Joe Satriani - home > show review

Joe Ruckus (Joe Ruckus)	Wed Oct 22 '03 Riverside Theatre Milwaukee, WI, US	Rank: 9	Posted: Tue Oct 28, '03 4:52 am
What a fantastic show. This was my first time seeing Yngwie and he was awesome! I have many of his CD's (of which I like Trilogy and Seventh Sign the most), so it was a real treat to see him. He sounded great, played great, and put on a show. The people that fault him for being stuck in the 80's are the kind you can't please no matter what you do. He put on a real show for the crowd, smashing a guitar and throwing pieces into the audience, kicking picks into the crowd, whipping his hair around, ripping strings off his Fender, playing with his leather clad ass cheeks... It was great! He didn't introduce his band, but who cares! He is Yngwie, he is a VIKING! Even if he bothered introducing his band, you could barely see his dwarf bass player. To quote a friend : "His bass player has the uncanny ability to play the same note anywhere on the bass!" I'm not sure if his sound was bad or if he couldn't reach the other notes... I think had the blond queer eye for the straight guy playing keyboard for him. It was nice of him to introduce Yngwie's Marshall stacks to us also. I wonder if he has individual names for them... Then Steve Vai came out and sat down with his 3 neck guitar. He had to send it back twice to have it tuned up, which was kind of funny. His set was awesome! He blazed away, with and without other members of his band. The 4 way guitar circle jerk thing was pretty cool too. FTLOG is a masterpiece, worthy of any guitar music hall of fame... Steve sounded great too. My only problem with Steve is the stupid handle on his guitar. Handles belong on the case, not on the guitar. It's not like he caries it by the handle either... I just picture what Yngwie thinks - "You have song about Bad Horsie but no songs about fighting dragons. You have handle on your guitar. You are fired, along with your 'Alien' teacher. We will call this the G1 tour, I am YNGWIE and you are not!" I thought that after Steve I would be let down by Joe, but I was wrong. He blazed on his songs. He had a really cool new paint job with a snake on the back. You'd think he would put a chicks mouth or a huge set of jugs on the back... I own many Satch cd's and I listen to them all of the time. His tone was great, his playing was great. In the 3 way jam he out Yngwied even Yngwie. Steve was in the middle making goose sounds or something like that. Maybe it was a tribute to Hunting Season... Over all it was a great show. I even got a high-five from one of the 4 chicks in the audience - which has got to be like 25%!
bubbasmoothe	Wed Oct 22 '03 Riverside Theatre Milwaukee, WI, US	Rank: 8	Posted: Mon Oct 27, '03 11:26 am
Yngwie is a guitar god. He's a master. And he proves it on this tour. I've seen Yngwie 4 times prior to this...I saw him at TA Vern's in 94. Did an interview with him after soundcheck. I asked him to sign a CD for a friend (Joe Ruckus above), and told Yngwie to sign it "to the guy who taught me everything I know about the guitar." Yngwie laughed, asked what kind of guitar my friend plays and I told him a Gibson SG. Yngwie commented, "so your friend is not very good?" Then he asked if I played, I told him I do, but that "I'm no Yngwie." He walked me out to the stage, turned on his rack, plugged in the guitar, handed it to me and told me to play. About 2 measures in, he grabbed the neck of the guitar and said, "You're right. You are no Yngwie." Anyway, back to G3 2003...Yngwie kicked ass. I was surprised he had no vocals in his set, other than a few mumblings. Yngwie sounded great, but his band was very buried in the mix. Highlight was when Yngwie played with the symphony track. That was awesome. Yngwie, never cut your hair! I've seen Steve Vai 3 times prior to tonights show. The first time was at the Young Auditorium at UW Whitewater in 93. Best show I've ever seen. Tonight did not disappoint. Only wish was that Tony MacAlpine would have been a little more in the mix, and played more guitar and less keys. Heck, Tony could be the 3rd on a G3 tour. And Billy Sheehan is a bass ace. Gotta love Billy! Joe. I've seen him 4 times prior to tonight. The first 2 times (Flying and Extremist) were great shows. On the tour for his self-titled cd, I found his show to be boring. Also saw him on a later tour which was ok. But tonight, Joe was ON! Joe played all the songs with amazing accuracy and emotion. It reminded me of the first 2 times I'd seen him. I agree that Yngwie is not much of a team player. He is ALWAYS the lead man in his band--vocalist should be in the background in his solo band. It's no wonder he walks all over the others on occasion. Based on other reviews, it sounds like he's finding his "place" in the jam more and more each night. Yngwie throws his guitar around like a play thing. Joe and Steve seem to respect the instrument more than Yngwie, however, I fell Yngwie treats it like an animal needing to be tamed. Steve was the most "background" player of the 3 during the jam. Would have loved to see Steve really take on Joe and Yngwie. I feel Steve is probably the best player out of the 3. Yngwie can not do what Satch does, Joe and Yngwie can not do the unique things Steve does, but Steve is certainly capable of shredding a la Yngwie, and playing melodies a la Joe. Overall, a great show. I wouldn't have attended with any other lineup. I'd always wanted to see the great 3 on stage together, and now I have.
bird311	Wed Oct 22 '03 Riverside Theatre Milwaukee, WI, US	Rank: 9	Posted: Mon Oct 27, '03 7:07 am
This show was absolutely amazing! Yngwie was playing faster than I previously believed humanly possible. He probably could have done just fine with about 8 less amp/speaker cabs. Maybe we could've heard some of the song underneath his playing then. He is quite the showman though (I bet he goes through 200 picks each show). I respect his ability, just not my cup of tea, though. Then there's Steve. Wow. This was my first time seeing him and definately was not let down. His whole band just smoked! Despite equipment problems (he explained at the meet -n- greet that his off-stage harmonizer was on when it shouldn't have been, so everything was sounding a minor 3rd higher than it was supposed to) he played an inspired and inspiring set. "FTLOG" is still one of the most beautiful songs ever written. Joe, Joe, Joe. This is my third time seeing Mr. Satriani. He is still the only player that makes me simultaneously want to quit playing guitar (I'll never be able to come close) and re-double my practice regimen. The man never EVER makes a mistake. He plays the songs note for note, and I mean that in a positive light. I look at Joe's approach to lead work not so much as soloing, but as him playing melody lines. Lines that are so integral to the song that it would be a travesty to change them. My hat is off to you, sir. Finally, the jam. The song choices were perfect and well executed. You could tell which players of the 3 have played as backing musicians before, and who's used to being the center of attention or nothing. Anyow, I loved the show. Thank you for an evening of sheer ecstacy.
dement (george robertson)	Wed Oct 22 '03 Riverside Theatre Milwaukee, WI, US	Rank: 10	Posted: Sun Oct 26, '03 3:07 pm
An unbelievable concert as i would give it an -11- if i could. It could not have been any better. I would rank the show in -4- parts as the best was the jam at the end with the-3- , second best was Joe, third was Yngwie and last in preference was Vai. JOE was the best I ever heard as the sound was awesome. The selections he did were not my favorites but he played them so great that I was in awe. The other -2- were good but when JOE played it was like "night and day'' as noone in this universe plays like him.His sound and mix really crisp as "Extremist"' and ''Always with me,always with you'' stood out. Yngwie a pleasant surprise as I did not expect much after reading earlier reviews. His speed great as had a lot of charisma and great songs. Vai too technical . His ""For the love of God"" and "Whispering Prayer"were good though. The jam was awesome as "Little Wing" was the best when all -3- played together at the end. A STARRY NIGHT that had me FLYING IN A BLUE DREAM to a CRYSTAL PLANET around MIDNIGHT with SATCH BOOGIE.......
peegeelee (Pierre Lana)	Wed Oct 22 '03 Riverside Theatre Milwaukee, WI, US	Rank: 10	Posted: Sun Oct 26, '03 11:27 am
OOOPS, SORRY, WRONG DATE... WAS MEANT FOR 2003-10-24 Nothing to add to other reviews. That is the 4th time I see G3 (2x in Zurich, 1x in NY), but it is for me the best configuration I have seen so far (did not see G3 with Eric J. though). Great show, great venue, great public. Did anybody out there wrote down the songs played last night? Wanted to do that but forgot. If there is anybody that can help, pls write to pierraldine@hotmail.com. TX G3, thanks for the show and emotions. Peegeelee
Visionary (John Dzurick)	Wed Oct 22 '03 Riverside Theatre Milwaukee, WI, US	Rank: 9	Posted: Sat Oct 25, '03 8:02 am
Overall an excellent show. Guitarmageddon. Little more Yngwie than I needed, just the right amount of Steve and not quite enough Joe again. 1st time I've seen Yngwie and Steve. Loved the guitar work, but could do without the Yngwie antics. Something about a middle aged guy with a gut in leather acting like a Rock & Roll animal that looks a little rediculous. It's entertaining for about 10 minutes, then kinda silly. Steve and band were great. Nice to finally hear him live. Sometimes his music gets a little more bizarre than I can get into, but still a great player to listen to. Joe's set was awesome, almost perfect if he would have done Raspberry Jam. (Sirach, thanks for the set list, I was sure about 8 out of 9) I love the way Joe is always smiling and just having a good time groovin' away up there. He doesn't act like he's the best guitar player that ever existed, even though he is. This is the third time I've seen him live and seen him play Midnight and it still amazes me. The 1st time was for the Surfing tour at Billy's Old Mill on 76th and Coldspring. Anyone else remember that or go to that show? So Joe , I really enjoyed the show this year and last year with Dream Theater, (Those guys are amazing musicians as well, and the intensity is awesome), but please come headline for us sometime and play a longer set (including Raspberry Jam). Thanks
nothwind (chris noth)	Wed Oct 22 '03 Riverside Theatre Milwaukee, WI, US	Rank: 10	Posted: Fri Oct 24, '03 7:17 am
i thought this was the best guitar show i've seen..and i've seen a lot. All the player's were tearing it up..the jam was unreal..... all the stops were being pulled out...very nice to meet joe and steve...they seem like very nice guys...i wonder why yngwie does'nt do meet and greets...i bet he's busy doing other things
bird	Wed Oct 22 '03 Riverside Theatre Milwaukee, WI, US	Rank: 9	Posted: Thu Oct 23, '03 9:39 pm
Joe and Steve were great, but I could've lived without yngwie. HIs style just didn't seem to fit in well. He always seemed to be trying to be the focus of attention or better than he is. Overall it was a great show though. The sound in the Riverside is always great and the mix was perfect. The choices for the jam songs were some of the best yet. But there was this one guitarist who jsut seemed out of place during the jam.(yngwie) I'm not saying he isn't a talented musician, but he acts like he is rock god. There was no need for all the showboating and throwing of guitars, this wasn't a Winger concert. So the show was great, but just like the shirt read on front "Yngwie Who?", is how it will always be. Sorry to the fans of Yngwie. please don't take this personal.
Shredbred (Danny Fitzgerald)	Wed Oct 22 '03 Riverside Theatre Milwaukee, WI, US	Rank: 10	Posted: Thu Oct 23, '03 5:10 pm
Man what a great show, I knew it would be with a lineup like there was, those three just blew my mind into a thousand pieces. It started off with Yngwie, he came out and opened right up with evil eye, it was so crazy and i'll never forget it, he was faster than I've ever heard him before it was absolutly insane. He did have some showman tricks like playing behing his head, playing while a fan held the guitar, and breaking a guitar he could get the audience into the music that much. But it was still excellent. When Steve came out first he was having some techniqueal difficulties and had them throught his act. But right from the start hegot the audience into it and you could feel his emotion, he also had some pretty neat tricks like playing with his tongue, having Dave play lead on 1 neck of the triple neck while he played rythmn on the top neck. He was the only one who i had never seen or heard live, to be honest I thought he would be the worst one there, but after 2 or 3 songs I realized that he was doing a awsome job and he really impressed me to the fullest. I was really glad he played Get the Hell Out of Here, it's such a great song and it was performed perfectly. All in all I would have to admit that Steve did have the best performance becasue he was so emotional and because he had the best band there. Next was Joe who did play a great show but wasn't as emotionally intact with the crowd as Steve was. although he did have a great performance and a great band his performance was as exciting to me as Steve's or Yngwie's. It might have been because he doesn't improvise near as much as the ohter two and i really like improvising because it gives you somtething completely different from the album. I was also kind of bummed that he didn't play SWTA but he did do a great job on Midnight which is one of my favorites. Last they all came out and played three songs which were awesome because you could hear the three greatest guitar players in the world intertwining their styles together. It was also great that they all got along together and it looked like they enjoyed themselves. Thanks guys for the greatest show I've ever seen.
ajsmitty	Wed Oct 22 '03 Riverside Theatre Milwaukee, WI, US	Rank: 10	Posted: Thu Oct 23, '03 4:29 pm
The show was incredible! Yngvie put on a great performance. It was the perfect set list. I can't believe posts that trash the guy. If you can't appreciate this guys talent, then you have no concept of musicianship. Although the mix wasn't real good, I enjoyed Steve's set as he is an amazing guitarist. Joe played very clean all night. I really liked his set list as well. I thought Voodoo Child in the jam session was awesome. The show was definately worth the price of admission.
skawttieboy (Scott Conrad)	Wed Oct 22 '03 Riverside Theatre Milwaukee, WI, US	Rank: 10	Posted: Thu Oct 23, '03 2:52 pm
Greatest G3 show I've been to. I was right up againist the stage. Getting within breathing distance of Yngwie, as well as getting pieces of his guitar, and his picks -- really great to finally see him in concert. However, I personally felt that Joe had the best tone BY FAR for the night. Working with the new Peavey amps...wow...it just sounded incredible. Nothing againist Steve, he sounded great as well, but Satch was just sooooo clean. It was my 5th time seeing Joe live, and this had to be his best sounding one. GREAT CONCERT!
Dizzy (Pravin)	Wed Oct 22 '03 Riverside Theatre Milwaukee, WI, US	Rank: 10	Posted: Thu Oct 23, '03 1:46 pm
Superb Show all the way around!! The performances were fantastic! The best part was meeting Joe and Steve at the aftershow meet and greet! They were both very nice and they signed as many things as they could. Thanks to Joe and Steve for the sutographs and the pictures!.. Also, thanks to Joe for answering my questions about "Midnight" and "Mystical PHGT"..it was great to talk to such a talented and down to earth legend!
alawish	Wed Oct 22 '03 Riverside Theatre Milwaukee, WI, US	Rank: 10	Posted: Thu Oct 23, '03 12:52 pm
Cant say anything that hasnt been said so far but i really enjoyed this show,All 3 were on top of their game.My favorite part of the show was the jam at the end,unbelievable!Please come again!
ffrenchmen	Wed Oct 22 '03 Riverside Theatre Milwaukee, WI, US	Rank: 8	Posted: Thu Oct 23, '03 11:58 am
The show last night at the Riverside was great! As I was watching I couldn't help but to be teleported back into memories of great rock and roll tours of the past! Like the time when I saw Steve Vai play lead in David Lee Roths band on the Eat'm and Smile tour at the Cow Palace in San Francisco. Cinderella was the opening band. Or one of the three previous times I've seen Yngwie Malmsteen and watched in horror as he walked off stage twice before the show was over because the crowd wasn't loud enough or he was displeased with something his band had done! It was kinda neet to see that you can still buy an "Yngwie Who" tour shirt and really freak people out. Although it was my first time seeing Joe play live I must say he lived up to all of my expectations. As I'm listining to him play I think back to the first time I ever heard one of his songs on the radio. At that time Motley Crue, Cinderella, Poision, and the rest of the hair bands were big and along comes Joe out of nowhere with something totally different and has kept his focus on really good music and scarificed doing what was popular. I was great to see that he still has this focus. Yea, the crowds are smaller, the venues are smaller, but the music is better. I'm glad all three came to Milwaukee together and gave real music fans something to see! My only regret is that you have to walk away missing all of the songs that there was just not enough time to play! Thanks again Joe for a great night even if it seemed to short! P.S. It was cool to see that Yngwie never cut his hair!!! Thanks, Art
daddyjam (larry watt)	Wed Oct 22 '03 Riverside Theatre Milwaukee, WI, US	Rank: 10	Posted: Thu Oct 23, '03 11:01 am
Sorry about the poor etiquitte that I used in my last review. I typed in all capitals because I "was" shouting at you, I am still sitting in front of Yngwie's five Marshall Stacks in my fourth row seats. So please read the review for what it is. Thankyou.. DADDYJAM :) :)PEACE
nozlman (Mark Hamilton)	Wed Oct 22 '03 Riverside Theatre Milwaukee, WI, US	Rank:	Posted: Thu Oct 23, '03 9:14 am
Just a request from a fan who likes to read the reviews. I know that some people get very excited about the shows, etc. please, do not write in all caps. It hurts the eyes to read it and its bad computer etiquette. would you sit across from someone and yell at them when telling them about something? No. Thanks for listening.
Sirach (Jim Sielaff)	Wed Oct 22 '03 Riverside Theatre Milwaukee, WI, US	Rank: 10	Posted: Thu Oct 23, '03 8:33 am
Great, Great Show! Yngwie was his usual over-the-top, outrageous self. He must have thrown about 100 picks to the crowd thru the night. Steve was eclectic and fantastic. He looks like Richard Belzer while he's wearing his blue-tinted glasses (and that's a compliment...great comedian). He assembled quite a band. I'd like to see them more. It really made my night to hear him play "For The Love of God" as his last song in the set. JOE was as incredible as ever. What can I say about Joe, I don't have the words. His newest guitar from Ibanez looks like "a snake that's on fire." G3 - A great 4 hour show. See it! SATCH SET: Satch Boogie, The Extremist, Crystal Planet, Starry Night, Midnight, Flying In A Blue Dream, The Mystical Potato Head Groove Thing, Always With You, Always With Me, extended Summer Song.
mickey16550	Wed Oct 22 '03 Riverside Theatre Milwaukee, WI, US	Rank: 10	Posted: Thu Oct 23, '03 12:22 pm
GREAT show, especially for the price. Yngwie smoked it. Steve was mesmerizing with a great band and Joe showed why he's the master. See these guys together if you can. You won't regret it.