I went to the Steve Vai show at the Fillmore last night. Most self-respecting guitarists can't pass up the chance to see the spectacle that is Steve Vai. And a guitar spectacle is was, but not just from Vai.
As the roadie crew was setting up the stage after the opening act, a tall, lanky, cowboy shirt-wearing Joe Bob Briggs of a young man bounded out on to the stage, grabbed a half assembled mic stand, and under a mop of Texas-sized hair said, "Hi, I'm Zach, and I'm going to play some guitar songs for ya." Without any stage lights, PA, or sound mix, and with the Vai roadie crew wandering around the stage with cables, stands and such, the kid plugged a strat into a twin on the right of the stage and proceeded to rip out the most wicked amazing ultra-energy chickin-pickin' electric blues imaginable. He must be seen to be believed.
With his no-frills all-energy stage performance during the Vai setup, I think half the audience was wondering, "Where did this kid come from?" The other half of us were in awe, wondering, "Where did this kid come from?".
Watch out for Zach Wiesinger. Wow.
