Steve Vai Left Speechless After Dueling with a Brazilian Fan
A fun, spontaneous moment shared by two super-talented guitarists.
We're not sure how we missed this one. A few years ago (June 27, 2015, to be exact), a young Brazilian guitarist's dream came true; the guitarist—Patrick Souza—got to share the stage with his idol, Steve Vai.
But it's a lot more interesting than it sounds; in fact, the pair engaged in a guitar duel that left Vai speechless.
For a bit of context, Vai was conducting a guitar workshop in Brazil, and—obviously—there was no way Souza was gonna miss it. After all, his YouTube moniker used to be "MrPatrickVai." (He's since changed it to "Patrick Souza.")
After only about 11 seconds, Vai is aware he's up against a force to be reckoned with. We love Vai's reaction at the 29-second mark, when he throws his arms in the air as if to say, "That was some pretty cool stuff, folks. I'm as impressed as you are!" (It actually reminds us of Eric Clapton's reaction to Jeff Beck's first guitar solo in this 1981 video.)
Anyway, Vai is a class act; he knows this is Souza's special moment, not his, so he doesn't do anything to steal the spotlight from the hometown shred master. In fact, he turns it into what it's supposed to be—a fun moment shared by two super-talented guitarists.
For more about Souza, be sure to check out his videos on YouTube.
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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.
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