Joe Satriani in Boston, November 5, 2022
Legendary guitarist Joe Satriani rocked the Orpheum Theater in Boston on Saturday night, as part of the Earth Tour. Fans flocked to the iconic downtown theater to enjoy an evening of music out of this world.
As the crowd was still making their way towards their seats, the lights went down and the show kicked off with “Nineteen Eighty,” off Satriani’s 2020 album Shapeshifting. The axeman introduced a combination on some of his latest tracks, before diving into classics “Ice 9” and “One Big Rush”. Satriani would take quick breaks to express his gratitude, and to remind fans how much fun he was having playing guitar for them. The band behind him was just as talented and charismatic, joining him in the front a few times. After the iconic “Summer Song”, the band left the stage for a 20 minute intermission.
In between sets, a screen was on displaying fan photos on stage, a nice touch for those who chose to stay in the main room. Drummer Kenny Aronoff started off the second half of the show with a stunning solo, and Satriani joined soon after. One of the highlights of the set was “E 104th St NYC 1973,” off his latest album The Elephants of Mars: the combination of guitar and keyboards created a retro atmosphere that transported the crowd straight to 70’s New York. Soon after, Rai Thistlethwayte’s mind blowing keyboard solo was a crowd favorite, with many giving him a standing ovation.
From the sound bending “Shapeshifting” to the beautiful “If I Could Fly”, Satriani made sure the audience’s jaw was on the floor the entire night. The second set would close with a bang with the iconic “Satch Boogie,” with fans jumping off their seats. An ovation brought the band back for the encore, starting off with “Crowd Chant,” a song specifically designed for fun audience participation. The classic “Surfing With The Alien” brought the show to a close, an evening of top tier guitar playing that fans won’t soon forget. Make sure to catch Joe Satriani’s extraterrestrial sounds on the Earth Tour.
