Any Satriani fans here?
I went to the Joe Satriani show in Tuttlingen, Germany, this Sunday.
Unfortunately, I didn’t win an aftershow ticket, even though only 12 people had registered for it. The show was amazing and I had a good spot right next to Joe.
I was pretty sad not to be able to meet him, though.
Boy, was I in for a treat! We were waiting at the tourbus, when Galen Henson walked up and we asked him where Joe was. He told us he’s at the hotel, taking a shower and preparing to leave. I followed the shuttle bus to the hotel and we waited there. Now one after the other, the guys came out. Matt Bissonette, Jeff Campitelli and the master himself. They were all incredibly nice, took the time to talk to us and gave autographs. We were the first to wish Joe a happy birthday, since he came out just moments after midnight. What a great guy!
Am I a lucky bastard or what?
I went to Vai’s show in Germany last year. It was great, too, but I didn’t get to meet him. Now the thing is, my brother will be moving to Illinois next month. Guess where Satch is going to be then? Right, two hours from his house.
He might not be going though, since he already spent a lot of money on this concert and he won’t have a car.
I know that performers/stars are just people, and that they have a different job than I do, yadda, yadda, yadda, but they seem to represent something more than that. So, when we meet them, it’s sort of a boost that goes deeper than ego.
And for some reason, when the notion that they “sit to shit” is reinforced by them being “nice, regular folks”, we take it with such surprise.
Oh, Satriani definitely represents more. He stands for music that is beautiful, touching and honest. Very few people stand for that, especially for such a long time.
Why should I get rid of the shirt? I made it myself a few years ago.
I met Satch at a show. My band opened for him. That was a scary gig. Though Joe was cool. I have also met Steve Morse on two occasions and he’s a wonderfully sweet man. Very gracious and cool.
I met Ozzy once as well and he, while sorta out of it, was very nice.
Once in Austin with Steve Vai and Eric Johnson and then again in Dallas with Steve Vai and Kenny Wayne Shepard. The Dallas show was great because one of my favorite local guitarists Andy Timmons sat right in front of me and then went on stage to jam with the guys!
I sorta met Satch in Tulsa, Oklahoma back 1996. At the Cains Ballroom on 423 N. Main to be precise-- yes, I do hoard all my concert tickets in a temperature-controlled vault below the Swiss Alps, er, my closet. It was one of those brief, dumbfounded, "Ummm… Hi… " things for me. Stupid starstruckedness. I have seen him in concert thrice since and will be seeing him again at the CityLights Pavillion in Denver on the 13th of August. I wonder if any other Dopers will be there?..
The following people also rule (list not necessarily exhaustive): Steve Vai, John Pertrucci, Eric Johnson, Steve Morse, Al Dimeola
In retrospect, my musing about other Dopers attending the Denver Satriani concert is a rather shameful hijack. If you do plan to attend the show and feel like talking about it, go here .
You people rule. Apple and guitar music, what more does one need?
Of course now I came up with all kinds of great questions I could’ve asked Joe. I did ask him how the name “Strange Beautiful Music” came to be, since it is already mentioned in the “Surfing…” Album. He said it’s a phrase Hendrix often used. But I am not in too much agony, since Joe was in a hurry and I didn’t really have the time to ask him any intelligent things.
He said the sound at the Fillmore is bad, which surprised me.
