Where the Wild Things Are by Steve Vai

Steve Vai - Where The Wild Things Are (2009) Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: Where the Wild Things Are is a 2009 album by American guitarist Steve Vai. The album was recorded and filmed at the State Theatre in Minneapolis, MN as part of Vai’s “Sound Theories” world tour. The 2 hour and 40 minute set contains several new tracks and re-orchestrated pieces culled from Vai's catalog. Steve Vai is joined on stage by Alex DePue (violin), Ann Marie Calhoun (violin), Bryan Beller (bass), Jeremy Colson (drums), Dave Weiner (guitar and sitar) and Zack Wiesinger (lap steel). allmusic Review by Jason Lymangrover Taken from a two-hour-and-40-minute sold-out show recorded at the State Theatre in Minneapolis, Where the Wild Things Are is yet another live showcase of meticulously mapped Steve Vai compositions. Much of the material is new, and tested out in front of an unfamiliar but eager audience, with Vai exercising his chops to the limits. It's a chance for him to bust out every trick in the book: blazing through ridiculously difficult scales, double hand-tapping extravaganzas (where he plays the guitar like a piano), and sick string bends and whammy bombs to the point where his custom Jem neck should be left, imaginably, in the same shape as the rubbery guitar on the cover of Flex-Able. The listening experience is more geared toward frequent guitar clinic attendees than someone seeking background music for a day drive. It's not easy listening. It's the kind of stuff that deserves full concentration, and while most will furrow their brows while focusing on the guitar pyrotechnics, the rest of the instrumentalists are tightly locked and highly ambitious in their own right. Touring for the first time as a collective, violinists/keyboardists Ann Marie Calhoun and Alex DePue join Vai, along with bassist Bryan Beller, drummer Jeremy Colson, and guitarist/sitarist Dave Weiner. The virtuosic tendencies run high, the musicianship is incredible, and as a whole, the group sounds more like one of Zappa's stage bands than, say, Roth's. Things are still flamboyant and over the top, as expected from the owner of a three-pronged heart-shaped guitar, but there are signs of maturity. As a guitarist and as a composer, Vai's only getting better with age, as proven by Real Illusions: Reflections' sprawling, elastic "Freak Show Excess" and "Building the Church," running the gamut with haphazard emotional shifts, flawless changes, and otherworldly playing. CD All songs written by Steve Vai. 1. Paint Me Your Face* - 01:59 2. Now We Run - 06:37 3. Oooo - 06:37 4. Building The Church - 08:35 5. Tender Surrender - 06:18 6. Band Intros* - 02:27 7. Fire Wall - 06:02 8. Freak Show Excess - 11:00 9. Die To Live - 06:30 10. All About Eve - 05:08 11. Gary 7* - 00:48 12. Treasure Island* - 01:54 13. Angel Food - 06:23 14. Taurus Bulba* - 06:47 15. Par Brahm* - 02:14 * Indicates new material. DVD/Blu-Ray The DVD/Blu-ray releases include 27 tracks in both stereo and 5.1 surround sound: 1. Paint Me Your Face 2. Now We Run 3. Oooo 4. Building The Church 5. Tender Surrender 6. Band Intros 7. Firewall 8. The Crying Machine 9. Shove The Sun Aside 10. I’m Becoming 11. Die To Live 12. Freak Show Excess 13. Apples In Paradise 14. All About Eve 15. Gary 7 16. Beastly Rap 17. Treasure Island 18. Angel Food 19. Earthquake Sky 20. The Audience Is Listening 21. The Murder 22. Juice 23. Whispering A Prayer 24. Taurus Bulba 25. Liberty 26. Answers 27. For The Love Of God Bonus material: Band Interviews, Behind The Scenes, Jemini Distortion Demo Total Running Time: 2 Hours 40 Minutes (Show) • 1 Hour (Bonus Material) ℗ 2009 Favored Nations