To commemorate the 25th anniversary of his landmark 1990 album, Passion and Warfare, Steve Vai has announced an extensive world tour that will celebrate the groundbreaking recording.
The now-classic album, which took several years to record, features "For the Love of God," "Liberty," "Erotic Nightmares," "The Animal," "Blue Powder," "The Riddle" and several other legendary Vai tracks.
"Performing this record from top to bottom (with some very special surprises in the works) is something I’ve always dreamed of doing,” Vai said. “There are songs here I’ve never performed before, and I’m delighted that 25 years after its release, I feel as though my guitar chops are as much up to the task as ever before."
A May 28 performance at the World Guitar Festival in Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec, will kick things off. Following that, the tour will include festivals and an extensive run in Europe, finally arriving in the U.S. in October. Additional shows in the U.S. and abroad will be announced in the months ahead.
The tour will feature a unique premium package: the Passion and Warfare EVO Experience, a limited number of EVO Experience tickets will be available for each show. Tickets will be available through Vai.com soon. Vai also will perform select G3 dates with Joe Satriani and the Aristrocrats in Italy and Germany during July.
Vai will host his third Vai Academy at the Asilomar Center in Carmel, California, January 2-6, 2017. Special guests will be announced soon when the camp goes on sale. For more information, write to info@dreamcatcherevents.com.
“I can’t be more blown away by our line up of special guests that will be joining us in January 2017 for our next Vai Academy,” Vai said. “The theme for this camp will be focusing on technique and going deeper than technique to find a player’s individual and unique voice on the instrument."
2016 Passion and Warfare 25th Anniversary World Tour Dates
May 28 – Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec – World Guitar Festival
June 1 – Glasgow, Scotland – O2 ABC Glasgow
June 2 – London, England – London Palladium
June 3 – Newcastle Upon Tyne, England – O2 Academy Newcastle
June 5 – Manchester, England – O2 Ritz Manchester
June 6 – Brighton, England – The Dome
June 7 – Bristol, England – Academy
June 9 – Helsinki, Finland – The House of Culture
June 11 – Solvesborg, Sweden – Sweden Rock Festival
June 12 – Oslo, Norway – Rockefeller Music Hall
June 13 – Stockholm, Sweden – Debaser Medis, Ballroom
June 14 – Copenhagen, Denmark – Amager Bio
June 15 – Gothenburg, Sweden – Pusterviksbaren
June 17 – Leuven, Belgium – Het Depot
June 18 – Gutenstetten, Germany – Ibanez Guitar Festival
June 20 – Warsaw, Poland – Progresja
June 21 – Prague, Czech Republic – Lucerna Music Bar
June 23 – Vienna, Austria – Simm City
June 24 – Dornbirn, Austria – Conrad Sohm
June 26 – Paris, France – Le Trianon
June 27 – Solothurn, Switzerland – Kofmehl
June 28 – Schaffhausen, Switzerland – Kammgarn
June 29 – Luxembourg, Luxembourg – den Atelier
June 30 – Lausanne, Switzerland – Les Docks
July 2 – Rome, Italy – Rock In Roma (G3 with Joe Satriani & The Aristocrats)
July 3 – Sogliano Al Rubicone, Italy (G3 with Joe Satriani & The Aristocrats)
July 4 – Ascoli Piceno, Itlay – Piazza del Popolo (G3 with Joe Satriani & The Aristocrats)
July 5 – Grugliasco, Italy – Gru Village (G3 with Joe Satriani & The Aristocrats)
July 6 – Gardone Riviera, Italy – Teatro del Vittoriale
July 7 – Udine, Italy – Castello di Udine
July 10 – Weert, Netherlands – Bospop Festival
July 11 – Munich, Germany – Circus Krone (G3 with Joe Satriani & The Aristocrats)
July 12 – Offenbach A. Main, Germany – Stadthalle (G3 with Joe Satriani & The Aristocrats)
July 13 – Bonn, Germany – Kunst!rasen (G3 with Joe Satriani & The Aristocrats)
July 16 – Cordoba, Spain – Anfiteatro Axerquia
July 17 – San Javier, Spain – Auditrio Parque Almansa
July 18 – Madrid, Spain – Jardines de la Complutense
July 19 – Valencia, Spain – Jardines de los Viveros
July 20 – Palma, Spain – Teatro Trui
July 21 – Barcelona, Spain – BARTS Club Paral.lel 62
July 23 – Lisbon, Portugal – Cultural Centre of Belem
Damian is Editor-in-Chief of Guitar World magazine. In past lives, he was GW’s managing editor and online managing editor. He's written liner notes for major-label releases, including Stevie Ray Vaughan's 'The Complete Epic Recordings Collection' (Sony Legacy) and has interviewed everyone from Yngwie Malmsteen to Kevin Bacon (with a few memorable Eric Clapton chats thrown into the mix). Damian, a former member of Brooklyn's The Gas House Gorillas, was the sole guitarist in Mister Neutron, a trio that toured the U.S. and released three albums. He now plays in two NYC-area bands.
