STEVE VAI's "Ultimate EVO VIP Experience" was INSANE! 

I feel like THESE kind of videos are super important to us who aren't exactly teenagers anymore but to remind us that behind all the musical career, progress and whatnot is still that small little fan boy that started it all and we all should at least START to listen to it before we are empty and dead inside.

Went to this in turlock last wednesday! it was amazing! he's such an amazing performer.

Fire is actually Steve's son

Steve is such a great performer no matter if you like his music or not

I’ve seen Vai a half dozen times. Kicking myself for missing this time around. I agree that he always seems to “channel” a different state while playing and while it definitely is a part of his show, it comes across so genuine. I would total fan boy out if I did a meet and greet. Glad you enjoyed the experience and look forward to the Jem compare.

Fire is Steve's son.....I got to see Steve live front row a few years ago it was ASTOUNDING and awe inspiring to see him play with before your eyes... The drummer is Jeremy Colson and he is a monster drummer

What a great all around experience! I'm totally geeking out ! Thanks for the vivid details and happy for you to have had that opportunity

That concert was insane. I’m jealous that you got to do the VIP. I was trying to snag my own but was too late because I only got tickets the day of. But the concert was great and it was very nice to finally meet you in person.

Nice! its great to finally be going to shows again. my son and I went and saw Psycroptic for his first real METAL show, and just a couple of weeks ago We got to see the Cavalera Bros (The REAL Sepultura!) down in Tucson... THAT was a great Show!

Steve came to europe and he did play the hydra. Man is a legend.

I have been fortunate to meet Mr. Vai a couple of times. He is always gracious and kind and gives you all the time you need.

I've seen Vai live 3 times (once back in the days for a G3 tour and twice in Poland 5-10 years ago) and he is always such a great performer. Cool you got to do this!

I saw Steve in Philadelphia on one of the G3 tours about 20 years ago. The whole show was amazing, of course. Afterwards I went to stand by the buses and met Satch, Steve, Stu, Keneally…everyone was sooo cool. Before anyone came out one of their techs saw my yellow “Operation” board game t shirt and asked “how many picks do you want for that shirt?” and I said “as many as you have, as long as there’s also a beer” and he loaded me up. Luckily I had bought a Fire Garden shirt to put on 😀. I still have my signed ticket, the shirt, all of the picks, and the empty bottle of Gleesons. Funny PS, the only guy I didn’t meet was Kenny Wayne Shepard…the following week I was at a local seafood spot in Scranton and Kenny was playing in town later that night…I got to say hello and tell him I saw him the week before and tell him he was great 😀

That was ace ,I hope to meet Steve one day but it’s so cool to hear about your evo experience . Really enjoyed it

What an excellent set of impressions and experiences you shared here. Excellent presentation. Thank you.

Thanx for sharing your experience!!!....I'm taking my son to see Vai do his stuff in Missoula Mt this Saturday (Nov 26th)!!!! Can't wait!!! Super excited!!!

Thanks for the run down, that was cool to hear

It was great seeing you at the show Mike! What an incredible night and super fun to hear about the VIP experience you had!

I love Vai, and was first exposed to him on Eat’em and Smile. Then I found Flex-Able…still my favorite of his. Besides Flex-Able, his work with DLR is still my listening preferences of his work.

I really enjoyed listening to your video. Thank You, Ric

Thanks for sharing Mike. Sad I missed it - but glad to hear to it was awesome.

This made me super happy :) my uncle is the one getting me into guitar and your videos motivate me even more bc you remind me a lot of him. A few months ago I bought my guitar that he built for a penny (niece discount) and I’ve been practicing since. This made me even more excited to continue and maybe check out some concerts with him!

Sounds like a cool experience, thanks for sharing it 👍

Thanks, that was cool To hear your Vai experience 🙏🎸❤️!!

I saw Steve about a month ago. He was very personable! I love how he interacts with the audience.

I had the same vip package for Nashville but unfortunately the day of the show it was canceled due to unexpected travel delays. Quite the bummer had the tickets for over a year, looks like a great show!

I got to see Steve earlier this month. Great show.

Awesome man! I saw him too!!! Biggest regret was not getting at least one of the EVO VIP packs. One of the coolest things at the show (besides witnessing Steve and the band play) was seeing his 2 sons working for their Dad's crew. I first saw Julian as we were walking in and then bought a shirt and a pop socket from Fire. Pretty cool to see them out there with their Dad on this huge amazing, tour!

I saw Steve Vai in London atvthe palladiumthis year, was superb.He played the venue a few years ago for the P& W tour,

The switch he hit when the girl blew on the guitar was probably his sustainiac

Been waiting for this video🥳

Sounds like you guys got the same weather we had in MT. It was between 0-20 degrees for a several days, but man that wind was just brutal. Seemed a lot colder than usual too. Sounds like it was a fun experience. You should have mentioned your channel though. I've seen him on quite a few youtube channels doing some sort of cameo or project. He's a pretty chill guy. One of the greats.

OMG that is totally awesome. Glad you got to meet him. Wish I could do that someday. I got see him one time when he filled in for Hootie and the Blowfish at the Bon Jovi concert.

Awesome story, so glad you enjoyed your experience 👏👏👏👍

I saw him live during his P&W 25th anniversary tour. Best show ever!

Sounds really fascinating!

Another great video, keep up the good work.

You lucky dog, Vai in a theater is the best. I saw him on the P&W anniversary tour in the same type of setting. His interaction with the crowd was awesome.

That blow on the guitar moment was awesome - everyone went crazy!

I caught him in Sioux Falls on Monday night(3rd time I've seen him play, saw him on his Story of Light and Passion and Warfare anniversary tours) and it was an incredible show as always. The bit where he actually walked out into the crowd with his guitar while playing Taurus Bulba for the Encore was something I'd never seen him do before and that was really cool!

That was cool to watch! Thanks!

I've got my meet and great for thus Saturday! Thanks for the sneak peek !!

I went to one of his Vai Academies, 4 full on days and nights of teachings + you get to jam with him and his touring band. Expensive but musically life changing experience! Vai is not only amazing musician but also very skilful teacher.

I managed to see him on this tour in Georgia. We got the seats right in the middle third row from the stage. It was such a cool show.

Went to the passion and warfare tour about 5 years ago, Jeremy coulsons kick drum is the single loudest thing I've ever heard. It was aimed right at my face in the second row and it was awesome.

Steve threw me his Pic at the Salt Lake show. I dropped it across the barrier and then someone else got the security guard to give it to them 🥲 The drummer did however at the end of the show, came up and gave me one of his drumsticks he used for the show, they were freaking beaten and worn. dude played insane on the Drums. Surprised the stick even lasted with how insane he played. over all an amazing experience, and easily one of my favorite concerts 🤟

My first Evo was all the way back in 2007 at Manchester Apollo UK. Ironically it was the same day I bought my Jem. The guitar was signed by Steve before I'd even plugged it in! That day remains one, if not the best musical experience of my life. Steve was an absolute gentleman. All of us there got to play Evo to boot which made the day even more special. Nothing quite like the Evo experience.

November 14th of this year was also the first time I saw Steve. One of the best shows I've ever been to. Mr Vai is the consummate entertainer and a very funny guy.

Love the Chanel you have made me a better guitar player for sure. Thanks keep up the good work

We saw the show last week in Fargo, ND. I really thought it was a great, well put together performance by all the guy's!!

One thing I took from Steve Vai when he taught seminars at M.I. in Hollywood was he is very much in the moment. He is not thinking of yesterday, just today - right now. He is just here to enjoy music.

Thanks for the story. Keep Rocking!

Love your account of the EVO experience. I didn't get to do that when my wife and I saw him in NC last month, but I did get right up front (it was standing room, general admission, no seats) and yes, it was incredibly loud to begin with. It either stabilized or I got deafened lol.

I had the same experience with Satriani’s sound in Peoria, IL. I actually had to move after intermission (which is how you know it’s all middle-aged people!). Moved over to the side of the stage with his amp and it was much better. Glad you got to go see Steve in such a magnificent scenario!!

Thanks for your informative video...makes me want to have the Ultimate EVO experience.....I hope he comes to Brisbane Australia....

Saw him in Mumbai here in India on the 6th of December. It was magical! Such a stage presence and the band was incredible.

i’ve seen him several times, met him once… just amazing guy who really cares about his fans, and also very concerned with making sure each band member is recognized which I think is uber cool 😎

You left during the sound check? Geez. For the Passion and Warfare 25th Anniversary VIP EVO Experience we got to go on stage and check out everyone's rig right after the sound check. I feel a tap on my shoulder, and it's Thomas Nordegg (Vai's tech) handing me EVO asking if I want to play her. I couldn't believe it. So I strap it on and start wailing away. One of the other VIPs says, "Give me your phone.", and he snaps a bunch of pics of me having the time of my life going bananas on Vai's axe. Then Thomas Nordegg brings out the Bad Horsie 7 string, and he hands me that one too. It was insane. One of the greatest shows I've ever been to. Worth every penny.

FIRE isn't just someone from Steve Vai's team, it's his son, and who's in charge of the meet and greet.

Fire is actually Steve's son. I talked to him a little bit when I went to an EVO years ago, he was cool enough. Weirdly, they didn't tell us to hold back on the questions. One guy asked Steve something about another guitar player, I wanna say Blackmoore but idr for sure and Steve had a story about how Blackmoore talked a bunch of shit about him. Maybe thats why they just want philosophical questions now.

Thats a great experience thanks for sharing, I had just seen John Petrucci last month in a small theatre and was a great show as well , love those smaller venues. Great memories

Great recap: thanks!

Great video man, I briefly thought about getting the VIP package too, but so $$$$.

I would have loved to see that show! The new album is killer! 👊🏻

You're starstruck! Keep up the good work!🙂

Years ago I got to hold and briefly play Evo when I did an Evo Experience, it was pretty awesome!

Love hearing an experience from Minnesota! Im jealous, man. You got to meet Steve! (Parking sucks down in the cities, its crazy)

Today i saw a picture of John Cusack and realized who Mike reminds me of

Thanks for the review, I actually felt like I was there!! Dread to think how expensive that VIP package was though, I mean, a free guitar? Wow!!

Been a fan of vai since the alcatraz album. Passion and warfare took it to another level. Tripped out on mushrooms listened to it a few times.

Sitting up front is awesome. I've been up front for many shows. I saw Steve with David Lee Roth, Billy Sheehan and Greg Bissonett. Eat em Smile tour 1986.

13:05 yeah i recently saw muse live and during a part where matt uses a whammy pedal for a guitar part and i saw a roadie/tech using the pedal for him

So jealous of you; steve came by and played a show 30 minutes from where i live. For some reason i didn’t buy tickets and now i’m kicking myself over it. i’m excited to see the comparison of the jem with the jem jr

So glad when I went to see him everyone was seated. Nothing worse than seeing a show and standing for 3+ hours.

I live in a place that very rarely gets concerts so I traveled 2000 miles to see both Steve Vai and Joe Satriani in Boston earlier this month. I also went with that ultimate VIP experience and it was incredible. The only thing I would say wasn't what I expected was the "gear tour". It wasn't exactly a tour, they just let you get on stage for a few minutes and look at his gear on your own. Steve's tech was super nice and he let me hold one of Steve's guitars, the one with the lights on the fretboard that he plays on Building the Church. Surreal experience but at the same time it's funny because you realize the guitar is... just a guitar. The magic is the person playing it. Steve Vai is incredibly nice and down to earth and you can tell he cares so much about every single fan. He gives every person attention even though it's a lot of work. I also went to the Joe Satriani VIP experience and it was a huge let down. A guy walked on stage and told us that Joe would not be taking pictures or having interactions with fans the way Steve did. He just walked on stage, picked a few people to answer some questions and that was it. I relate to what you were saying about hesitating to ask questions and not getting the opportunity. I am quite introverted so I was anxious to raise my hand but since I knew this would be a once in a lifetime thing, I did. He never ended up picking me and it made me feel terrible. Some people might find that silly but I'm just being honest with how I felt. I had trouble getting into the concert headspace and didn't end up enjoying the show all that much. He has been my hero for so long that at first I didn't take it too well. I've moved on and it made me appreciate Steve much more because he really does put in the effort to make the experience special. The people that pay extra for those VIP experiences are the biggest fans, after all. I'm also waiting for my Jem Jr. Only a couple more weeks!

i got to meet Steve and everybody in his band in Louisville KY and dave gave me guitar strings that had a note on them and i got my jem the strings and an album signed by steve

I got to do the evo experience and it was so fun!! I even got a pick from him during his soundcheck practice! In still a bit in shock about it.

I go to the VIP experience in a couple of days in Turlock, ca. I just saw Satriani VIP in Stockton. With Joe's set up, we sat in the front row and could hear the keyboards and the bass more than I would prefer. I think it's where you sit in these smaller venues.

Awesome story, man! I've actually met Steve twice, and there couldn't be a nicer, classier rock star!

I was front row/VIP for the Gen Axe show in 2016 in Nashville. I hd learned from the 2005 show in Birmingham to wear earplugs.

dude was legit daydreaming about double-legging some dude for taking a set-list

I saw Steve at a theater in Morgantown WV on this Inviolate tour, it was so awesome. I actually liked sitting toward the back of the lower level, i could see the whole stage well and really enjoy the show. That version of For The Love Of God with dude singing opera was crazy. Also, the Hydra guitar was sick AF.

7:17 chord to describe feeling of sadness lol..>Thanks for everything you do, you are really good at it!

you're story about the set list thing.. I worked at night doing security at a theater in Phoenix back between 2000-2001, my buddy had the security contract for that theater and I'd help him do shows. In 2001 Queensryche was there and it was cool, got to hang out with Michael, Eddie and Kelly who was the guitarist after Chris left. It was very cool to kick back with those guys most of the afternoon they were all really cool. Told some great stories, we talked a lot about the 80's etc. Anyway, I worked the side of the stage where Kelly played, which was actually really cool cause that's where is rack units were and I got to see what he was really using and the setting etc. Anyway this theater the stage is kinda low. For the Encore rather than go off stage for a few minutes then come back, they choose to do an extra song and play straight through, which as a fan I thought was cool. However, at the end of the set and the goodnights, when the houselights came on the crowd got a bit restless and upset thinking they weren't doing an encore. I was on the edge of the stage where Kelly was, talking to a coworker who was in the front row right and he saw me so we were chatting about the gig when I see this les paul flying through the air into the crowd. I look over a guy had jumped on stage grabbed a guitar off Michaels rack, the security guy on that side I guess tried to stop him so he threw the guitar. someone caught it and started to run out towards the exits. I ran after him, I caught up to him in the parking lot, we fought, I got the guitar back, took it backstage and by the time I got there, he had kicked a hole in the dressing room door and was in the restroom which was connected to the bands dressing room. I cracked open the door to look in and Eddie came up and said hey man not a good time, Michael is really pissed right now. I said yeah I know but I have his guitar. Eddie opened the door saw I had it, and he said, Michael get out here.. He came out he looked seriously pissed, but when he saw me with it, he came up grabbed it, looked it over, I told him what happened in the parking lot (which the fight for the guitar turned into a few guys getting involved trying to get the guitar, but I won. I got fired since one of the guys sued the security company, cause apparently I broke his jaw but oh well) but there wasn't a scratch on it. He gave me a huge hug thanked me a few times, he asked if I wanted to hang out in the dressing room, I told him i need to go help make sure everyone is leaving the theater but I would be around. Before the band loaded up, Michael came and found me, I was by the green room and he gave me so much free swag it was amazing and everything was signed by the entire band and a thank you note from him. Just thought I'd share that story, it's a cool one and a favorite of mine. Cause not only did I help Michael get back what I found out was his 59 les paul.. but I got to hang with the guys and got a lot of autographed stuff and a quick thank you note from Michael. And I got paid to do it.. ha..

We had tickets for the Nashville show, a birthday present to myself actually. However, they had to cancel the day of (this was already a makeup show from the March cancellation), when we were about to leave for Nashville. Major bummer, but I'm sure he will make up for it, and I'll finally get to see Steve live!

You are correct about The Hydra. I saw him in Gothenburg, Sweden and he told us that it wasn't able to make it for that part of the tour.

I had zero clue you were from Minnesota. But the second you said it I can't unhear the accent when it went un noticed all these years

I was lucky enough to get an EVO package in London. Sadly there had been a Ticketmaster issue where the packages had been both misold and then waaaayyyyy oversold, so loads of us turned up for that meet and greet, Q&A, soundcheck etc .... Fire was instrumental in sorting the whole mess out as best as it could be and Steve was an absolute champion in meeting, greeting and having photos taken with so many people. The show was incredible. Sadly, we didn't get the Hydra, so that's something else to look forward to seeing in the future!

I'm gonna see him on Saturday!!

I did the evo experience back in 2013. Kinda similar but some differences. It was $350 and we didn’t get a guitar. The hour long Q&A. Similar bag yours but it was black. Had signed photo in it and a printed paper of sheet music he hand wrote. Some picks and a strap and the laminate. We weren’t allowed to sit in for soundcheck (I had no idea till afterwards) but I sat there and while everybody else in the group walked out and nobody ever told me to leave so I sat there as the one person watching soundcheck lol. Ended up getting an Eat Em and Smile CD signed and also had a bootleg cd of his Morning Thunder album that got him in Zappa and got that signed. I feel pretty confident it’s the only one in existence. He said he hadn’t seen that album in 25 years.

I'm going to the one in Portland on the 28th! I got the EVO package too!

I love this channel! 🙂 I'm surprised you went to a cover band rather than to go see bonamassa lol. But I think that's why I love this channel, your approach to everything is a little bit different than mine. I learn a lot

Love this! Rocking the new Laura Bennett t shirt! 🔥🤘🏻

Sounds like a great experience - and worth splashing out on. I will be interested in seeing your comparison video. For me - they cut a few too many corners on the Jem Jr vs the full-fat Jem - pickups, trem, neck etc. Whereas the Jiva Jr is so close that a pickup change will get you really close to the up-spec one.

Cool video. I still have one of the very first Jem Flower Pattern '88 guitars. In fact it has been my only electric guitar since I bought it.

Awesome mann

So cool, I live in Australia and Steve never comes here. You're living my dream Bro 🙏😄

Awesome.

I wish I still had my copy of that tab book, lost it about 20 years ago!

Didn't realize that you were from Minnesota,cool so am I!