LIVE: Joe Satriani’s The Elephants of Mars Tour 2022 at the Ridgefield Playhouse CT

Photos and Review : Danielle Dombrowski – Hunter

The legendary Joe Satriani played not one but two nights in the historic, picturesque colonial town of Ridgefield, Connecticut on November 2. The guitar icon is currently on tour in support of his 18^th album Elephants of Mars.

Upon arriving at the venue, I noted that the crowd was the expected mix of old and young fans, and they were all excited to see the guitar master play. The crowd packed in, and it was long before Joe Satriani entered stage left rocking one of his signature Ibanez guitars. As he began to play the Ibanez took on a voice of its own and blended perfectly with the other instruments and vocals. His range is unmatched, from soft whispers to stellar jams using his fingers only on the fret board and his elbow to control the whammy bar. It is no wonder that at age sixty-six Joe is still packing houses, his technique and sound is that of the greats, only to be rivaled by Hendrix himself.

Backing up the legend was Kenny Aronoff (Drums), Bryan Beller (Bass) and Rai Thistlethwayte (Keyboards). They provided the perfect accompaniment to his ethereal and incredible sound. Some songs that not only caught my attention but also kept the crowd in high gear were the title track off his new album “The Elephants of Mars,” “Summer Song,” “Flying in a Blue Dream,” and “If I Could Fly.” It is quite an experience to watch Satriani and his band play live because of the depth it adds to the performance. I also must note that while Satriani is an amazing guitarist, his backup band showcased their talents as well with drummer Kenny Aronoff whipping the fans up with an incredible and thunderous drum solo along with Rai Thistlethwayte highlighting his technical and noteworthy keyboard skills.

Satriani and band played a massive twenty-three song set list before taking a short break, coming back out to end the evening with his most popular hits “Crowd Chant” and “Surfing with the Alien!” As the amps and the crowd were cooling down from an amazing performance Joe Satriani and band took their bows leaving fans excited and wanting more. As a fan, a professional, and a long-time lover of rock all, Joe Satriani is a show you do not want to miss!

Thank you and please enjoy my photo highlight from the evening.

Setlist:

Nineteen Eighty

Sahara

The Elephants of Mars

Ice 9

Thunder High on the Mountain

One Big Rush

Blue Foot Groovy

Flying in a Blue Dream

Spirits, Ghosts and Outlaws

Faceless