Steve Lukather, just a completely fucking insane guitarist, seriously, dude could duel Hendrix!
Okay, let me put this with one line. Steve Lukather’s concert I just got back from was easily the best concert I’ve ever gone to.
Okay, so dad and I got there about an hour before the show started. We were both hungry so dad gave me some money and I went downstairs by the bar/appetizers area and ordered my chicken wings and root beer from a lady named Dianne. She had short red hair, an angelic face, and looked quite great. She was probably in her early twenties if I had to guess. Anyways, it took a couple mintues for the food to be ready so I made conversation with her and we talked about some music, Lukather himself, Toto, Eric Clapton, and even Robert Johnson. That was pretty cool and the chicken wings were awesome.
Head back upstairs to our seats and dad and I chow down and talk, we were both amazed at how small the crowd was, the place couldn’t have been half full, it was ridiculous. Dad was even starting to wonder if Lukather would bother performing or only perform for a short time due to it.
Our stomachs kept growling so I went back downstairs to Dianne and got a brownie sundae type dessert and I talked to her once again, mainly just about how the crowd was so small and I asked her how she was enjoying her job at the place, etc etc. I’ve always thought stool seats at bar counters were a great place just to relax and talk, I’m not sure how or why, it’s just sorta right, like bread and butter.
The crowd never really did expand – Didn’t matter. Steve came out with a huge smile and he adressed the crowd warmly and with an outgoing presence that was just flat out awesome. He had other guys with him, a keyboardist who was his brother apparently, a guitarist, a bassist, and a drummer.
They played and from the very start, Lukather blew my mind away although I also noticed the drummer, who was this oversized black man in a Superman shirt, completely playing like a mad man. He didn’t even look at the drums, he had his eyes closed and shook his head as he played, just like Ray Manzarek of The Doors does when he plays! So that completely got my attention.
Song after song, I could feel my mind blowing, words can’t describe it folks, sorry, you would just have to be there. Steve could just play one string and it can sound not that loud one second but then just scream a terrific melody within seconds! It was unlike anything I’d ever seen before!! His solos, the way he encouraged each temporary band member by doing simple things such as patting their shoulders or butting heads with them to get their spirts up and encourage them, the way he talked to the crowd about his family and such, just his natural presence and smiling and such, it was all just fantastic and masterful stuff. I could see someone who was a great guitarist and great dude, I couldn’t help but feel myself just being amazed.
The drummer had me laughing really damn good too. In one part of the show, he and the keyboardist had a solo together and the drummer kept on playing and doing so many crazy styles, he was even pretending to run while hitting the drums and it was just so fucking hilarious and unlike anything I’d ever seen of a drummer! He was smiling and laughing the entire time and he was truly amazing himself, he was a hell of a drummer and hell of an entertainer! His entire shirt was just sweat drenched by the end of the show, the dude used a lot of energy and was insane. Honestly, that cat could easily put Ringo Starr or Ginger Baker to shame, no exaggeration on this. :D
The second guitarist was okay, nothing special. Although, how can you stand out when you’re on the stage with Steve Lukather? Still, the second guitarist did have a nice taste in guitars, he was playing Fender Strats and Teles, Gibson SG’s, and an Ovation acoustic. There were parts where he was off the stage as the others played, he wasn’t really needed in those, poor guy, haha.
The keyboardist was also good, he is apparently the younger brother of Steve, actually. What I enjoyed off the keyboardist was that he often jumped when he played and that was amusing and fun to watch. He was pretty cool.
The bassist was some young hispanic guy. He was okay as well, I’m sure he and all the others musical lives have changed due to that performance, probably a night he’ll never forget, it sure was one I’m not gonna forget either. :)
What can I say? Steve Lukather is a fucking God….
