Joe Satriani
Vienna (Wien) / Wiener Stadthalle – Halle F / Austria
Saturday, 8 April 2023, at 8:00 pm
(please scroll down the bar for an English version)
Joe Satriani has finally made it to Europe. On his third attempt. No need to guess why anymore. The last time he played in Europe before this was at the end of July 2018, in Greece. That’s when he put out “What Happens Next”. Fast forward five years. To the present. In that gap, the guitar god recorded and released two new albums. The first, the all-round magnificent “Shapeshifting” (2020, RockLine review), was at moments deeply nostalgic. Joe drew on some old archived ideas he’d been sitting on since the ’80s. Last year he followed it with “The Elephants Of Mars” — the guitarist’s 18th studio album (RockLine review), where he brilliantly wove the sounds of the old days that underpin his distinctive artistry together with tricks and curveballs he hadn’t tried before in his career — which is confirmation that this legendary guitar genius and musical grandmaster shows no signs of slowing down in inspiration or creative ambition.
Joe Satriani! We’ve finally got him back live. It’s eight in the evening. The bell rings for a second time inside Vienna’s Wiener Stadthalle — Halle F, which packs in 2,000 people, and everyone quickly scurries to their seats. An exemplary packed venue. In fact, it’s actually a good thing the concert wasn’t completely sold out. Satriani’s Prague show the day before had been cancelled, so that evening Vienna copped a full-blown wave from the Czech Republic — a flood of Satriani’s Czech devotees. The stage goes dark and the quartet formation with the guitar commander, joined by long-time brilliant bassist and musical artist Bryan Beller, the no less versatile drumming prodigy Kenny Aronoff, and keyboardist (and auxiliary guitarist) Rai Thistlethwayte — the very team that recorded the latest studio album “The Elephants Of Mars” with Satriani — roll up their sleeves and blast straight into the Shapeshifting track Nineteen Eighty. The ’80s put Satriani’s career on the map! And that’s exactly where Joe fired us off right from the opening.
Describing a Satriani concert by dissecting it track by track is a losing game. From the very first second, the very first note struck, this man sets up a brilliant platform for an unforgettable show, a party, a concert sensation you won’t forget in a hurry. Playful, upbeat, in a great mood — same as always. The years just don’t stick to him. At 66 and a half he moves through every single moment like a 20-year-old kid, winning you over with the sincerity of everything he does across two hours of concert escapades. As expected, he came out swinging with material from the last two albums. Fair enough — he hasn’t had a chance to present them yet, definitely not in Europe. A new Ibanez, the body painted with the artwork from the latest album. Orange-purple. Stunning beyond compare. The sound is cranked up to the max. Satriani turns into a full-on metallic little devil the moment he hits the stage. No skimping on decibels. The sound is excellent. We were sitting right in the middle of the hall — the sweet spot as far as sound goes. The band in fantastic spirits, just like their boss. The mileage in their fingers is astonishing, and so is their versatility. It’s well worth looking into the musical journeys of each member of Satriani’s backing band on this tour. Genuinely jaw-dropping stuff.
Before Ice 9, Joe stopped and addressed the audience emotionally — for the first time that night — saying he was overjoyed to finally play in Europe again after three years: “For you!” That single sentence sealed the deal with the hall. Brilliant energy. A brilliant set list. The quartet was loving every second of it, and Satriani made no secret of his great mood. He shared grins with the crowd more than once; the unfolding of events cracked him up on several occasions, especially in moments where the band drifted into experimental territory and the ritual passages of jazz-rock fusion. Watching the quartet communicate was a joy in itself. The gestures, the unspoken shorthand. When Satriani approaches from right to left and signals to Aronoff in the middle with nothing more than a facial expression — conveying what amounts to: “I’m going to extend the song’s outro with one more solo” — and everyone gets it instantly. Routine for these musicians; for us laypeople, utterly fascinating. Because, hand on heart: Satriani is a kind of guitar deity. Whatever he does on stage is, in the eyes and ears of his audience, pure gold. That’s how deeply they value and respect him.
Satch split the show into two parts. Both ran well over an hour each, balanced between material from the last two albums and the iron-clad classics. Those last two albums alone made up nearly half the repertoire. Can you guess which album took third place in the running order? The one that put Satriani on the world map in the ’80s — “Surfing With An Alien”, of course. The second half was naturally the more exciting, which makes sense: a concert has to build. The always-brilliant Flying In A Blue Dream had its own chapter, joined in the first half by the practically mandatory Ice 9 from the older catalogue, alongside Crystal Planet and the closing “Extremist” treat Summer Song. But it was clear that Joe was saving the sweetest stuff for part two.
Part two opened surprisingly with a drum solo by Kenny Aronoff, intercepted by the “What Happens Next” track Energy and the newest E 104th St NYC 1973, followed by a second solo spot — this one belonging to keyboardist Rai Thistlethwayte. Then Cool #9 wakes the audience right up! After that, sweet minutes belonged to the throes of jazz-rock fusion and detours into the wide-open spaces of experimentation (Ali Farka, Dick Dale, an Alien and Me). After the tender Teardrops comes a surprise from the “Joe Satriani” album (1995): Luminous Flesh Giants. After that, the atmosphere is kept at a remarkable level by the warmly satisfying If I Could Fly from the gorgeous “Is There Love in Space?”. The perennial hit Always With Me, Always With You heralded the grand finale. The crowd finally came fully alive with all their passion, and Satch and company poured fuel on the fire with the quietly anticipated Satch Boogie, bringing the regular part of the evening to a close.
Anyone who’s never been to Halle F might not know that the venue (on a slight incline) is almost entirely filled with seats. The most fired-up fans sprinted to the front the moment the regular part of the concert ended — right down to the floor in front of the stage, where there are a few metres of space before the first row of chairs. The most entertaining of the lot was definitely a two-metre-tall guy who’d made the trip from the Czech Republic wearing Joe’s original guitar strap around his neck and the newest concert tee. He planted himself right in front of Joe’s mic stand and was absolutely vibrating with the trance that all those emotions and passions had sent him into. He wasn’t alone in that. And that’s something. The years pass and the audience has aged along with them — but for all that, they’re every bit as wild as they were 35 years ago (and more), when all those loyal supporters and generators of great energy in Halle F first claimed Satriani as their own back in their teenage years.
Satriani and the crew came back and ignited the overheated crowd with the perfectly handy “Super Colossal” (2006) track Crowd Chant, which had everyone doing a mass singalong workout. No show is complete without a proper closing act, and Satriani used the occasion to put the spotlight back on the most important album of his career — “Surfing With An Alien” — launching into the title track with the band. So the grand finale was upon us. And amid one more unforgettable display of Satriani’s solo monstrous brilliance, the band just couldn’t bring themselves to leave. They could have wrapped the song up, but instead they extended it with a bluesy closing section that brought the two-hours-and-twenty-minute gathering to a colossal end.
Unbelievable. It’s over. And truly — Satriani and the band just couldn’t bring themselves to leave the stage. The guys kept saying their goodbyes, over and over. Satriani looked genuinely moved at the end. It obviously meant the world to him to be able to come back to Europe for a concert tour again. And that’s exactly what his performance showed — every single second of it. Satriani is having the time of his life. Pure and simple. No deeper philosophy needed. The enjoyment. The letting go. And above all, the joy. All of it flows out to the audience. Into a sensation that lasts over two hours — one that takes hold of you, sweeps you away, seduces and enchants you, and conjures up a world all of its own. A musical world crafted by the one and only guitar machine-gunner, his musical excellence Joe Satriani. As said: after all these years, the man operates not just youthfully — on stage he leaves a trail of smoke behind him, a seasoned showman with no shortage of mileage or routine, who still charms with a note of genuine sincerity (not to waste words on his legendary performance perfection), which is, of course, everything — and the most he can give his audience.
Authors: Aleš Podbrežnik & Edita Klemen
Photos: Aleš Podbrežnik
English:
Joe Satriani has finally made it to Europe. On his third attempt. No more guessing why. The last time he played in Europe before this was at the end of July 2018. It was in Greece. That’s when he released the album “What Happens Next”. Fast forward five years. To the present. In that interval, the guitar god has recorded and released two new albums. The first one, the all-round wonderful “Shapeshifting”, was also very nostalgic at times. On it, Joe used, among other things, some old archive ideas that he had kept there all the way back to the 1980s. Last year he followed it up with “The Elephants Of Mars” – the guitarist’s 18th studio album, where he perfectly harmonised the old days on which his distinctive artistry is based with some tricks and pranks he hasn’t tried yet in his career, which is just a confirmation that the legendary guitar great and musical grandmaster is never stopping in his inspiration and creative ambition.
It’s 8pm. The bell rings for a second time and people quickly scurry to their seats. An exemplary packed venue. In fact, it’s a good thing the concert wasn’t a complete sell-out. Satriani’s Prague show the day before had been cancelled. So that evening, Vienna got a lot of visitors from Czech Republic. A flood of Satriani’s Czech followers. The stage darkens and the quartet formation with the guitar master, accompanied by the long-time, otherwise brilliant bassist and musical artist Bryan Beller, the no less versatile drumming prodigy Kenny Aronoff and the keyboardist (and auxiliary guitarist) Rai Thistlethwayte, roll up their sleeves and hit the “Shapeshifting” gem called Nineteen Eighty. Beller, Aronoff and Thistlethwayte, creates a team who recorded the last studio album “The Elephants Of Mars” with Satriani.
It’s hard to describe a Satriani concert by dissecting it song by song. Simply, right from the first second of the concert, the first note struck, this man establishes a brilliant platform for an unforgettable show, a party, a concert sensation that you will never forget. Quirky, cheerful, in a great mood. The same as always. The years don’t cling to him. At 66 and a half, he acts at every moment like a ’20-year-old stallion’, buying you in with the sincerity of all the acts of his two-hour concert escapades. As expected, he has hit the ground running with the material of his last two albums. Fair enough. He hasn’t had a chance to present them yet. Definitely not in Europe yet. The sound is extremely winding. Satriani does not skimp on the decibels. The sound is excellent. We were sitting right in the middle of the hall. The sweet spot as far as sound is concerned.
Brilliant energy. A brilliant set list. Satriani was in great shape and mood. He shared smiles with the audience several times. It was great to observe the quartet’s communication. The gestures, the tics of communication. When Satriani came up from right to left and Aronoff in the middle and indicated with a facial expression what he would otherwise have meant: “I’m going to extend the exit of the song with one more solos”, and everyone understood it in an instant. This is routine for these musicians, but for us laymen it is fascinating. Because, hand on heart. Satriani is a kind of guitar deity. What he does on stage is actually gilded in the eyes and ears of his audience. He is so highly valued and respected by his audience.
Satch divided his performance into two parts. He balanced them with material from the last two albums and adding some classic gems. The last two albums made up almost half of the repertoire. The second part was of course more interesting, which makes sense. The concert performance has to be stepped up. In first part of the concert brilliant Flying In A Blue Dream made its stump. From the older gems there was already mentioned and somehow obligatory Ice 9. Here’s Crystal Planet and the closing “Extremist” treat Summer Song. But one thing remained clear. Joe was saving the sweetest things for the second part.
This surprisingly started with a drum solo by Kenny Aronoff, intercepted by “What Happens Next” track Energy and “The Elephants Of Mars” E 104th St NYC 1973. Another solo followed. This time by keyboardist Rai Thistlethwayte. Cool #9 wakes the audience! After that, the ‘sweet’ minutes belong to the throes of jazz rock fusion and escapes into the vastness towards experimentation (Ali Farka, Dick Dale, an Alien and Me). After the light-hearted Teardrops, the surprise of the album “Joe Satriani” (1995) follows! Luminous Flesh Giants. After it, the atmosphere is kept at an exceptional level by the very pleasant integration of the beautiful “Is There Love in Space?” item If I Could Fly. The iron hit Always With Me, Always With You heralded the grand finale. The crowd finally came alive with all their passions and Satch and his company added fuel to the fire with the quietly awaited Satch Boogie, bringing the regular part of the concert to a close.
Many fans left their seats and ran to the front of the stage as soon as the regular part of the concert was over. Satriani and his crew returned and fired up the overheated heads with the powerfully convenient “Super Colossal” (2006) track Crowd Chant, which got the attendees doing the family gymnastics. There is no concrete final act and Satriani used the occasion to put the spotlight back on the most important album of his career, “Surfing With An Alien”, and to tackle the album’s title track with the team. So we have entered the grand finale. And with another unforgettable manifestation of Satriani’s solo ‘monstrosity’, the team couldn’t and didn’t say goodbye. Indeed, they could have finished the song when they extended it for a bluesy closer, bringing the two-hour-and-twenty-minute-long gathering to a colossal conclusion.
Is it over? Unfortunately. Guys somehow just couldn’t get off the stage. Satriani was moved in a way at the end. It obviously meant a lot to the man to be able to come to Europe again for a concert tour. And that is exactly what his performance showed. Every second of it. There is no other philosophy here. This enjoyment. This letting go. All this is transmitted to the audience. Into a sensation that lasts over two hours, that takes you over, carries you away. Seduce and enchant and brings you into a world of its own. A musical world according to the recipe of the one and only guitar machine-gunner. His musical excellence Joe Satriani. After all these years, he still charms with a note of sincerity (not to waste words on perfection of performance), which is, of course, everything and the best he can offer to his audience. Thank you Joe! Till the next time!
Authors: Aleš Podbrežnik & Edita Klemen
Photos: Aleš Podbrežnik
Setlist:
1. Nineteen Eighty
2. Sahara
3. The Elephants of Mars
4. Ice 9
5. Thunder High on the Mountain
6. One Big Rush
7. Blue Foot Groovy
8. Flying in a Blue Dream
9. Spirits, Ghosts and Outlaws
10. Faceless
11. Crystal Planet
12. Summer Song
—15-minute intermission—
13. Drum Solo
14. Energy
15. E 104th St NYC 1973
16. Keyboard Solo
17. Cool #9
18. Ali Farka, Dick Dale, an Alien and Me
19. Shapeshifting
20. Teardrops
21. Luminous Flesh Giants
22. If I Could Fly
23. Always With Me, Always With You
24. Satch Boogie
—encore—
25. Crowd Chant
26. Surfing With the Alien
