Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Photos: Aleš Podbrežnik
Location: Vienna / Gasometer / Austria
Concert date: 09.02.2016
Attendance: 4500
Vienna’s Gasometer was bursting at the seams this time, because a show by the legendary Toto is hardly an event that rolls around every year, which means real music connoisseurs couldn’t miss it at any price. So it came as no surprise that the crowd included plenty of people from the countries that grew out of the former Austro-Hungarian Empire. Besides the locals, you could spot a few seriously fired-up Slovenes, and there were Croats and Hungarians too. Toto are simply a one-of-a-kind live attraction that still delights old and young music fanatics alike, even though the crowd has been dominated for some time by people who are, physically speaking, well into their golden years, but still young at heart. The American champions of melodic rock, who are in truly phenomenal form right now, treated us that night to an outstanding setlist, in which, as expected, songs from the current studio album »Toto XIV« (2015) took up a sizable share. That record gave the band a major boost, since it came out at just the right time, when they were at an important crossroads in their career. With it, the new Toto successfully proved to themselves that they can still make a record on par with their biggest successes from more than twenty-five years ago.
Toto opened the show with the »Toto XIV« energy catalyst »Running Out of Time«, which sent the crowd into delirium in an instant, before the eternal classics and unforgettable hits even got their turn. Despite the respectable age of its four core members, Toto remain incredible instrumental perfectionists, while the superb vocal lines are still shared, seasoned as ever, by all four of the ‘old cats’: lead singer Joseph Williams, guitar grandmaster Steve Lukather, and the two keyboard wizards, David Paich and Steve Porcaro. Porcaro took over lead vocals that night on the (unexpected) »Bend«, which originally came out as a bonus track on the Japanese edition of the current studio album. Keeping the rhythm for the seasoned foursome were Shannon Forest, who confidently took his place behind the drum kit after the departure of the unforgettable Simon Phillips and his short-lived successor Keith Carlock, longtime live percussionist Lenny Castro, and the cult returnee on bass, Leland Sklar, who came back to help out after the (renewed) departure of original Toto bassist David Hungate.
Longtime fans were especially thrilled by the return of the all-round ‘Christmas tree grandpa’ Sklar, whose bushy gray beard radiated a special charisma from a mile away, while he played all kinds of bass lines with incredible precision and tightness the whole time. Backing vocals for the four Toto veterans were once again handled by Mabvuto Carpenter and Jenny Douglas Foote, who did their job with distinction and earned the roaring ovations they got from the crowd. Mabvuto ‘rescued’ the still very good Joseph Williams vocally more than once, and Williams, in turn, was good-naturedly competing with Lukather and Paich over who would squeeze the most stage charisma out of themselves that night. Jenny Douglas Foote first really shone during the classic »Georgy Porgy«, where she masterfully took over lead vocals for a while, and in general it’s hard to imagine a modern Toto show without her vocal assistance. We didn’t have to wait long for bravura renditions of the classics, either, as Toto and friends soon delighted us with an outstanding version of »I’ll Supply the Love«, while we especially enjoyed »Stranger In Town«, which, given the relative neglect of the album »Isolation« (1984), is always more than welcome on the setlist.
»Hold the Line«, which usually turns up toward the end, was played very early this time, while all the couples in love in the hall got their fix with the romantic classic »Pamela«. Williams, who had the passionate vocal backing of the enthusiastic crowd the whole time, sang it in a truly splendid way. Lukather, who of course didn’t forget to put on a dapper little shirt, was in superb spirits on guitar, pulling elaborate and subtle solos out of his ‘sleeve’. As for spirits, the same could be said of the other eight musicians on stage that night, since every one of them put their absolute maximum into the show. Paich’s keyboard solo spot was, as expected, in a class of its own and a real feast for the ears. The good-natured keyboardist, who in his old age increasingly resembles comrade Stane Dolanc, would surely do himself a favor by hiding his new ‘hipster’ hairdo under a top hat for as long as possible. One of the highlights of the evening was without a doubt the closing track from the new album XIV, »Great Expectations«, which featured a motif from »Can You Hear What I’m Saying«. This time Toto picked »Bridge of Sighs« for the cover, a classic by cult British blues rock guitarist Robin Trower (ex-Procol Harum), which was a fun twist on the evening and into which Lukather injected a killer solo. On top of that, it was lovely to see during the show that Toto didn’t forget to pay tribute to the recently departed bassist Mike Porcaro, who said his farewell to his loyal fans for good last year.
One of the bigger surprises of the night was definitely the performance of »The Road Goes On« from »Tambu« (1995), while »Holy War« and »Orphan« pointed to the excellence of the current studio album, which can easily stand next to the ‘golden years’. The American masters of melodic rock closed the main set with the big hit »Rosanna«, which of course can’t be missing from any show, even if Lukather had a bit of trouble with its vocals this time: the years pass in silence. The encore, which we didn’t have to wait long for, began with a fun medley, »On the Run / Goodbye Elenore«, into which they skillfully slipped a short motif from »Child’s Anthem«, while the grand finale was pretty, pretty predictable, but nobody present was bothered by that. Quite the opposite. It’s truly incredible what kind of euphoria Toto’s biggest hit »Africa« still sets off in the crowd after all these years, and at the end of the show they always stretch it out well past its usual length, with hefty vocal support from the warmed-up audience. Even though Toto have played it ‘countless times’, they still enjoy themselves immensely during it, which couldn’t be said for some other cult bands of their generation, who play their biggest hits through gritted teeth, and only so the loyal crowd doesn’t ‘lynch’ them. As always in cases like this, the Toto fun was over too fast, even though the show was really neither too short nor too long, but lasted just the right amount of time to follow it attentively from start to finish.
Toto age like fine wine – the older they get, the better they are. Well, at least instrumentally that certainly holds true on every level, while the vocal magic, with the help of extra backing forces, isn’t fading any time soon either and is right on the money. There’s no need to stress the superb sound, since such sonic perfectionists leave nothing to chance. At the Gasometer we got exactly the sonic perfection we’d hoped for, the kind that only Messrs. Lukather, Paich, Williams and Porcaro can conjure up with their instruments and vocal cords, plus their crew of sidekicks, who spoiled us from start to finish with a superb show that will stay with us in the fondest memory for a long time. Toto have reached the stage where any show could be their last, so we fans know to appreciate every chance to still see them live, whenever a good opportunity comes up, all the more.
Setlist
1. Running Out of Time
2. I’ll Supply the Love
3. Burn
4. Stranger in Town
5. I Won’t Hold You Back
6. Hold the Line
7. Georgy Porgy
8. Afraid of Love
9. Bend
10. Pamela
11. David Paich (keyboard solo)
12. Great Expectations
13. Without Your Love
14. Bridge of Sighs (orig. Robin Trower)
15. Holy War
16. The Road Goes On
17. Orphan
18. Rosanna
—encore—
19. On the Run / Goodbye Elenore
20. Africa
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