Photos: Aleš Podbrežnik
Venue: The Best / Zagreb / Croatia
Concert date: 16.04.2009
Attendance: 250
Ticket price: 150.00 HRK
A club slash disco on Jarun might strike some as a pretty odd place for a rock show, but then Steve Lukather is a pretty odd guy himself. As he told Rockline in an interview, he came to Zagreb after the end of the tour at the invitation of a personal friend, Dragan (we couldn’t find out his last name), who footed the bill for everything from the plane tickets for the backing band to the promotion. The day after the official show, the legendary guitarist was supposed to play another special gig for him and his closest friends. So this was a kind of festive closing act for the Ever changing times tour, which Lukather spent the past year promoting his album of the same name.
The mood fit the occasion. Steve was in great spirits already at the afternoon chat, where we learned a few juicy details about Steve Vai and Rosanna Arquette, and on stage in the evening he loosened up even more with the help of an excellent backing band. The show kicked off with two tracks from Lukather’s first solo album Drive a crooked road, plus the energetic Twist the knife, which back in 1989 also carried Eddie van Halen’s signature next to Steve’s. Next came the title track of the album Ever changing times, where Steve was joined on guitar by his twenty-one-year-old son. The kid didn’t do badly, but it was obvious he doesn’t yet have the mileage Lukather senior had at his age. The long-haired youngster popped up on stage a few more times, and stayed longest during the twenty-minute improvisation Jammin’ with Jesus, trading a few solos with his proud dad. Before that we heard Live for today from Turn back by Toto, who recently wrapped up their long journey. Besides thanking the band he played with for almost thirty-five years, Lukather also paid tribute to their drummer Jeff Porcaro, who left us far too early, with the song Song for Jeff. This moving instrumental, where the Fernandes sustainer and the effects system designed by Bob Bradshaw let us feel the full richness of the sound of Lukather’s signature Music Man, can be found on the album Candyman. The same album also holds Hero with a thousand eyes, which Lukather closed the set with before leaving the stage for the first time.
For the encore, Cool hands Luke served up Shine on your crazy diamond, which has become a fixture of the Ever changing times tour, though his vocals made it clear he’d had one beer too many during the break. Then came the acoustic The road goes on from Tambu (Toto). Despite the slightly more “relaxed” mood toward the end, the show was enviably solid from both a technical and a sound standpoint. The superb backing band (Ricky Zahariades – guitar, Steve Weingart – keyboards, Eric Valentine – drums, Carlitos del Puerto – bass) ran like a well-oiled machine, and under the baton of a seasoned veteran delivered a sonic experience we don’t get every day. With their great energy, tightness and technical flawlessness, Lukather’s shows could easily go on the required reading list for every younger musician just starting out. Experience isn’t gained only on stage but also below it, and stars aren’t born overnight, as Steve himself might put it, but slowly, through careful and respectful study of your role models.
After the show, Lukather sincerely thanked Zagreb and the crowd packed into the swanky club not far from Lake Jarun, and announced that the Ever changing times tour was now officially over. Visibly exhausted (the show ran a full two and a half hours) but happy, he added that he’s heading back home across the pond, where his eighteen-month-old daughter, some long-awaited rest and the preparations for a new album are waiting for him. Safe travels, Luke.
Photos: Aleš Podbrežnik
Setlist
1. Drive A Crooked Road 2. Twist The Knife 3. Ever Changing Times 4. Live For Today 5. How Many Zeros 6. Stab In The Back 7. Hate Everything About You 8. Solo Keyboards 9. Song For Jeff 10. Fall Into Velvet 11. Never Walk Alone 12. Talk To Ya Later 13. Tell Me What You Want 14. Party In Simon’s Pants 15. Jammin’ With Jesus 16. Hero With 1000 Eyes —encore— 17. Shine On You Crazy Diamond 18. The Road Goes On
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