

It was great. Each band was amazing. Thank you so much Joe, Steve, Yngwie. I want you to know how much this means to me. Thank you.

the show was amazing. i got a black tour shirt and two vai cds (the new archives volumes 3 and 4 which were autographed before they were sold to us). general admission fricking RULES for places like the Riviera Theater.

yngwie was jumping around, flipping his guitar around his body, throwing it a few feet up in the air, and displaying ninja-like proficiency with tossing picks into the air and doing standing sidekicks to them to send them upwards of my estimated fifteen feet into the crowd. he was really playing the part of the showman tonight.

vai's performance is so ambient, so soulful, so...filling. it's amazing to watch and to listen and to just be there as it's happening. the climax of his set is one of the most astounding display of emotion and sonic expression that i have ever bore witness to in person.

satch trumped everyone in terms of a great rock n' roll show. lots of talking to the crowd between songs, lots of jokes ("wait...i just realized that this beautiful guitar doesn't match the shirt i have on"), and even a medley. he's such a force when he's playing and is a delight to watch.

then came the jam. joe introduced yngwie to come out then vai. they opened with yngwie starting and singing voodoo child (slight return) and traded off. i have to say that i think yngwie's leads fit the best over this one. he's a huge hendrix fan and always manages to do great covers of a few jimi tunes at all of his shows. then came little wing. vai was the *lead man* for this one; basically he started the song and sang. satch's solo blew everyone else away on this song as far as i'm concerned. at one point during the song, the bassist (not stu hamm for once, which was a bit upsetting to me and my friend who went) put on a hardhat for the jam and yngwie snuck up behind him and started rubbing the guitar neck on his head as he was harmonizing with vai. it was hilarious. to cap it all off, my dream tour of guitar players did my absolute favorite song by my absolute favorite artist and performer -- rockin' in the free world by neil young. satch started it off, everyone traded off solos after the second verse and at a certain point it grew into a slower, more brooding jam. the magnificent three harmonized in a truly odd-sounding manner but by no means bad. just...like i don't think it was standard 5ths or 3rds or anything. i don't know, but it was awesome. they returned back to the third verse, chorus, then jammed the hell out of the end. by the very last portion, yngwie put his guitar over vai's head and vai reached up with his pickhand and started tremolo-picking one of yngwie's strings while at the same time pulling off some sweet legato lines; while that was going on yngwie was helping satch cap off the song and bringing the show to a close.

the show finished up about 11:00 p.m. my friend and i hung out outside and across the street from the riviera theater over by the tour buses. after about an hour yngwie came out and signed our tickets. he didn't stick around outside, though. he had his wife/manager bring stuff to him inside the bus in increments of whatever they could handle. i put in my ticket stub. one guy brought an ibanez guitar and yngwie wrote "PLAY FENDER ~YNGWIE J. MALMSTEEN" and we all thought that was the absolute right there, man. (i met the guy with the guitar later that night and satch signed it saying "PLAY WHATEVER YOU WANT! ~JOE SATRIANI") another hour goes by and it looks like they're all set to leave, when STEVE VAI himself crosses the street and walks down the sidewalk. he stopped and talked to us and the few others that hung out long enough to wait. he signed my ticket stub and is just a truly awesome human being. he has a presence to him, no mistake about it; a kind of unearthly earthiness if that makes any sense at all.

i was born last night and i nearly died last night. this has been one of the most surreal nights and experiences of my life, so i thought i'd share it with you all. if you can make it to the G3 tour date in your area, i suggest you ALL go. my one regret is not being able to meet or talk to satch after the show because i couldn't find him or his bus outside. yngwie popped out and crossed the street, vai walked through the street but satch (like the sleek demon that he is) somehow got past. oh well. thank you for the show, joe. thank you.

-dan salisbury

I first saw Yngwie in '84 w/Alcatrazz, then solo in '86, and haven't seen him since. I only own one album by him- his first, Rising Force. Tonight, I had NO problem with him whatsoever. He's doing the same thing Ritchie Blackmore would be doing now if hadn't gone all minstrel in the gallery on us. Sure, he throws out a lot of picks. People like souvenirs. Big deal. Sure, he’s put on a few pounds. Most people have in the last twenty freaking years. I know I have. Besides, I give a rat's ass about his belly. I saw Mountain in '74. Did I care Leslie West gave the scale three spins? No! And if Yngwie does play drunk, he can still outplay 75% of the competition. Most of the night Yngwie was on. He sounded sloppy a FEW times, most noticeably on acoustic. His sound wasn't that great, too much high end and volume, which, ironically, I usually like! Kinda like Deep Purple live, circa '72. LOUD! My only complaint was that he relegated his band to the sidelines too much. Half of his 50 minute set seemed like he was the only one onstage! That, and his keyboardist’s attempt to get the audience to applaud for Yngwie’s guitars and amps! Ahem, no. Other than that, no problem.

Now, on to little Stevie Vai. I don't think I've missed him since the Sex & Religion tour in '93, and David Lee Roth before that in '86. This is undoubtedly his BEST band ever! Tony McAlpine smoked, Billy Sheehan ALWAYS smokes! I liked the way he nonchalantly walked out to open the show with the tripleneck. "Juice" was great, as was "FTLOG." Now...DUMB QUESTION- which song did they do the routine where they played each other's necks? Was it "The Reaper" or "Get The Hell Outta Here"? I don't think it was a song from a proper album. Best BAND of the night!

Now, Joe Cool. Period. Not sure how he wears that sock cap all night, but it sure seems to work for him! I didn't hear ANY bad riffs all night. Granted I was in the balcony rafters, but he had the best sound of any of the three bands. No real surprises, just perfection as always. No offense to Matt, but I did miss Stu, tho’, He did have a funny line about Yngwie. He threw out a pick and said to the band "I gotta bring more picks!" Best SOUND of the night! !

The encore was great. Yngwie's "Voodoo Chile" was one of the highlights of the night, as was "Little Wing", though I think Yngwie stepped on one of Steve's lyrics. "Keep On Rockin'" was pretty good, though I liked "Goin' Down" a bit better last time, but they can't repeat. If they could, they’d still be doing "My Guitar Wants To Kill Your Mama!" No “La Grange” this time. Wonder how often they’re doing that one?

So, GREAT show all around, as always. No complaints, other than the venue (?) policy of allowing disposable cameras only. If you’re more than five feet from the stage, those are a waste of time :(

Loved the show as always. Sort of sick of the G3s though only in the sense we end up with such a short set of Joe himself.

But in this case, it was clearly worth the entire price of admission (and last night it was rather low, let me add--THANKS JOE!), just to hear that last jam where Joe thrashed and shredded his way through the best rendition I have ever heard of Neil Young's "Rockin' in the Free World."

Gosh I hope that shows up on a live CD somewhere... :-)

I'm Out, BRAD in CHICAGO