Hehehe...I agree.... I sat in the patron area and the sound was fantastic! At least there were side fills to the upper box but sadly paled in comparison to the main front seating area, which I also did monitor btw... Unlike many other Araneta concerts there are not even side fills. Blame the promoter's not being able to give us the best as they have to make ROI too.. It costs getting guys like this out here and now, the cost even goes up because some of the artists want royalties running into the many thousands of $$$ in advance for performing their own songs in addition to their fees and the logistics of moving and housing people and equipment.
Coincidentally, did you know that a Filipino now manages Toto? He is none other than Sonny Abelardo. Sonny is the grandson of Nicanor Abelardo of UP Abelardo Hall fame and his name is really Nicanor Abelardo lll. Anyway Sonny and I go way back from our first band days in a band called The Asteroids. We played parties and military clubs on Guam. We weren't even old enough to drink let alone drive. Nino, Sonny and Bobby's older brother used to pack us all in his VW sedan, including Sonny's drums, all the amps and guitars and drive us around. Nino's US Army pic in the frame in front of all those trophies we won.. Sonny played drums I played guitar. Brother Bobby played a Hofner Beatle bass, my soon to be famous and revered in his own right, brother Ric, sang. Sonny's father Nicanor ll was my music teacher at JFK High School, on Guam, where we all lived for some years. All our parents were also friends and part of the Filipino community on Guam.
Sonny called me from Cebu last Wednesday and freaked the living crap out of me. Haven't heard from him in decades until 2005 and then just the other day. He pala is producing and managing Toto and is Luke's manager on Sonny's new label Ride Records. Sonny has been in production for the last 20 plus years with the likes of Miles Davis, The Crusaders, Al Jarreau. A wealth of great artists under his wing too numerous to mention. Needless to say Sonny got me in to see Toto and waited for me at the South entrance at the Araneta. After a long hug for all the years missed, we had a meet and greet with the band. Yes here is where we play Wayne and Garth's "we're not worthy" with the All Access passes.
I got to play Wayne's World's "We're not worthy...we suck"
From the Falling In Between 2008 Tour
I saw Toto last time they were out at the Folk Arts, Sonny not yet their manager, with David Paich, and although it was good to see some of the original Toto back then, this incarnation of Toto with original Hold the Line belter Bobby Kimball and Luke as the original voices on most of the hits, was extra special with the likes of Simon Phillips on drums, Greg Phillinganes on keyboards from Stevie Wonder's Songs in the Key of Life, high voiced rocker Tony Spinner who proudly showed me his Tele knock-off a friend made for him, and legend Leland Sklar who they fondly called "Father Time," on bass.
If you were sitting in the center at about row 7, you could hear the fine mix that their engineer produced, panning Simon's drum rolls in stereo and mixing the whole band to a point I have not heard coming out of the Araneta. Even the echo that is inherent at the Araneta disappeared. You could hear all the instruments and still talk to the person next to you. Magic to say the least. I liked that these great songs were supported by such great session musicians and mixed well, that it was as much for the music as it was for the star gazing...
The harmonies were good from Tony, Greg, Bobby. It was just a concert to remember as far as I'm concerned. Bobby and Luke hitting those high notes taking turns at lead vocals, giving originality to those hits that rocketed Toto to fame.
Luke was on fire last night singing and playing his ass off, although he was his usual perfectionist self. Who can blame him? He felt he didn't do justice. It's lonely at the top, you know. Luke was his gracious self and after Sonny chewing his ear off about me being his "oldest friend in the world," welcomed me with warmth back stage as did Leland, Greg, Simon, Tony and Bobby...Luke added a little comedy to the mix by pulling on Lee's beard in effect pulling open his mouth in time to parts of the song making Lee look like a puppet...You have to understand that after 20 plus years of doing the same songs, anyone would get tired of doing it night after night no matter who they are. Trying to dredge up the energy is not easy. We admire guys like Luke, Bobby, and session greats with them, but we forget they have their demons too facing them every step of the way. The naysayer gods telling them they can't do any better. Yes lonely at the top... I was talking to Leland and they had been on the road for 13 months and everyone was feeling tired. You have to credit these guys though, that they made these songs, became musical giants and still put out all these years, all each to their own genres and respective artists and artistry. Simon smacked those drums giving pulse to those great songs with tone to boot out of a plastic full kit. Greg played like a concert pianist adding depth to Paich's songs and arrangements. Sklar was the epitome of who's who in rock bass with his decades of being on thousands of hit records adding just the right bass parts to support a great song and arrangement. Tony, the youngster in the band giving real fine vocal and guitar support to the already great songs, while Bobby helped bring the original Toto sound and feel along with co-lead vocalist Luke.
The band gave a good performance however missing David Paich's , and the Porcaro brother's presence and influence, namely Jeff, Steve and replacing original Toto bassist David Hungate during Toto IV, Porcaro brother bassist Mike, who had some recent health issues, needing Sklar to fill in. They were there in spirit through the songs and arrangements.
It was great to hear the songs and see them play. It was like listening to a live album. Luke's also famous guitar tech Bob Bradshaw of Custom Audio was there handing Luke and Tony guitars and making sure things ran smoothly. Toto brought all their gear and just rented FOH speakers and power amps, using their own Soundcraft mixer. The hung arrays were minimal adding to the floor lined subs. Tony's $250 light as a feather, Tele copy sounded cool as he did harmony runs to Luke's solos. All of Luke's Music Man guitars were sounding great with a thick roar, through Bradshaw Custom Audio cabinets, as were the licks he was playing, throwing picks away after just a few runs. He went through Hendrix tributes, using a wah, rubbing his guitar on the mic stand and then throwing the guitar on the stage floor and climbing all over it.. and then to an EVH style licks tribute. interweaving them with his own Lukather signature triplet licks. Simon's Tama drums looked and sounded like a drummer's dream. Leland's fan fret bass and Euphonic Audio mini amp had balls of authority. Greg's 4 in all and Korg boards hung with special made stainless steel stands gave nice piano and synth. Missed him using a real Leslie though on the Hammond parts he played on the Korg. Tony played a small Fender amp and got cool tones out of minimal equipment.
Yes they experimented a bit, doing medleys and impromptu renditions. I liked that Luke experimented and thought it was cool that he trusted some of us at least to be as daring as he was last night, pulling out his Ovation acoustic and plinking out a few songs rather than go through a totally rehearsed version. In fact Luke mentioned if we were okay as an audience for putting up with their "jam."
Some surely felt short changed but at least we were treated to the real thing, not a cover version and whatever Luke did will never be done again. It was a one-off like a Picasso. Many don't know though that Luke was in despair of being a karaoke version of himself and towards the end of the night the demons haunted and tormented him. Singer Ricky Nelson's song Garden Party written decades ago, is all about the remorse of having to sing old hits over and over again and the despair that one's new songs are not as appreciated, so much so he'd rather "drive a truck" than sing his old hits... In a time of reality shows, it was reality on stage..how to be human apart from being gods...They played for two hours and there was no opening act...
Although most people were there to hear the hits, Africa and Hold the Line, it was a joy to see such great musicians on one stage playing great arrangements of great songs, with a great mix, from a musician's POV. There will be no video for this so those who did not go, sorry na lang.
My thanks to Sonny for a wonderful time amid keeping the show together, the band, Ovation Productions, and his friends happy, and for remembering our Asteroid days when we used to swim all day at Ypao Beach with Ric and Bobby.. ..You did good bro!
Nicanor "Sonny" Abelardo lll and Luke
The Asteroids circa 1960's. This is a copy from my brother Ric's collection as worn as it is:
Left to right- Fernando Gumba 15 yrs- guitar; center- Ric Macaraeg, AKA Ric Segreto, 12 yrs- vocals; Goff Macaraeg 13 yrs-guitar, seated left- Sonny Abelardo 11 yrs- drums; seated right- Bobby Abelardo, 14 yrs- bass; Nino Abelardo in the picture..our manager!