Source: Bravewords.com
Guitar legend STEVE VAI is featured in an interview with Jeb Wright at Classic Rock Revisited. An excerpt is available below:

Jeb: You are releasing your new album on vinyl. Tell me why.

Steve: “There is something very romantic about vinyl. It is a kickback to your youth. You get the vinyl album and you get the album artwork. I used to just stare at album covers all day long. Then you would get something like LED ZEPPELIN III and I would listen to the album and play with the wheel; it was great. ”

Jeb: It really is sad that we have lost the art of the album cover. Jazz records would have so many liner notes that it was like reading a short book. The music would be over before you were finished!

Steve: “It was a nice experience. Now, you don’t get anything other than the download. And that’s okay, but it is a different listening experience. Years ago, I had my old turntable around, and my two boys were younger then. My one son, whose name is Fire, found the turntable and he didn’t know what it was. I told him what it was and ended up getting him a turntable. We got all of my records out and he would just listen to records all day; it was really great. I gave him all of my old Zappa records and we put one of them on and immediately there was just a different quality to it. There was such clarity and richness.”

Jeb: People who collect these new vinyl releases want that great sound, but they also want a great package. The Story of Light has a gatefold jacket and an eight-page booklet.

Steve: “It is a fun process and I know what it was like. People who lived the experience of listening to music know how exciting it is when one of your favorite artists is getting ready to release a new product. I remember, as a kid, just waiting and waiting for an album to come out, and then you get the album, and you open it up, and the more there was the better. I don’t know if it is because I’m not a kid anymore, but I kind of lost that thrill. Well, if TOM WAITS releases a record then I get a little bit excited. There are CDs that I get excited about, and I buy them, or I go download them. Like I said, there is something romantic about buying vinyl.”

Go to this location for the complete interview.

Vai recently released Life On The Road – Behind the Steve Vai Story Of Light Tour, filmed and edited by Chris Huber:

(Photo by Larry DiMarzio)

According to Bravewords.com, Guitar legend STEVE VAI has announced tour dates for South America in support of his latest album, The Story Of Light. The schedule is available below:

November
26 – Mexico City, Mexico – Metropolitan Theatre
28 – Guadalajara, Mexico – Diana Theatre

December
1 – Caracas, Venezuela – Anfiteatro Sambil
3 – Bogota, Colombia – Royal Center
5 – Santiago, Chile – Teeatro Caupolican
7 – Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – Circo Voador
8 – Sao Paulo, Brazil – CrediCard
9 – Belo Horizonte, Brazil – Chevrolet Hall
10 – Brasilia, Brazil – Teatro Villa Lobos
12 – Buenos Aires, Argentina – Grand Rex

Photo by Larry DiMarzio

Vai recently announced that he will return to the US in the fall for a 30-plus city for the The Story Of Light. Tickets and special EVO Experience packages, where fans get a look at what Vai experiences several hours before a show and get to hold an intimate and open group discussion with him, are already on sale and can be purchased at Vai.com.

Steve Vai tour dates:

October
16 – Santa Cruz, CA – The Catalyst
17 – San Diego, CA – House Of Blues
18 – Ventura, CA – Ventura Theater
19 – Las Vegas, NV – House Of Blues
20 – Chandler, AZ – Wild Horse Pass Casino
22 – Tucson, AZ – Rialto Theatre
23 – Flagstaff, AZ – Orpheum Theater
24 – Santa Fe, NM – The Lensic
27 – Kansas City, MO – Harrah’s Voodoo Lounge
29 – Columbia, MO – The Blue Note
30 – Springfield, MO – Gilloz Theatre
31 – Council Bluffs, IA – Horseshoe Whiskey Road House

November
1 – Des Moines, IA – Hoyt Sherman Place
2 – Bloomington, IL – The Castle Theater
3 – Joilet, IL – Mojoes
5 – Columbus, OH – Newport Music Hall
6 – Indianapolis, IN – Egyptian Room
7 – Grand Rapids, MI – The Intersection
8 – Rama, ON – Casino Rama
9 – Cincinnati, OH – Bogart’s
10 – Knoxville, TN – Bijou Theatre
12 – Chattanooga, TN – Track 29
13 – Birmingham, AL – Workplay Theatre
14 – Mobile, AL – Soul Kitchen
15 – New Orleans, LA – House Of Blues
16 – Baton Rouge, LA – Varsity Theatre
17 – Little Rock, AR – Juanita’s
19 – Tulsa, OK – Cain’s Ballroom
20 – San Antonio, TX – Backstage Live
21 – Austin, TX – Paramount Theatre
22 – Dallas, TX – House Of Blues
23 – Houston, TX – House Of Blues

Bravewords.com issues: Think you’ve got the chops to open for STEVE VAI? Sam Ash Music and Steve Vai are looking for America’s best guitar players of all styles to compete in the 2013 Best In Shred Instagram Video Contest. The lucky finalists from each participating Sam Ash Music location will be chosen to perform in the Best In Shred Finals. The winners from each store will be awarded the Grand Prize: a chance to perform on stage at a Steve Vai show, including tickets for you and a guest to attend the event and meet Steve Vai backstage.

A total of 36 guitarists will have the opportunity to perform before a crowd of Steve Vai fans at one of these venues: San Diego House of Blues, Ventura Theatre, Las Vegas House of Blues, The Castle Theater, Mojoes, Newport Music Hall, Bogart’s, The Egyptian Room, The Bijou Theatre, Track 29, Rialto, Orpheum Theatre, The Wildhorse Casino, Backstage Live, Paramount Theatre, Houston House of Blues, Dallas House of Blues, and Clicks.

Go to this location for full details.

Since its appearance in Guitar World in 1990, Steve Vai’s intensive guitar regimen has been the Holy Grail for serious players. Here is the lesson that shaped a generation of guitarists. Vai sat down with guitarist/transcriber Dave Whitehill and outlined his practice routine for the January 1990 issue of Guitar World. Never before had a guitarist given such an in-depth explanation of his musical exercise regimen. It became a must-have for guitarists. Many of the players interviewed in GW have cited it as an influence on their development as guitarists. Here’s a chance to experience the workout in its original form and to learn some of the things Vai has done to develop his formidable chops and remarkable music vocabulary.

In this book, Steve Vai reveals his path to virtuoso enlightenment with two challenging guitar workouts – one 10-hour and one 30-hour – which include scale and chord exercises, ear training, sight-reading, music theory, and much more. These comprehensive workouts are reprinted by permission from Guitar World magazine.

Go to this location to puchase your copy.

After an overwhelmingly enthusiastic response to the 90+ shows played so far on his Story Of Light 2013 Tour, Vai has added an additional run of UK dates.

The tour promotes The Story Of Light, Vai’s critically acclaimed solo album which Gibson.com says “finds him continuing to push the envelope as a composer, arranger and, most of all, as a guitarist who continues to raise the bar for himself and others.”\” The record was released on Favored Nations Entertainment, the label Vai founded in 1999.

The Story Of Light 2013 Tour will feature a unique premium package – The Evo Experience – which includes a meet and greet pass, a Q&A session with Vai, access to soundcheck, an exclusive EVO Experience laminate and other Vai merchandise items. These premium tickets will be available for purchase through Vai’s website. Only a limited number of EVO Experience tickets are available for each show.

Vai’s UK tour schedule is as follows:

August
29 – Belfast, Northern Ireland – Mandela Hall
30 – Leeds, UK – O2 Academy
31 – Glasgow, Scotland – O2 Academy

September
1 – Cardiff, Wales – St. David’s Hall
3 – Bristol, UK – O2 Academy
4 – Bournemouth, UK – O2 Academy
5 – Brighton, UK – Concorde 2

Tickets are on sale now. Visit Vai.com for ticket links, the full list of all European dates, and other information.

Vai recently announced that he will return to the US in the fall for a 30-plus city for the The Story Of Light. Tickets and special EVO Experience packages, where fans get a look at what Vai experiences several hours before a show and get to hold an intimate and open group discussion with him, are already on sale and can be purchased at Vai.com.

Steve Vai tour dates:

October
16 – Santa Cruz, CA – The Catalyst
17 – San Diego, CA – House Of Blues
18 – Ventura, CA – Ventura Theater
19 – Las Vegas, NV – House Of Blues
20 – Chandler, AZ – Wild Horse Pass Casino
22 – Tucson, AZ – Rialto Theatre
23 – Flagstaff, AZ – Orpheum Theater
24 – Santa Fe, NM – The Lensic
27 – Kansas City, MO – Harrah’s Voodoo Lounge
29 – Columbia, MO – The Blue Note
30 – Springfield, MO – Gilloz Theatre
31 – Council Bluffs, IA – Horseshoe Whiskey Road House

November
1 – Des Moines, IA – Hoyt Sherman Place
2 – Bloomington, IL – The Castle Theater
3 – Joilet, IL – Mojoes
5 – Columbus, OH – Newport Music Hall
6 – Indianapolis, IN – Egyptian Room
7 – Grand Rapids, MI – The Intersection
8 – Rama, ON – Casino Rama
9 – Cincinnati, OH – Bogart’s
10 – Knoxville, TN – Bijou Theatre
12 – Chattanooga, TN – Track 29
13 – Birmingham, AL – Workplay Theatre
14 – Mobile, AL – Soul Kitchen
15 – New Orleans, LA – House Of Blues
16 – Baton Rouge, LA – Varsity Theatre
17 – Little Rock, AR – Juanita’s
19 – Tulsa, OK – Cain’s Ballroom
20 – San Antonio, TX – Backstage Live
21 – Austin, TX – Paramount Theatre
22 – Dallas, TX – House Of Blues
23 – Houston, TX – House Of Blues