Three artists and approximately three hours into his socially distanced concert Sunday night at the Tobin Center For the Performing Arts, the man some regard as the greatest guitarist of all time effortlessly strummed a few notes on his right hand. What he did simultaneously with his left provided the turning point of the evening.
In two swift motions, Swedish star Yngwie J. Malmsteen invited the seated crowd spread out among three stories to bum rush the stage, metaphorically telling his fans to fuck Covid and enjoy themselves in the land of the free and home of the brave. Fans didn’t have to be told twice, and the party was officially at its apex. So it was only fitting Malmsteen also played his rendition of the “Star Spangled Banner.”
As always, Malmsteen didn’t disappoint (see 71-photo slideshow below), and not even early technical issues could slow down the maestro. Flicking out guitar picks at a rate faster than people have been getting vaccinated, Malmsteen shone as usual particularly on ATM Facebook Live performances of “Trilogy Suite: Opus 5,” a guitar solo and “Blue.”
Touring in support of Parabellum (Prepare for War), which dropped nine days earlier, Malmsteen delved far back into his catalog, returning to his 1984 mostly instrumental self-titled debut with mainstay “Far Beyond the Sun” and snippets of the rarely played “Evil Eye” (ATM footage of the latter below). As is his custom, Malmsteen opened with the mandatory “Rising Force,” with his entire band that included singer/keyboardist Nick Marino relegated to their own corner. While Malmsteen paraded throughout his set among the other 85 percent of the stage under a slew of stacks not as large in size or number as his 2019 visit to the Vibes Event Center (coverage here), his mastery of the electric and acoustic instruments never ceased to amaze.
With so many albums, hits and instrumentals from which to choose, Malmsteen relegated most of his songs to medleys and/or one or two verses. One such instance slightly confused Marino on 1986 classic “You Don’t Remember, I’ll Never Forget” (ATM footage below). But Marino could hardly be blamed given that Malmsteen ended up singing as much if not more than the lead singer throughout the set and because he was forced to jump from first verse to the third in the blink of an eye.
Although Malmsteen’s fans don’t show up to hear him sing, as he’s done with regularity since 2012’s Spellbound on which he also played drums, bass and keys, he mixed in vocals on new tracks “Wolves at the Door” and “Relentless Fury” plus the 1997 ballad he penned for wife April entitled “Like An Angel” (ATM footage below).
But it was his precision that stole the show, the frequent gazes of his bandmates — which included drummer Brian Wilson donning an S.A. Slayer shirt as he did at the 2019 concert — and an audience featuring San Antonio guitar master Ron Jarzombek and members of Jessikill who also play in the Malmsteen tribute band Sacred Star.
As is his custom, Malmsteen ended with the double whammy of “Black Star,” during which he looked at his watch twice during its signature extended note, and “I’ll See the Light Tonight.” Afterwards, an ugly scene transpired between a fan and security staffer. The fan, in the midst of the many that were still in front of the stage but never in danger of reaching musicians atop the raised platform, addressed Marino by saying, “Thank you for playing that song! I love that song.” At the same time, the security member attempted to shoo patrons toward the exits verbally, but when he placed his hands on the fan, the fan responded, “Don’t touch me!” Some vulgarities ensued with the staffer shoving the fan toward the restroom exit. Moments later, the fan was seen telling his side to Tobin ushers in front of the main entrance.
Images of Eden, meanwhile, was the middle band on the bill and provided a steady dose of uplifting and soothing rock. The quintet played several tracks from new album Angel Born. That included “My Promise,” which vocalist and band founder Gordon Tittsworth dedicated to last week’s passing of Metal Church singer Mike Howe. While meeting fans in the merch area after his set, Tittsworth shared with ATM that after he had fallen ill a couple of years ago, Howe was the first person to check on him.
While introducing “Where Dreams Begin,” Tittsworth revealed that Malmsteen’s “Trilogy” tour in 1986 was his first concert and how surreal it was that he was opening for the guitarist. The good feels continued on 2018 track “Once We Believed” (ATM footage below). Images Of Eden also performed Triumph’s “Fight the Good Fight” (ironically, Malmsteen has an original song on his latest album of the same title).
Springfield, Missouri, quartet Paralandra opened the show energetically and enthusiastically. The band also supported Malmsteen two years ago at the Vibes and continues to churn out rocking singles that have been released a little at a time throughout its tenure. That’s about to change this fall, as singer/guitarist Casandra Carson revealed Paralandra’s first full-length album will be available in October. Carson, a friend of and heavily endorsed by Halestorm’s Lzzy Hale, showed flashes of her amiga but exhibits her own style. She also met with fans of all ages for most of the rest of the night (see slideshow).
Paralandra, which also features Carson’s father Paul on lead guitar with bassist and birthday boy Sawyer Rikard and drummer Dakota Watson, told their own story of Malmsteen’s influence, which can be seen below on ATM’s footage of “Love Will Win.”
It may not have been a raucous stadium of 60,000 people pre-pandemic. But this rare post-Covid national concert in the Alamo City was a boisterous musical spectacle nevertheless. That’s all that mattered to those who came in wearing masks — and exited with horns triumphantly raised in delight.
