A few weeks back, on July 19, Steve Vai concluded his lengthy summer European tour with a show at Teatre Tivoli in Barcelona, Spain.
He thrilled the crowd with a two-hour set filled with favorites such as "Tender Surrender" and "For the Love of God," and a number of tracks from his recently-released album, Inviolate.
Vai saved the biggest fireworks, however, for the show's concluding rendition of "Fire Garden Suite IV - Taurus Bulba," during which the maestro first ventured out into the aisles – shredding the whole way – then singled out a teenage fan in the crowd.
Unbeknownst to the crowd, the young fan just so happened to be the son of the cab driver who took Vai to the venue that evening. Vai's Spanish fans were also unaware, mind you, of the teen's guitar skills, which he – upon being handed Vai's Ibanez JEM – was more than happy to give the crowd a taste of.
"On the last show of the European Inviolate Tour on my way to the venue in Barcelona, there was an excited cab driver that wanted me to get into his car to take me to the venue," Vai explained in an Instagram post.
"During the drive, he was very excited to show me a video clip of his son playing 'For the Love of God' and I was actually pretty impressed with the way this boy played. During the concert that night, I saw the boy with his dad sitting in the audience, so I decided to make his day... and he certainly kicked some ass! It was a splendid way to cap off an outstanding tour."
The American leg of Vai's Inviolate tour – which was initially postponed due to an injury – is set to begin on September 28 with a show at The Magnolia in El Cajon, California.
For tickets and more info on the tour, visit vai.com.
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