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If you play guitar — or if you ever spent a high school afternoon trying to learn the opening riff from “Satch Boogie” — you already know what the SatchVai Band means. Joe Satriani and Steve Vai, sharing a stage and a band, are coming to the Landmark Theatre in Syracuse on Saturday, May 17 at 7:30 PM. Animals As Leaders open. This is not a drill.
About SatchVai Band
The history between these two goes back further than most fans realize. Vai was Satriani’s student in the late 1970s in Long Island before either of them became famous. Satriani went on to record Surfing with the Alien in 1987 — still the best-selling instrumental rock album of all time — and built a career as the guitarist’s guitarist. Vai carved his own path through Frank Zappa’s band, David Lee Roth’s solo era, and a solo catalog anchored by Passion and Warfare (1990), collecting three Grammys along the way.
Now they’re playing together. Not trading solos at a jam night — actually co-leading a band. For anyone who grew up on instrumental rock, this is the collaboration you drew up on notebook paper in 1991.
The addition of Animals As Leaders as the opening act is no afterthought. Tosin Abasi and company represent the next generation of technical guitar music, and placing them on this bill creates a lineage — teacher, student, heir.
Venue Info
The Landmark Theatre in Syracuse is a restored 1928 movie palace that seats around 2,900. It’s one of those rooms where the architecture does half the work — ornate, warm, and surprisingly intimate for its size. The sight lines are strong from almost every seat, and the acoustics favor the kind of dynamic, detail-heavy playing that Satriani and Vai thrive on. Downtown Syracuse, easy to get to, with parking garages within walking distance.
Tickets & Pricing
Tickets for the SatchVai Band featuring Joe Satriani and Steve Vai with Animals As Leaders are on sale now through Ticketmaster. The Landmark is the right room for this show — don’t wait on it.