Toto In Altoona, IA

I went to Prairie Meadows to see Toto in a free concert tonight. The venue has VIP seating and an area you can set lawn chairs in. Those of us that want to stand and rock out are relegated to the far left of the seated area. I had a decent view of the side of the stage and the band did play to us a bit. I'd still have rather been down front trying to give back some energy to the band as they played their hearts out. The audience was mostly people my parents' age. So many gray haired 50-60 year old and they stayed seated through just about every song except Rosanna and Africa.

The band really put on a tight show. They tried to put some energy out there for the crowd and it was a crowd. This was a really good turnout. It took a lot of work to get people to stand, but the band worked the crowd. They opened with the rocker Falling In Between and then King Of The World from their new CD. I'm not sure of the title of the third song, but it was an older one and really good. They then went into the new Bottom Of Your Soul. This is a great song from the new CD Falling In Between. I love the lyrics "why is it always the ones that you love are the ones who will never come home...why is it all of the bridges we cross take their toll". What a powerful thought and a great way to put it.

There were some technical difficulties with one of the keyboards so while the techs figured it out the rest of the band was led into Hendrix's Little Wing by Steve Lukather. They just jammed this song out and it gave Steve an opportunity to show of some of his influences.

Make Believe got the band back into their set groove and they led directly into Hold The Line. This was the first time the crowd seemed to sing along. During other tunes you could see a few people mouthing the words, but you could actually hear them shout this chorus. The crowd sat back down for Stop Lovin' You, I'll Be Over You, and a tune I wasn't familiar with that really rocked.

The crowd was finally rewarded with another old favorite in Rosanna. The band really jammed this out with a keyboard solo leading into a guitar turn and even a few measures of a drum solo by the great Simon Phillips. These guys are phenomenal. They finished out their set with I Won't Hold You Back and Through The Fire.

After the band left the stage, an Africa chant started up behind me. It took just a few minutes, but Toto returned to the stage with Afraid Of Love and then the payoff, Africa. People were dancing in their aisles and singing along as Toto gave them what they wanted to hear.

Simon Phillips has played for everyone from Tears For Fears to Joe Satriani to Pete Townsend and Roger Daltry. This guy is a powerhouse on the drums and it just goes to show in a live situation why he is so desired in the studio. Tony Spinner is a talent I was unfamiliar with, but I did find out that he did some playing with Paul Gilbert of Mr. Big. He does a great job with guitar duties and even a vocal for Toto. Mike Porcaro is smooth as silk and equally as powerful on the bass. He makes everything look so easy with the complex rhythms that Toto utilizes. Greg Phillinganes sets up the mood of each song with some atmospheric playing, some horn punctuations, and some awesome piano all done on a very slick keyboard rack. Greg has such an accomplished record playing for George Benson, Christina Aguilera, Babyface, Anita Baker, The Bee Gees, The Carpenters, Mariah Carey, and host of others like Eric Clapton, Michael Jackson, Kenny Loggins and Stevie Wonder. His voice and playing were spot on. Speaking of voices, the man with the power and emotion, Bobby Kimball, was in fine form. He still hits the notes that put most singers to shame and makes it seem effortless. The master of ceremonies, Steve Lukather, is the heart and soul of Toto. The man can switch from style to style effortlessly while still letting his influences shine through. He is a true guitar hero. There isn't a weak link in this band. All are accomplished and the really cool thing is that they bring these talents together to make great songs. This isn't a band that is interested in cranking out 3 minute pop tunes, but a band that wants to hook you from beginning to end and take you through a range of emotions high and low.

Get the new CD Falling In Between. Get the new 25th Anniversary DVD. Go see the live show. They don't tour the US that much so do it while you can. I did and it was FREE!