Met one of my guitar inspirations Saturday night, Steve Vai

[1ViciousGSX]

Was an awesome show. Got to do the meet & greet with him before the show with the EVO Experience package. Super cool and nice guy, no "big head syndrome" at all, very down to earth and easy going. Almost as if he doesn't know how great he is, LOL. We got to do a Q&A with him for about an hour. Questions that got asked ranged from touring, to writing & inspiration, to the music business, to his guitars and so on. And of course somebody just had to ask him what his favorite guitar was (was not me, LOL), and of course he said "EVO". And let me tell you, EVO is beat to shit and back. There is a crack in the body that goes from the neck pocket all the way deep into the lower horn, almost to the back edge of the body.

He did sign my JEM90HAM for me in two places, back of the headstock and inside the trem cover area (just in case the one on the headstock by some "Act of God" came off, LOL). He smiled when he saw it and noted he doesn't see many of those anymore.
Here are some pics. Sorry for any crappy pics, all I had was my iPhone.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-DWKVIALYS3o/UokdzDGrgiI/AAAAAAAADVc/epbkshXBWfo/w513-h684-no/IMG_3698.JPGhttps://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-kT-kNFskxVc/UokeEMJUFcI/AAAAAAAADWk/gsy_kfcanao/w513-h684-no/IMG_3712.JPGhttps://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-uderQ485E_Q/UokeEftnJtI/AAAAAAAADWg/07kcEa__f24/w513-h684-no/IMG_3713.JPGhttps://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-TQB3HaCTJoQ/UoktOexyxDI/AAAAAAAADZE/16k5iDe7hNo/w513-h684-no/IMG_3755nsn.jpghttps://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-_OFPaOpuQgU/UoktPR9xhQI/AAAAAAAADZY/ZfcXs-JRjXA/w513-h684-no/IMG_3756.JPGhttps://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-DGXYH8ALRaM/UoktOorFWuI/AAAAAAAADZM/VvKeK07kQFo/w513-h684-no/IMG_3757.JPGhttps://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-A38eR8mW3KI/UoktQ08BzWI/AAAAAAAADZk/W24ZT3bavFw/w513-h684-no/IMG_3758.JPGhttps://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-NfY8GGT8aWY/UoktRCv_gVI/AAAAAAAADZg/bxXNWN6KJmw/w513-h684-no/IMG_3759.JPG

Crack in EVO

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-3cShO7NX5pw/UokdtWLZXOI/AAAAAAAADac/gIGvN_OljX0/w513-h684-no/IMG_3693.JPGhttps://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-M6hvyhVI44E/UolOWcWmUbI/AAAAAAAADa4/yemhqBnNFIA/w513-h684-no/IMG_3693cr.jpg

Shots from sound check and free jamming

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-uqzOz6R_hlU/Uokdh-LceDI/AAAAAAAADUY/GudFgCrJT5E/w513-h684-no/IMG_3680.JPGhttps://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-Zb_YcRmABX4/Uokdh8Ez4GI/AAAAAAAADUU/gxkVDmEdljY/w513-h684-no/IMG_3683.JPG
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-yhPON3NYmdk/UokdnnerjeI/AAAAAAAADUs/qvbZnQgfWtk/w513-h684-no/IMG_3686.JPGhttps://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-aB51wD9e8jw/UokdoDE8EfI/AAAAAAAADUw/aWER-1sZXj4/w513-h684-no/IMG_3688.JPG
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-up2S2HAm4j4/UokdtVeQYNI/AAAAAAAADVA/8XpbsFZIBIE/w513-h684-no/IMG_3692.JPGhttps://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-F8_z0FsPbEk/UokdtwatwuI/AAAAAAAADVI/2M2g15U00s0/w513-h684-no/IMG_3695.JPG
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-c1JRHYGQl3Y/Uokdy8oLOvI/AAAAAAAADVY/qqB2ZJcBcUw/w513-h684-no/IMG_3696.JPGhttps://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-9Dva_BrhSlM/Uokd464sO6I/AAAAAAAADVs/_WpVNY69VQM/w912-h684-no/IMG_3700.JPG
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-KgZBszpvTzM/Uokd-2RYBOI/AAAAAAAADWQ/OitD7yAS1FM/w513-h684-no/IMG_3705.JPGhttps://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-TRZ9y9ZQU54/Uokd_WKRdaI/AAAAAAAADWM/0u9fNoUzlVo/w513-h684-no/IMG_3711.JPG
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-reS-bnJX4w0/UokeFPn6JwI/AAAAAAAADWo/z_e9hCGNcP0/w513-h684-no/IMG_3716.JPG

Shots from the show

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Tsd_doTqmms/UokeQSZOp2I/AAAAAAAADXY/fIe2PsBU_8A/w513-h684-no/IMG_3725.JPGhttps://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-2_epvT1NcTQ/UokeVGSqIpI/AAAAAAAADXk/CFe19nkMImc/w513-h684-no/IMG_3729.JPG
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-wismbeFI9Os/UokeWOh0HVI/AAAAAAAADXw/QeZjvCJVNSk/w912-h684-no/IMG_3732.JPGhttps://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-xLyT-Y3jJz0/UokeavVzCQI/AAAAAAAADX4/KZRq9-2wTPg/w912-h684-no/IMG_3736.JPG
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-6cy2ilzFJeY/Uokeb73Hs2I/AAAAAAAADYI/FdZiYKdddc0/w912-h684-no/IMG_3737.JPGhttps://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-u07AEPhT1DU/UokecBxVBSI/AAAAAAAADYE/AMB56cuaIE8/w912-h684-no/IMG_3738.JPG
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-HrrpE41W-Rs/UokehV3C2YI/AAAAAAAADYc/g9HbGUr0SX0/w912-h684-no/IMG_3747.JPGhttps://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-_vUFhWBRw00/Uokehi8p8EI/AAAAAAAADYg/QBc290EZCG4/w912-h684-no/IMG_3751.JPG

My fiance' with Steve and both of us with Steve's son, Fire. I asked him if he played guitar too, he said "A little".

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-M6HkvP9HiI4/UokeJ40hIJI/AAAAAAAADW4/00IdLw0Xeaw/w912-h684-no/IMG_3717.JPGhttps://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-JQLBz1_da34/Uokd5tKrNtI/AAAAAAAADV4/1Pr-afLhxRk/w513-h684-no/IMG_3703.JPG

Gear used

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-XwRPKMKvlgU/Uokdh2qn2gI/AAAAAAAADUQ/cPA41eodMxU/w513-h684-no/IMG_3678.JPG
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-yie0gh5zi9o/UokdnURJcJI/AAAAAAAADUo/-U1WKk1aFe8/w912-h684-no/IMG_3684.JPG

[JET]

Steve Vai doesn't know how good he is? Sure acts cocky on stage :D I saw the G3 concert with him, Joe Satriani and Eric Johnson. Hell of a show! Vai put on a better show, but Satch is the better guitarist IMHO.

[Goat Blower]

I saw Vai years ago as well. He's definitely not my favorite for tone and style, but obviously very good. My favorites are Petrucci and Paul Gilbert. :D

[scheides]

Awesome!!!!

[1ViciousGSX]

Awesome!!!!

Yes it was!!!!

I forgot mention during the Q&A session, Steve said the funniest question he gets asked is, "How did Ralph Machio get so good to be able to beat you in that movie?" Yeah, we all laughed pretty hard about that one. :biggrin:

[Goat Blower]

That's pretty cool to have close access like that. I should start looking around for some of these smaller shows in town.

[1ViciousGSX]

That's pretty cool to have close access like that. I should start looking around for some of these smaller shows in town.

Definitely do it, you never know who you might get to meet. I like seeing shows like these at smaller venues, they are always have a more personal feeling.

And you definitely can't go wrong with Petrucci or Gilbert, both are just as awe inspiring.

[Goat Blower]

Gilbert might play small shows, Petrucci definitely doesn't. I got VIP passes for the last Dream Theater concert with meet and greet, Petrucci was pretty nice, the other guys were boring. The second row seats were well worth it though.

[1ViciousGSX]

Not to derail my own thread, but here's a very cool Gilbert clip.

D_SUB18g1wU

[JET]

All of the great guitarists make the weirdest freaking faces!