Few bands have aged into their own catalogue quite like Toto. The songs that played on a loop on late-’70s and early-’80s radio — “Hold the Line,” “Rosanna,” “Africa” — were written by Los Angeles studio aces who could outplay almost anyone, and four decades on, those records still land in an amphitheater the way they were built to. On Thursday, July 16, that catalogue comes to the SPAC lawn.
The show is part of Toto’s 2026 summer amphitheater run, a co-bill that pairs the band with two more names that ruled the same era of FM dial. Christopher Cross — the Grammy sweep behind “Sailing,” “Ride Like the Wind,” and “Arthur’s Theme” — opens, alongside Detroit’s The Romantics, the “What I Like About You” hitmakers. It’s a three-act night of pure radio nostalgia, and the running order has hits stacked from the parking lot to the encore.
About Toto
Toto came together in Los Angeles in the late 1970s out of the city’s session-musician circuit — players who’d recorded on everyone else’s records before deciding to make their own. The payoff was a string of pop/rock that charted with more staying power than the era’s critics expected: four top-10 singles on the Billboard Hot 100, with 1983’s “Africa” as their lone chart-topper. That song refuses to fade — its music video crossed one billion YouTube views in June 2024, a remarkable second act for a 40-year-old track.
The current band is led by guitarist Steve Lukather, the last remaining founding member, and vocalist Joseph Williams, who has fronted Toto on and off since 1986. For this summer leg they’re backed by longtime collaborators including Warren Ham, John Pierce, and Keith Carlock — a road-tested unit built to deliver the hits at full size.
About SPAC
SPAC needs no introduction in the Capital Region. The amphitheater in Saratoga Spa State Park has been the summer soundtrack of upstate New York since 1966, and the lawn remains one of the best deals in live music — bring a blanket, get there early, let the trees do the rest. It’s the anchor of the Capital Region outdoor concert calendar, and a July night here has a way of making the music feel bigger than the stage. Just budget extra time for parking and the walk in.
Tickets & Pricing
Tickets are on sale now. Showtime is 6:45 PM. Get tickets here.