show review
narada Sun Apr 30 '00
15
9:30 Club, Washington,
Rank: 10 Posted: Tue May 15, '01 9:33 pm
This was the 5th time I had seen Satch including once on the G3 tour with Eric Johnson and Adrian Legg opening. I have met him after every show with the exception of G3. At first I really had a hard time getting used to the EOC album. But after this show and seeing him do it live I loved it. I still am not a big fan of the techno sound but "Until We Say Goodbye" makes the entire album worth it. I was in the balcony above the left side of the stage right on the railing with a killer view of the whole show. This is the second time I have seen Satch at the 9:30 club. The first time was a couple years ago with Derek Trucks opening. Another great show! But that's another story. Can't wait to see G3 with Petrucci at the Warner Theater in Washington,DC on July 17th!! I will be there in the best seats money can buy!!!! Keep rockin!

fool9 Sun Apr 30 '00
15
9:30 Club, Washington,
Rank: 9 Posted: Thu May 03, '01 4:00 pm
Joe was great! I really like Jeff Campitelli at drums and Stu was excellant as always. Could have given this show a 10 but the 9:30 club is not terribly comfortable, although the sound is good. I've seen Joe perform 4 times and though the venue has never been great, the shows always have been. I really look forward to seeing G3 at the Warner in DC. One of the few area venues I've not been to.

puck Sun Apr 30 '00
15
9:30 Club, Washington,
Rank: 8 Posted: Sun Apr 15, '01 5:59 pm

Great!!! I would like to see him play and outdoor venue such as Merriweather(MD) or Nissan Pavilion(VA.) PS.

Who was the guy in the Front Row with the inflatable guitar?

bassowl Sun Apr 30 '00
15
9:30 Club, Washington,
Rank: 9 Posted: Thu Mar 01, '01 6:30 pm
Was amazing. I was front center, and I must say that I was quite impressed. Great venue to see Joe play at. Can't wait until hes back!

vindolandia Sun Apr 30 '00
15
9:30 Club, Washington,
Rank: 10 Posted: Mon Aug 21, '00 7:37 pm
Well, I must say though I had only heard the new album once (due to the lack of money 'cause I had to pay for the tickets) I was truly amazed. I am in fact a bassist, so seeing Stu, my all time favorite bassist, was a thrill, So when I caught strings singed by Stu I was, well.. more than thrilled. I am quite small, being only 13, so It was really cool that I was right up front (and had a rail to lean on!!) and wasn't crushed by any large 50 foot 500 pound madmen (not there's anything wrong with them but when they lean on you as if you're a tree it's quite discomforting) So not only was Joe great, so was the crowd.

baroque Sun Apr 30 '00
15
9:30 Club, Washington,
Rank: 10 Posted: Sun Jul 09, '00 8:24 pm
my god he was completely amazing, his unbelievable tone just blew my mind, he was just amazing nuff said

betsy Sun Apr 30 '00
15
9:30 Club, Washington,
Rank: 10 Posted: Fri Jun 09, '00 6:19 pm
Good grief! You've got to be kidding! The performance was spectacular! I brought my teenage son this year. It was his first concert. He's a huge fan. He loved it. Next year, let Stu Hamm play solo longer!

bignorm Sun Apr 30 '00
15
9:30 Club, Washington,
Rank: 10 Posted: Wed May 31, '00 12:22 pm
This was the third time that I've seen Joe, and the show was awe inspiring. It was a small venue (standing room only), but that was great, because I was able to get up front and stand in front of Joe for the entire show. The thing that really impresses me about seeing Joe live, is that he truly looks like he is enjoying himself on stage, and that he seems truly humbled by the response of the crowd. I can't wait to see him in concert again !

??? Sun Apr 30 '00
15
9:30 Club, Washington,
Rank: 8 Posted: Sun May 21, '00 8:46 pm
I knew the night was a success when Joe began with "Time", my favorite song to date...what a crushing riff! I must say the addition of Eric Cadieux to the lineup is a must; my only gripes however are that Joe didn't play enough of the Jungle/Techno numbers from the new album. "The Power Cosmic Pt.II" and "Turkey Man" are just phenomenal pieces. I thought it was stellar that Joe decided to "stretch out", as he said for the second set, MORE JAMMING PLEASE! Lastly I thought Joe could have sung more. "I Believe", "Strange", and "Crazy" would have been great. All in all a great show with Joe and the boys playing at the top of their game. He definately seemed impressed by the crowds enthusiasm--way to represent D.C.!

mrsmooth Sun Apr 30 '00
15
9:30 Club, Washington,
Rank: 10 Posted: Fri May 05, '00 9:23 am

What a show, what a show. There's no doubt in my mind that Joe is definitely one of the most influential players in the guitar field. The man is just so amazing and down to earth that, everytime I've had the pleasure of talking and interacting with him, he never ceases to amaze me and of course make me feel like a little kid in cristmas. I had the pleasure of meeting the other lucky winner of the aftershow passes, Rob Santo and his girlfriend. He was really nice and also felt the same way I was feeling (at least I thought so). Joe's performance (needless to say) was mind boggling! It was one of those shows that you go to in which you just can't contain yourself and feel as if you're in another dimension, watching Joe taming his Chromeboy and producing the most awesome tunes your ears have ever heard. My two other friends who rarely listen to any guitar music were just ecstatic and almost peed in their pants when they got to shake hands with the man himself. As for myself, I was happy. I brought one of my strats for him to sign (eventhough I already have another guitar signed by him). Once the guitar had been signed by Joe on the headstock (Stu signed it on the back of the headstock too!) it looked like Fender had made a Signature Series with Joe's Name on it, cool huh? Anyway, I have just entered the contest and I hope that I can win that JS100BP. BTW, This new site is Bitchin'!!!. EOC is a great album and I can't wait for someone to make a 24kt gold edition out of it. I would sound just awesome!!!!!! Enough babbling. Joe, keep up the good work and don't let anyone tell you that your new cd sucks because it doesn't. You are a great musical influence and that no one can change.

Sincerely

Mr Smooth (Jimmy Basurto)

elboy Sun Apr 30 '00
15
9:30 Club, Washington,
Rank: 10 Posted: Thu May 04, '00 5:59 pm
Hey man, I'm 14 years old, and was right in the center stage! The closest I've ever been to playing that good! Just wanted to congratulate you for and amazing performance and that I admire ya. The countless encores were sweet! In fact all the songs sounded great! HAHA! Take it easy man and hope to meet you some day!

satch22 Sun Apr 30 '00
15
9:30 Club, Washington,
Rank: 10 Posted: Wed May 03, '00 3:16 pm

Well Well Well.

Mr. Satriani is just...

um...

WOW! That is all I can say.

I went to this venue pumped, and ready to feel the kick ass rhythms and licks that only Satch can provide. To say this was one intense experience is simply not enough to describe it. Sorry to say that I did not get a chance to meet the guy. I would have loved that. I want him to endorse my new line of computers. J.S. Computers, a division of Crystal Planet Web Publications, Inc. www.cpwpinc.com, but unfortunately, I will have to just write a letter like everyone else.

I have been playing guitar now for five years. (I thought I was pretty good too) I have left that show with a feeling of admiration as well as disappointment. You see, I realize that I may NEVER be that good. I have never seen the guitar played like that before. I have his video's, CD's and tapes, But it's all different live. It's just astounding.

Thank You Satch. Thank You.

Eddie Middlebrooks Crystal Planet Web Publications, Inc.

evan Sun Apr 30 '00
15
9:30 Club, Washington,
Rank: 10 Posted: Tue May 02, '00 2:15 pm
This was only my second time seeing Satriani live - the first was at '97's G3 - but I was much more impressed. He played all my favorites, from Time to Circles to Always to Crystal Planet. His technique was incredible, just incredible. The most impressive thing, I think, was that he was able to sustain that kind of fingerspeed for 3 hours - surely fatigue would prevent a set that lengthy... but no, he pulled it off more than admirably. Then again, when you play the same songs over and over again, I suppose the repetition builds your stamina. It was an almost religious experiance - the crowd was really into the music and the artistry, which I enjoyed. Eric is an excellent addition, and Stu got just about as much out of a bass as you can get. A fanstastic, rewarding show.

rsanto Sun Apr 30 '00
15
9:30 Club, Washington,
Rank: 10 Posted: Mon May 01, '00 8:13 pm

What can I say that hasn't already been said here for this show. To really appreciate this master musician you must see him live.. no doubt. I had the great fortune of winning the aftershow passes from this web site. I couldn't believe what I found in my email Saturday morning! So here is how the aftershow went. Me and my girl went upstairs where we met the other lucky aftershow winner Mr Smooth. Nice guy.. we both could not contain our excitement that we were about to meet the Satch man. First Stu came out to greet us. He was really cool and friendly. He looked tired though.. Hell after a performance like that I was tired just watching him. So we snapped some photos then Stu left to escort his mother into a cab. Yep Stu's MOM was in da house. Real nice lady too. While we were waiting for Joe we watched the crew break down a ton of equipment in a matter of minutes. Pretty cool to watch. Then Joe made is way upstairs to greet us. I know it sounds corny but I felt like a little kid heart racing and all when he walk through the door. I shook his hand introduced myself and I felt like I was meeting an old friend. Joe was so down to earth and just a nice guy to talk too. He told us a little about his rig, how the tour was going and how much he liked playing at the 930 club in DC. He said he really enjoyed the pumped up crowd! So I had my girl snap as many pictures of Joe and me as I could, I doubt Ill ever get this chance again. I got him to sign the new CD insert and my ticket stub. Mr Smooth had his Guitar signed.. now why didn't I think of that! Joe hung around for about 20 minutes. Theirs not enough I can say about a guy who plays a 3 hour set and still has the energy to meet his fans with an bright smile. So then Joe left and we started to make our way to the door, as we were leaving the club at ohh 1:30am we noticed a line had formed of about 20 people outside by the tour bus waiting for Joe. I remember thinking to myself I bet Joe will take the time to greet them and sign autographs even as late as it was. As I was reading some of the reviews for this gig someone thanked Joe for meeting them outside. I imagine it was pretty late before Joe finally took off down the road in his tour bus. Just another day at the office right Joe? So I say this to all the Satch fans around the world, we are really lucky to have a master musician who enjoys interacting and getting in touch with his fans through the web site, web chat, web cast, and even giving people a chance to meet him with aftershow passes. Joe is the real thing.

My advice to all attending upcoming shows, add your name to the show attendance on this site! You might be the next to meet Joe.

Rob.

i6655321 Sun Apr 30 '00
15
9:30 Club, Washington,
Rank: 10 Posted: Mon May 01, '00 2:55 pm
Joe, Jeff, Stu, Eric, a performance of excellent proportions. This was my first time seein Joe, and I was dumbfounded. What surprisingly took the cake, was Stu's bass solo! He jammed Beethoven, and had the entire crowd groovin on some hick-billy finga pickin! An incredible show, that touched the soul of another musician, thank you.

gruskada Sun Apr 30 '00
15
9:30 Club, Washington,
Rank: 10 Posted: Mon May 01, '00 12:23 pm
No question, hands down the best show I've ever witnessed. Joe was at the top of his game (as usual), and Stu, Jeff, and Eric were an extremely impressive backup band. The songs Joe played from EOC (Clouds Race Across the Sky, Borg Sex, Devil's Slide, and Until We Say Goodbye) were totally amazing live, and Joe's live versions of Down, Down, Down and Cool #9 (from his self-titled album) completely rocked. I'm not a real big fan of Joe's singing, but he did a great job on Big Bad Moon - his vocals were very stong, and it just floors me that he can play that well and sing that well at the same time, and, play Harmonica and guitar at the same time! The only thing that would have made the show cooler is if Joe played The Forgotten (part II) - my favorite song of all time. But I'm not complaining too much, as he played 20+ other of my fav's. Joe didn't talk too much or jump around too much (Stu had some cool jumps though), but who cares - he didn't miss a note, his live improvisations were awesome, and his techinique was mesmerizing to watch. I'd have to say Stu's bass solo was the highlight of the show, however. He started at the end of Love Thing (I think) playing an extended bass version of the song, played some Beatles tunes, Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata (from Radio Free Albemuth - awesome album, by the way, that Joe guest stars on), then went into "Country Music (A Night In Hell)", also from the Radio Free album, that everyone clapped their hands to - no accompanyment, just bass. Freakin' amazing! One tip that I got form reading another review here that I'm really glad I read - Joe favors playing on the right side of the stage (your left side as you are facing the stage.) He was there 90% of the night. Only problem for me was that I was so far left that I had a hard time seeing Eric. Not a huge deal, as most of the time I was drooling over Joe (not literally :)), but it would have been nice to see the whole band. My advice is to stay to the left, but not the extereme left. Oh, and another sidenote - the white concert t-shirts have a really cool design. I'm not a big fan of concert t-shirts, as I don't see the point of a black t-shirt, but I was glad to see a white one with such an awesome design. They were giving away the Additional Creations bonus album with the long sleeve balck tshirts, but the design was lacking and a long sleeve black tshirt is even worse, practicality-wise! So I continue my quest for the Additional Creations EP to complete my Satriani collection :) Overall, an awesome show. You will not be disappointed.

norad Sun Apr 30 '00
15
9:30 Club, Washington,
Rank: 10 Posted: Mon May 01, '00 11:27 am

The first thing I thought was: what the heck can he do with such a small stage setup? I mean, it was really cramp looking up there! That meant that hopping around while humping the axe like Vai was out of the question. Lucky for me, I knew what side King Joe gravitated to. I mean, the man was five feet away from me (I caught two picks)! I really admired the fact that Satch never plays the same song exactly to the letter. Example, Ice 9 was played with a sweet bluesy interlude at the end. Also, Satch's outro solo for Satch Boogie had him playing a DEMONIC piano-tapping sequence that wouldn't be believed IF seen! Also, his outro solo to Rhasberry Jam...was off the hook! He proved that bravado and flair was not always necessary when you have artistic abilities and technique at that level. This was my first Satch show, and I would've paid more than 31 bucks to see it! My advice: catch this tour! Even if you don't like rock music (what're you doing at this site if you don't?!) the feeling of TOTAL EARGASM you'll receive is more than worth it!

Oh yes, Stu Hamm is THE MOST ELECTRIFYING BASSIST IS SPOR...UH ROCK MUSIC.(sorry)

eagle Sun Apr 30 '00
15
9:30 Club, Washington,
Rank: 10 Posted: Mon May 01, '00 10:06 am
Well, I guess I'll continue to echo what everyone has said for every show so far - this is the most amazing show I've seen Joe perform! This was my 6th time seeing him and he was just incredible! I've always left one of Joe's shows amazed at how well he can pull off live what's on the record. Tonight was no exception. I've noticed Joe's improvisations in the past, but this show took improvisations and fills to a new level. Anywhere Joe could fit a new fill or riff, he did, and the song did not suffer in any way - it was like icing on the cake! There were some moments throughout the show when Joe played a different solo or fill in a song where I just had to laugh because it was so unbelievable! I could go on and on about his playing. My friend who went with me is not really musically inclined, but even he was impressed with the overall performance, and was especially moved by Ceremony and Cool#9 (which is much cooler live). The whole show was phenomenal w/my personal favorites as Circles and Raspberry Jam. The band was great and Stu's bass solo was a highlight. An extra added bonus was the light show. It was significantly better than I've seen on past tours and really complemented Joe's playing nicely. Bottom line: you must see this tour! Extra kudos to Joe for coming out and greeting his fans who waited and hoped to see him because they (we) didn't have a pass or other connection. Joe is the MAN! Thanks for a great night, Joe! You Rock!

kgdavis69 Sun Apr 30 '00
15
9:30 Club, Washington,
Rank: 10 Posted: Mon May 01, '00 9:04 am
Joe is so amazing I was floored througout the whole performance. This was my second time seeing him and it was better then ever. I say him 2 years ago in Phoenix Arizona at the State Fair. My favorite part of the entire night was when he came on for his 1st encore and played my favorite song of all time Friends it is just an amazing song. another nice note was he came on for a 2nd encore and played one of the songs from his first albulm and it was amazing I got to get up close for a lot of people had left after the 1st encore. Thinking of heading to Norfolk on Wed to catch him again....... Joe is the best!

fret Sun Apr 30 '00
15
9:30 Club, Washington,
Rank: 10 Posted: Mon May 01, '00 7:29 am
what can you say?the world's greatest guitar player right in front of you.as always joe rocked the house with each and every tune.highlights included,the mystical potato head groove thing,borg sex,the crush of love and especially raspberry jam delta -v.his sound was awesome.the crowd was very polite as everyone was there to actually see and hear joe's virtuosity on the guitar.

dadop Sun Apr 30 '00
15
9:30 Club, Washington,
Rank: 10 Posted: Mon May 01, '00 5:44 am
...what can a person say after something like that? It was amazing. I will be three or four days in recovering from it.

khalad Sun Apr 30 '00
15
9:30 Club, Washington,
Rank: 10 Posted: Sun Apr 30, '00 11:10 pm
Oh man, the show was amazing! A lot of the songs were harder and had more punch than I expected, especially some of the stuff of EoC and Crystal Planet. Amazing! Down, Down, Down was great, though not as down as Joe had said it would be, and Clouds Race Across the Sky was not at all quiet. Borg Sex was damned cool, with Joe and Eric playing the two parts (and Eric actually playing the more solo-like female lead). Too bad I couldn't hear his guitar on most of the other songs, though I listened. Stu's solo was just, well, incredible. I was expecting Peanuts like everybody has said before, but he did something completely different. Mixed Love Thing, Moonlight Sonata (first movement), and a couple of other things. Sounded like a damn guitar, and he got the crowd going even more than Joe did... Well, almost as much. I can't believe what a great show it was, I'm thinking of never playing again. He makes everything look so effortless... Two cool things, I picked up the pick he used to close the show, when he played Rubina; he also wrote in my tab of Home, "I was here." I think he might have signed it too, but I honestly have no idea what the hell it says... Anyways, great show! It's without exagerration the best show I've ever seen.