Introduction
After seeing Paul Gilbert and Andy Loomis perform together for the first time, I was blown away by how seamlessly they worked together. It was like watching two virtuosos at play; every note and riff seemed to weave seamlessly into the next without any effort on their part. Together they brought new life to each song while still keeping true to its original form.
This is my first ever concert review so I hope it’s not to far off from what you all are normally used to.
Hi! This is my first ever concert review, so I hope it’s not to far off from what you all are normally used to. I’m not sure if I should keep the same format throughout the whole review (it’s a little difficult for me to decide).
So here goes…
I had originally been waiting for the June 13th show to be posted on here but seeing as how it’s been almost 3 weeks and I haven’t seen anything yet, I figured I’d go ahead and post my own review.
As you may know, I was originally going to wait for the June 13th show to be posted on here but seeing as how it’s been almost 3 weeks and I haven’t seen anything yet, I figured I’d go ahead and post my own review.
I really enjoyed this show. The venue itself was quite small so it was very intimate and felt like you were right next to Gilbert himself when he played his guitar solos (which were incredible). He mentioned that the room had been used in the past by artists such as Rush and Metallica during their early days so it had some history behind it which made me like going there even more! The Rockpile is a small club located in Toronto near College Street West area where they serve alcohol drinks along with food such as wings n fries n burgers n stuff like that (you can find out more about them at their website rockpilebarandgrill).
Having seen Paul Gilberts as a solo artist and with both Mr. Big and Racer X, but never in a guitar duo format, I was quite excited to catch this show.
Having seen Paul Gilberts as a solo artist and with both Mr. Big and Racer X, but never in a guitar duo format, I was quite excited to catch this show.
Paul Gilbert is a legendary guitarist who has played on many albums by some of the biggest names in hard rock including Steve Vai and Larry Carlton (just to name a few).
Another legendary guitarist who has played for greats like John Lennon and Eric Clapton is his bandmate for the evening, Paul Loomis.
Together they created an amazing performance with tight harmonies and flawless playing that will be remembered by anyone who saw it live or watched videos online afterword.
Being a fan of both players, I thought that emulating the chemistry between two instrumentalists like Gilbert and Loomis was going to be difficult if not impossible to pull off live.
In this case, I was wrong.
Gilbert and Loomis were more than up to the challenge of recreating their studio output live. The duo demonstrated a near telepathic connection throughout their set, playing off each other’s riffs and rhythms as though they had been doing so for years. Sometimes it felt like Gilbert was having a conversation with Loomis through his guitar solos—like a passing back-and-forth between two friends who have been together for ages. It was clear that these two are not only great musicians but also good friends who shared an equal passion for making music together on stage.
The chemistry between them carried over into their solo performances as well; Gilbert took the stage first and dazzled everyone with his shredding skills (which he displayed at length), while Loomis followed up with some softer tunes from his new album titled “Loomis” (coupled with some older material).
I’m happy to say that Paul Loomis is a more than capable foil for Gilbert’s technical prowess, and the musical interplay between the two was truly inspiring.
Paul Loomis is a more than capable foil for Gilbert’s technical prowess, and the musical interplay between the two was truly inspiring. They were able to effortlessly blend melodic passages with heavy riffing and intricate runs with ease. The band’s ability to work together as a tightly unified whole was impressive, but I also noticed that Loomis took it upon himself to let loose at times – sometimes soloing over his own rhythm part or throwing in some fills completely unrelated to what Gilbert was doing at the time. It felt like he was challenging himself not just within context of the song itself but also by trying out new things musically; something that made me really appreciate him as an artist outside of his role in this particular band.
They were able to effortlessly blend melodic passages with heavy riffing and intricate runs with ease, working together as a tightly unified whole rather than two competitors vying for top spot on the bill.
They were able to effortlessly blend melodic passages with heavy riffing and intricate runs with ease, working together as a tightly unified whole rather than two competitors vying for top spot on the bill.
In fact, it was clear that their egos were in perfect alignment as each member complimented one another’s playing throughout the set.
Some of the songs featured in their set included “Red House”, “One Rainy Wish” (Jimi Hendrix) “Mountain Song” (Jane’s Addiction), “Cliffs of Dover” (Eric Johnson) and “Temple of the King” (Rainbow).
The band began their set with “Red House”, a song originally written by Jimi Hendrix and first recorded by The Experience in 1966. They then followed that up with “One Rainy Wish” (Jimi Hendrix), before performing a cover of Jane’s Addiction’s “Mountain Song”.
The next three tracks played were all covers of Eric Johnson songs: “Cliffs of Dover”, “Pumpkin Head” and “Summer Song”. Following those was another cover from Rainbow, Temple Of The King.
To close the show out, Gilbert sang his own composition: “Sock It To Me Baby” (from his debut solo album Eat Em And Smile).
Conclusion
This was one of the best shows I’ve ever seen and it’s not hard to see why. Paul Gilbert and Greg Howe are two of the most influential guitarists playing today, and they showed how much their styles are connected. Some of the songs featured in their set included “Red House”, “One Rainy Wish” (Jimi Hendrix) “Mountain Song” (Jane’s Addiction), “Cliffs of Dover” (Eric Johnson) and “Temple of the King” (Rainbow).
I’m Drew, the founder and editor of Front of the Stage. I have a strong love for music and photography, which started at a very young age. There’s just something I love about experiencing live music and capturing memories that will last a lifetime, and that’s how Front of the Stage came to be.
