The onstage meeting of two iconic musicians is always good news—a milestone event that should be noted forever. Two of the greatest guitarists of all time, Joe Satriani and Steve Vai, have formed a supergroup called SatchVai and set out on a tour: the Surfing with the Hydra Tour! The two guitar legends made a stop in Athens, Greece, at the Rockwave Festival, and we were there to share with you what happened on that historic evening.
by Dimitris Zacharopoulos
photos by Iro Kalligeri (@irokalligeriphotography)
There was no opening act, but Satriani and Vai didn’t need one, since the audience had a common purpose—only one thing in mind: to experience the joint performance of two of the greatest guitarists in the history of rock ‘n’ roll. Mission accomplished!
Before getting into the concert review, I would like to mention that the show was originally scheduled to take place at Lycabettus Theater but was moved to Terra Vibe. I don’t know why—there were surely some inconveniences caused, yet in the end, everyone found their seat in front of the big stage …
… which soon hosted the two legendary guitarists, Satriani and Vai, who, accompanied by Pete Thorn (guitar), Marco Mendoza (bass), and Kenny Aronoff (drums), took the stage and began their set! They both looked (and sounded!) in excellent form and in a very positive mood, playing their guitars like gods! What we saw and heard was otherworldly. They gave lessons in guitar playing, shocking and mesmerizing the audience, who watched these guitar clinics in awe, unable to believe their eyes and ears. Satriani and Vai seemed to come from outer space to show us how the guitar is truly played, in the context of a live show that felt like a seminar. It’s unbelievable to watch these two guys play guitar—an immersive experience that makes you want to pick one up yourself! With the solid backbone of the rhythm section, Satriani and Vai did unbelievable things with their guitars and left us breathless!
They performed not only as SatchVai but also separately, allowing us to enjoy fantastic live renditions of each one’s classic songs. Taking turns was a wise decision, as it satisfied everyone—both the two guitarists and their fans! We were treated to all-time favorites like “For the Love of God”, “Teeth of the Hydra”, “Flying in a Blue Dream” and “Surfing with the Alien”. The two protagonists showed their passion and excitement, clearly enjoying playing together. And the crowd watched with mouths wide open—especially when Vai brought onstage a custom three-guitar machine and began improvising with it!
Of course, this fantastic show culminated in the encore, when Vai and Satriani invited another guitar hero, Gus G, to the stage! Vai, Satriani, Gus G, and Thorn jammed on “Born to Be Wild” by Steppenwolf, and they were all fascinating. Seeing all these guitarists on stage together gave me shivers down my spine! We were all amazed—and enchanted. What a live moment!
That way, this guitar manifesto came to a glorious end. It was a magical live show—a concert that will never be forgotten! The marvelous meeting of Vai and Satriani was something phenomenal, already carved into the history book of rock ‘n’ roll. Of course, it was a small taste of a G3 concert! Awesome!
