SatchVai “Surfing With Hydra Tour”
The Palace Theater, Waterbury, CT
May 22, 2026
The band SatchVai is made up a fantastically talented group of artists. Joe Satriani and Steve Via leading the group and accompanying Satriani and Vai on the tour are guitarist Pete Thorn, bassist and vocalist Marco Mendoza, and drummer Kenny Aronoff. Their abilities as musicians showcased Vai and Satriani while giving excellent backing. None of the band let off the gas once the concert started. From first note to last, all consummate professionals, the entire band glided from one song to the next seamlessly.
They played many selections from each performer’s large collection of songs and hits. They have so many it is hard to center in on ones to satisfy all the audience but they changed off from pure rock and roll to more bluesy numbers and then off to more a more jazz sound. I think everyone was happy with the set, every song that was delivered with ease and perfection.
Joe Satriani, known as one of the best-selling instrumental rock artists of all time, has over 10 million albums sold and 15 Grammy nominations. He has set many other artists’ careers into action, including Steve Vai. Vai mentioned during the show that he would not be where he was if it were not for Joe Satriani.
Vai a three-time Grammy Award winner and fifteen-time nominee, was the perfect choice to pair with Satriani. Both have performed with many of the greatest bands of our time and also have their own world-renowned careers. Now as a band together, it is one of the ulimate guitar bands.
Vai played “For the Love of God,” and had the audience in his hand. During the whole show it was each guitarist giving his all but not to outdo the other, but to complement the last song. Not either one trying to show up the other only to give the audience the best of themselves and their amazing abilities on a guitar. They had the instruments screaming, moaning, whining, and some low-down bluesy tones. They played the entire range of sound they could wring out of a guitar. Well, many guitars as they each changed to many different ones during the show. Each one brings with it a different feel and sound.
A little more than midway through the show, the stage darkened, and stagehands began moving something large on wheels out to the stage. Those in the know began cheering and clapping before the covering even came off the behemoth, taking up the center stage. The Hydra was unveiled to even more cheering. Vai stepped up to the strange-looking beast of a morphed guitar or three. It looked like something you would need eight hands or four people to play. But Vai tamed the beast as he played “Teeth of The Hydra”.
It was amazing to see how he effortlessly played the assortment of strings on the morphed instrument. It was like watching a ballet of man and string, and the audience approved of the dance as they clapped and stood at the conclusion. The Hydra is an integral part of the show. So ingrained that the tour is aptly called Surfing With The Hydra.
Satriani returned to the stage and as they had been doing the entire evening he would play a song then trade and Vai would lead off with a song. They then would join together and play together. I don’t know if it’s because Satriani was Vai’s guitar instuctor or just that they jive so well but to see them play together it’s as if it was meant to be. Kind of a kismet that they would after all these years form a band together. A perfect matching of guitarists.
Satriani’s played “Always with Me, Always with You.” They blended each others style in the beautiful classic song.
The encore began with the perfect song that let the pent up, built up energy of the crowd out as they sang along with the group to “Crowd Chant.” Ending the night on a high note the band concluded the concert with the Steppenwolf’s well known “Born to be Wild,” letting Aronoff, Mendoza, and Thorn cut loose alongside the headliners in a wild, classic rock free-for-all.
The lead in band for the night was Animals as Leaders. They gave a great performance and got the audience primed for the ultimate of guitar expertise they knew was coming.
If you haven’t seen these two guitar greats perform each on their own or together now is the time to take in a concert by SatchVia. You get to see a pairing that was years in the making and well worth taking the time to spend an evening of great music..
For more information SatchVai and their upcoming concert schedule see Joe Satriani and Steve Vai
Review by Donna Erichsen
Photos by George Bekris
Setlist:
Intro
Dancing
I Wanna Play My Guitar
The Sea of Emotion, Pt. 1
Zeus in Chains (Steve Vai song)
Little Pretty (Steve Vai song)
Ice 9 / The Crying Machine
Flying in a Blue Dream (Joe Satriani song)
Surfing With the Alien (Joe Satriani song)
Sahara (Joe Satriani song)
Tender Surrender (Steve Vai song)
Teeth of the Hydra (Steve Vai song)
Satch Boogie (Joe Satriani song)
If I Could Fly (Joe Satriani song)
For the Love of God (Steve Vai song)
Always With Me, Always With You (Joe Satriani song)
Encore:
Crowd Chant (Joe Satriani song)
Born to Be Wild (Mars Bonfire cover)