TOTO - Official Website - Concert Reviews

It was my most special pleasure to finally see the band live. I have been a fan since the day I purchased their first album (and also since Dave's and Jeff's work on Silk Degrees by Boz) It is rare that the band has made it here to the east coast - I was beyond thrilled to see the date here in CT. Beyond the music which was fantastic - was the joy of seeing these world class, incomparable musicians playing their hearts out. When 'real' music makes it's comeback these guys will be where they belong again....right at the top. It was my distinct pleasure to also speak to Luke, Bobby and Mike Porcaro. The Porcaros who are from Hartford CT seemed to have a bit of a family reunion going on. What great, down to earth guys...all that unbelievable talent and great people to boot. I will NEVER forget this experience and it is my hope that TOTO will visit the East Coast on a more regular basis. Thank you TOTO !!!

AMAZING!!!!! OUTSTANDING!!!!! TREMENDOUS!!!!! BRAVO!!!!! Went to the Toto concert last night at Brookhaven Amphitheater on Long Island and came away as impressed with these guys as I was (and fondly remember them) when I saw them back in the early 80's during their Hydra tour. Not one musician in TOTO failed to impress me. As a musician myself, I find that when I go to many concerts there is always something or someone that does not live up to the sounds you hear on the album or radio. Not with these guys. THEY ARE THE CRÈME DE LA CRÈME of our times! They are EVEN BETTER live because it allows them to demonstrate or even show-off their strengths and talents. It was also very cool and a lot of fun to watch the antics and sarcasm between Steve Lukather and David Paich! I never really knew how funny LUKE can be. Hey David, I know he's cool and he's your brother but with that sharp tongue and quick wit, Steve really had his way with you but I am sure you are able to get him back someway or sometime later. I came away thinking that I just can't understand why musicians of this caliber are not recognized as much as so many of the pop stars in our consciousness today that have far less talent. I guess that most people like the neat little tunes in the tightly packaged bubble gum wrapper. BUT GUESS WHAT? THESE ARE THE GUYS BEHIND MUCH OF THAT MUSIC!!!! It was great to see Bobby Kimball back with the band. His vocals are unparalleled. Simon Phillips, Mike Porcaro, and the new additions to the band on second keyboard and second guitar were all fantastic. But I must also add that Steve Lukather is phenomenal. He is one of the greatest guitarists of our generation! HE MAKES THAT GUITAR SING!!!! Of course, it goes without question that David Paich is the heart and soul of the band. David, you are tremendous and it was an honor to shake your hand. I must admit that I really miss Jeff and Steve Porcaro. They were both legendary performers. Is there any chance that Steve will reunite with the band? I can't wait for the release of the new studio album "Through The Looking Glass", which commemorates tunes of their favorite song writers and friends. Toto performed Bob Marley's "Could you be Loved" last night from the new upcoming album and it was outrageous! I just can't say enough good things about these guys! While every single song was truly amazing, I was hoping that they would have performed "White Sister" which in my favorite Toto song. Maybe next time...hopefully there will be a next time. Steve joked that they probably wouldn't be performing again in the U.S. since the turnout was not very big. Let me tell you though that EVERYONE there last night LOVED the show and hope to see them again. I know I do! It's a shame that musicians this great from our own country spend most of their time touring in Europe. WAKE UP AMERICA!! You don't want to miss these guys the next time they come around. Hopefully, they will grace our presence again and soon!

After waiting an eternity To see my favorite band, my prayers were finally answered last night when I attended The TOTO show at Brookhaven Amphitheater in Long Island N.Y. I was shocked to see that they were coming to do a show right in my back yard! I have been an huge TOTO fan since the early 80's. The musicianship of these guys is incredible. They were so tight, and the vocal harmonies were perfect. I feel blessed that I was fortunate to finally see these guys live. This was by far the best live show I have ever seen. Luke's guitar, and Simon's drumming were amazing. It is a shame the most of the people in the U S don't realize just how good these guys are. I am going to the mohegan sun casino (in CT) to see them again on Sunday. Hey guys, How about playing some songs from Mindfields, and Tambu in the set list! I hope that TOTO will be playing alot more in the US in the years to come.

What a great show it was! The band was tight, the selection of music was perfect. The show opened with a sweet cover of the great Steely Dan song, Bodhisattva and they just took off from there and cruised along for the rest of the 105 minutes! Some highlights were Bobby really hammering out "Girl Goodbye" as well as ever in his career, a powerful rendition of "House of the Rising Sun" where Bobby and Luke were just in overdrive form first beat through the last measure, a complete re-arrangement of "I Won't Hold You Back" that was absolutely a musical masterpiece. Simon and Michael lay down a groove that is just so strong that Luke and David are just free to show off their talents. Simon and Mike deserve so much praise as they are the backbone to this band and it just could not be done better. To be honest EVERY song was a highlight and it is hard to spotlight just a few. I could write a review on each song of the entire set and call them all a highlight of the evening. With that said, to rightfully use the word HIGHLIGHT, here is it's proper usage when referring to last evenings show. We had a very special treat at this show when Luke graciously and honorably introduced to the stage, Mr. Larry Carlton to sit in and play on a few songs! It was a tremendous pleasure and an honor just to be in attendance to see this! Luke introduced "Mr. 335" to the stage by telling us all "If it weren't for this man, I would not even be playing the guitar today" I think you'll see in the picture I've included the look of pure admiration on Luke's face when playing alongside Larry Carlton! The finale of the evening was a spirited rendition of "Home of the Brave" with David giving special praise to the New York and East Coast fans for their strength and power through all that has been endured since September 2001. A show that will go into the record books as another one of the greats personally along with all other Toto shows I've seen.

Just got back from my road trip to Long Island to see Toto at the Brookhaven Amphitheater in Farmingville, NY. I've been a huge fan for over 20 years, and this was my first opportunity ever to see Toto perform live. In a word, UNBELIEVABLE! After seeing Luke and Larry last year at BB King's in NYC, I never dreamed anything could compare. This show was truly amazing, and definitely the show of a lifetime. The poor turnout didn't seem to dampen the band's spirits, and the performance was tight and very well received by the crowd. Unknown to us prior to arriving, there were two local bands as opening acts. The first, Sonic Blonde, were very good and seemed to be enjoyed by all. Next came another local act, 7 Days. A little less well received by the audience, possibly hampered by a poor mix, but mainly by the anticipation of what was to come, in my opinion.
And then........TOTO. What an amazing performance. The set list was fantastic, the perfect mix of show standards (Africa, Rosanna, Hold The Line...) and tunes from the upcoming release, Through The Looking Glass. Bodhisattva started the evening in fine fashion. The band really seemed to enjoy ripping through this one. Other highlights included an unbelievable cover of House of The Rising Sun, Jake To The Bone (!!!), Could You Be Loved, and an amazing reworked version of I Won't Hold You Back. The biggest surprise of the evening was the announcement of a special guest. And man, what a guest!! Larry Carlton was on hand to sit in and it was completely amazing to see him and Luke work together again. What an incredible evening. It was definitely everything I had imagined, and more!!!
Well, that's about it for now. Time to pack again, a few hours of sleep and it's off to the Mohegan Sun for part two of this dream come true. See you in Den guys!!!!!

what can i say toto live in your back yard can't beat that. live at brookhaven amp. under the stars with the stars of the rock world, too bad nobody showed up to hear one of the best dam bands on the planet ! about a 1,000 people or less were at this show thats right! less than a 1,000 people not a bad seat in the house, the weather was cloudy n cool and the band couldn't have been hotter at this show. the set list was preety much the same as in the past shows leading up to last night. THESE GUYS KICK F-IN ASS BABY!!!!!!!!!!!!! THE BOYS WERE IN RARE FORM. again the tubes cancelled out too bad, some local acts played warm up but we just couldn't wait for TOTO to come on stage and when they did they rocked. STEVE cranked out, BOBBY'S voice was incrediable, DAVE kicked those keybords ass, MIKE was solid as he always- bassmeister, SIMON a monster on the skins [saw him do a drum clinic 2 yrs. ago at the vanderbuilt with my 16 yr. old son] he is with out a doubt the best god dam drummer on the planet, smokin............! Also a great bonus of the night was when LUKE brought out his mentor yes that's right LARRY CARLTON!!! unfreakin believable he jammed out with the boys and smoked a lead in 'hold the line' LUKE was in his glory beaming with glee. saw LUKE and LARRY at B.B. KINGS last year what a show they put on. To me one of the best parts of the night besides the increable musicianship was thier harmonies . these guy with out a doubt are one of the best singing bands around today, too bad most of the world just doesn't get it ! LIVE MUSICANS THAT ACTUALLY PLAY AND SING WHAT A CONCEPT ! maybe one day the rest of the world will get it and take notice [yes it is a cruel world!!], until then thank you guys for the last 25 yrs. of great music and coming to my back yard and puttin on one hell of a show. thanks again take care

WOW!!!!

I've been a serious TOTO fan since day one and this is the first time I've seen them live. I drove 10 hours from Sudbury, Ontario, Canada and back the next day and I would do it again tomorrow! The show was everything I expected from this truly premium group of musicians. Spot-on, very professional performances on each and every song and they looked like they were jamming in a garage somewhere! The Steely Dan tune to start was totally rockin' and set the stage for an excellent evening. Easily the BEST show I have ever seen. Since my buddies and I were so burnt from driving, we left when the show was done and I'm now totally pissed to hear that the band came out afterwards to chat and sign autographs! I'm such an idiot. I sure hope there is a next time and perhaps somewhere closer like Toronto. I believe the guys would get as much or more support here. Thanks to the band for great tunes - I can die now.

i've seen footage of the band live and thought it was good, but this show blew it away completely!

the evening began with the disappointment of the tubes cancellation and the lack of turn out, but the comedian who filled in was hillarious and i was pumped by the time toto took the stage. i'm a huge steely dan fan and bodhisattva was rockin'! i loved how they then segued right into girl goodbye. next, africa was awesome! in all the live versions of this song i have heard, this is the only one that rivaled the vocals on the original. it brought shivers! could you be loved and house of the rising son were both kicking. can't wait for the album! other highlights were every other song, of course, but especially the new i won't hold you back and a really funky georgy porgy! hold the line and home of the brave were awesome too! the onstage humor between luke and dave was great as well. the one thing that was nice about the poor turnout was that i bot to sit in the 7th row right near the center. the only real disappointment is that there was no merchandise, so i'll be buying it from toto99 asap! this show was definitely worth soaked clothes. you guys better be back here next summer!!!

Ok, time for a review of the Clarkston show in Michigan USA. The turnout was pretty good at the DTE amphitheater that can hold up to 16,000. The count was close to 10,000 people. All this considering it poured very heavily for 3 hours before the show. The Tubes were supposed to open but cancelled last minute so they brought in a local comedian who was actually pretty funny. I met some great friends who like myself are diehard fans whom I had not seen since the 99 show in Vegas, John Marshall and Len Ventura flew in from Connecticut to see the show and it was fantastic seeing them before the show and backstage as well. Now to the show. Playing outdoors is never an easy thing to do as it is very hard to control the sound. That being said this is by far the best live outdoors show I have ever heard in my life.The band was very tight for the whole show but were definitely really enjoying themselves, which was great to see. The band opened with that Steely Dan tune off of TTLG "Bodhavista". The crowd liked this tune and got into it right away. Bobby Kimball rules on this tune, in fact he kicks ass on every tune. The guy is like fine wine, he gets better with age. His vocal range is astonishing and very impressive. If I had to pick a favorite song it would be House Of the Rising Sun, Bobby really kicked on that tune and nailed it perfectly as did the whole band. David Paich and Steve Lukather were up to their usual shenanigans and were funny as hell. I especially liked David's Impressions of acting like a robot while copying Steve and Mike playing. I loved Lukes T-Shirt, it said "Need Head", a picture of a stickman with no head, hahahah. I loved all of the three new tunes which were all heavily reworked including "Could You be Loved" by Bob Marley. Bobby had a great time singing this and the crowd really liked the tune as well and were grooving to it. The new versions of Wont Hold You Back and Georgy Porgy were awesome. Tony Spinner has a great voice and to an extent rasps a bit like Josephs and I loved his rendition of Stop loving You. He has a much more prominent role than in the last tour and is also a great guitar player. The 2nd last song of the night Hold The Line was amazing and the fans were rocking big time (Davids and Lukes solos stood out big time). They brought down the house with Home Of the Brave. My God, David and especially Bobby sang this song so well. I wondered how he would sing Joseph's songs and I was not disappointed at all. I cant wait to hear Bobby sing more of Joseph's stuff like "Pamela". The Solo's All band members have new solos and they are all out of this world. Steve Lukather was incredible, Mike "The groovemeister" was so smooth and slick. Simon Phillips is such a busy player and got a standing ovation with his solo and David Paiches hand speed blew me away. To Conclude, the boys are back with a new album and a new record deal. They sound better than ever and are having a helluva allot of fun. Looks to me like we will be hearing allot from TOTO in North America in the coming months and years with the new deal. PS: I would also like to Thank the guys for taking time out for autographs, pictures and just having a chat, as well as their manager Sonny who is a really nice guy. Not many bands would do this, and a very special thanks to the best singer on the planet, Bobby Kimball.

Just reeling over last night's (July 22) TOTO show at DTE Music Theater in Clarkston, Michigan (near Detroit).
Two hours before the show, the 100 degree heat index caused a huge thunderhead to roll in and kicked up a nasty lightning storm. Being that the venue is an outdoor amphitheater, this shed a little downcast amongst the early birds awaiting to get into the facility. Once in, fans were treated to hearing a sound check by the band (although we were not allowed to be seated, the acoustics were just fine) while a torrential downpour and enormous flashes of lightning rattled all around. Upon a lull in the rain, ticket holders were seated in the covered pavilion area and were able to see approximately 1½ minutes of the band finishing up. As the fans continued to roll into an at first virtually empty arena area, they were alarmed to discover that the Tubes had cancelled as the opening act and was replaced instead by a comedian. A COMEDIAN!!!! This brought the excitement level of the show down by 15% knowing that two semi-collaborative bands would not be performing together. Many soaking wet, irate Tubes fans / ticket holders demanded and received money back at the box offices. After an extremely long and unfunny set by the comedian, the lights finally dimmed for the REAL show to start.
I have seen TOTO once here in 1993 on the KOD tour, and was not only ecstatic to see them again, but elated that my wife (whom I have faithfully converted into a TOTO fan) would finally get to see them live. The show started as we sat down in our 8th row seats with the band whipping into a hard rock version of "Bodhisattva" from the upcoming "Through the Looking Glass" release. A scan of the covered area had me realizing that the entire area was now ¾ filled (that is about 2,000 seats). The entire play list was as follows (in order):
Bodhisattva
Girl Goodbye
Africa
I'll be Over You
Could You be Loved
House of the Rising Sun
Jake to the Bone
Stop Loving You
I Won't Hold You Back (the British Remix)
Georgy Porgy
Rosanna
Hold the Line
and Home of the Brave on the encore
The show was outstanding, the band rocked! The night was exemplified by Luke and David's comical banter back and forth; Bobby's belting out (especially on Girl Goodbye) the heavy lyrics - he seemed so "at home" to be with the band again; Simon on "Jake to the Bone"; and even rhythm guitarist Tony Spinner singing "Stop Loving You" was a well received addition to the TOTO family. Mike and Bobby's admiration for each other as TOTO founders and artists showed through with their great stage performances and interaction. Unfortunately (as in usual tour promoter fashion) the show was marred by Luke losing his luggage; the fact that NO t-shirts / programs / CDs / or anything was being sold; and of course a COMEDIAN opening the show!!!!!
Oh, if only the boys would come back in a club atmosphere and play for a 2 hour show like back in 1993... The REAL fans would pay $100.00 per ticket to see an awesome spectacle like that! Until then, we WILL stand in the pouring rain in 90 degree weather to see what is without a doubt THE BEST BAND EVER!!!

I've only been a fan for 20 years and had never seen TOTO live... until tonight. And it was 20 years worth waiting. I took my 13 year old daughter, (she's been officially converted), and even though it rained most of the night, and the attendance was very low, TOTO gave us a show that will never be forgotten.

The set list was the same as previous shows, giving us some of the new and jamming with alot of the old. Though I have nothing to compare it to, these guys gave us 100%. The sound was great, (not too loud), and the vocals were awesome. The bond that these guys have created over the years show that they truly love to give their audience the time of their life. And that's what my daughter and I experienced.

Not only on stage are these guys true musicians, but off stage these guys are true gentlemen. We had the privilege of meeting and talking with the guys, getting pictures and autographs, and being part of an awesome evening. These guys are my HEROES.

THANK YOU TOTO.

If you've never experienced true art, then you've never experienced TOTO.

Hello to all!
I had the joy of seeing Monday's show outside of Detroit and, as usual, Toto's unequaled greatness came shining through. The show took place at the DTE Energy Theater which was known for many years as Pine Knob. Now I'm not a fan of Steely Dan's "Bodhisattva", but what a killer opener this is for Toto. Just a joy to hear live and infectious due to the joy the band is having playing the song and the quality of the playing. They and the crowd have no time to cool down as "Girl Goodbye" keeps the fire burning. These two songs represent an awesome 1-2 punch and really set the tone for the evening!
A spirited version of "Africa" with strong vocals from David and Bobby precedes a typically beautiful, heartfelt version of "I'll Be Over You". Luke informs the crowd at this point that a new album is forth coming. It is now I get my first taste ever of the Bob Marley song "Could You Be Loved". Great arrangement of this song, though I can't compare it to the original version due to my never hearing it. I won't hesitate to say the Toto version is better!!! "House Of The Rising Sun" follows with great strength and a more than convincing lead vocal from the master, Bobby Kimball.
Luke launches into a tasty but shorter guitar solo and sends love to Jeff Porcaro (gone nearly 10 years-GOD BLESS YOU, JEFF!!!) as he and the band blast into "Jake To The Bone".
Now it's Simon's turn to mesmerize me and the rest of the crowd with a drum solo equipped with both thunder and finesse. No one is better! No one comes close!
The end of the solo creatively links into "Stop Loving You" with Tony Spinner on lead vocals. He does a wonderful job on this song in my opinion and the music takes me back to those wonderful SEVENTH ONE days. "I Won't Hold You Back" is next with a new, haunting musical background reminiscent of the old Breathe song "Hands To Heaven" (anyone remember that song?). Nice, creative change to a classic! The funky "Georgy Porgy" gets everyone back on their feet and the energetic trade off between crowd and band continues with "Rosanna".
"Hold The Line" keeps things going at an upbeat pace with my buddies Pete, Len, and Glenn getting to chime in on some "love isn't always on time" lines courtesy of Bobby and his microphone. After band intros, the show concludes with the patriotically powerful "Home Of The Brave" with an outstanding vocal trade off between Bobby and David and typically tight music.
This show, for me, was outstanding due to the typically brilliant music and the freshness created by the set changes. A joy in every imaginable way! Joy also represents being with my dear friends Len Ventura, Peter Yablonsky, and Glenn Gross. So good to see my friends Rick and Tom Rudar as well as Rick Such and Mark Ridout. Wish I could see you all more. Missed the heck out of Sally Yablonsky (best cook in the world!), Anne Marie Mangano, and Steve McVey. The weekend is coming!!!
Fellow fans/friends-GET OUT AND SEE TOTO!!! As always, you will be glad you did!!! Thank you, Toto, for the wonderful show!
God bless!

Toto KICKS ASS! What an amazing show. I have been a fan since the first album, (took a lot of crap in high school over that) but have never seen the band live. I still couldn't find anyone to go with me, but went anyway and I'm glad I did. This was the tightest live gig I think I've ever seen. Every song was perfect. Being a keyboard player I never used to pay that much attention to the guitar. OLY CRAP! My albums sound brand new. Luke is incredible. I knew he was good, but WOW! Everyone was great. I'm also glad Bobby came back. The vocal harmonies were so in tune, the band is just so together. I just wish more people were into real musicians. This was by far one of the best concerts I've ever been to. Thanks for a great night guys.

Just got home from the concert and the boys were awesome (as usual). The turn out was unfortunately quite light due to lack of advertising, also a very hot muggy night with heavy rain at times didn't help. Those of us who did go were not disappointed. If I heard Luke correctly I believe he said that it had been 20 years since they had played here. Hopefully it won't be as long the next time they come back. The band rocked the house and their version of "Georgy Porgy" was so cool. Along with its normal cool groove they broke into a very jazzy section during Paich's keyboard solo, that brought a smile to me as well as Luke, Mike and Simon. Simon's solo was mind boggling. With twists and turns at any moment that had me sitting on the edge of my seat watching him directly rather then video screens located on side of the stage. His drums (the kick drums roared) and cymbals sounded terrific during the solo. His kit looked a bit strange with the Octobons missing and a Timbale in their place. This was used quite extensivley during their version of Bob Marley's "Could this be love". The kit just didn't look right with the Octobons being gone (their great sound was missed too). Hopefully this is just a temporary change. Luke and Paich were hilarious with their give and take between tunes. Poor Luke had to play in shorts and a t-shirt given to him by someone (the graphic on shirt matches Luke's "colorful" personality to a tee) because his luggage was lost somewhere. At times Simons toms got a bit lost in the mix when things got very loud but his snare and kick drums sure didn't. Everyone's playing was excellent with Mike really laying down a great foundation for everyone to play off of. The band closed with "Home of the Brave" which I was looking forward to hearing live after having listened to it so many times on both studio and live recordings. Again a great time was had by all. Thank you Simon and all the others from Toto.

Got to see my favorite band and a chance to meet them as well in Cadott at Rockfest 07/21/02. My brother and I traveled from Dallas, Texas to see this great band and as usual they kicked some serious ass ! It was hot as hell when Toto took the stage and about a third of the way through it started raining and the temperature dropped about twenty degrees which was much needed! We were on the fifth row center stage and got some great pictures. I got to go back and shake hands with each band member and I got to get a picture with Luke and Simon. They are all great guys and very down to earth. This was my fifth time to see the band and it was the best show ever. I have traveled to four different states to see them. Guys if you read this, please come to Texas soon. If i'm not mistaken, the last time was in 1991. I saw the show at Deep Ellum Live (Kingdom of Desire) tour. See you soon.

Toto was my favorite band; and then I saw them live. I was blown away. I honestly did not expect them to be that good. The didn't have a flat note in the entire show.

Before they came on a brief video interview was played on the big screen. The interviewer asked if there was anything special to be expected. Luke said "David Paich plays completely naked. He's got the biggest cock in the band." I was standing next to my mother. haha.

They played the "new and improved" I Won't Hold you back, which sounded great. The vocals were crisp and ringing. This show had the best vocals I've ever heard at a rock show. Could You be Loved from the up-coming album was great. I can't wait for the release. There was a group of fans there dressed as the characters from Wizard of Oz. There was also a storm coming in, the lights were swinging. Luke commented "that's why the band is named Toto." During Hold the Line, which rocked, Luke and Bobby walked out into the audience and jammed among the fans. The whole band looked like they were having fun. Some of the other bands at the fest could learn something from Toto's stage presence.

Bobby was perfect. He hit everything clear and strong. His descants in Rosanna were better than ever. He kicked ass on Home of the Brave. I was curious how he would handle a Joe song. He owned it.

Luke rocked. Just like everyone always says. Looks like he could do it in is sleep. Really fun to watch.

Simon had a drum solo. That was about the fastest double bass I've ever heard. That guy is amazing.

Paich wore his Spear Britney shirt and did some great keys stuff. The Africa chorus sounded better than the studio recording.

Mike never left the groove. It followed him.

This was the best show I've ever seen. I watched Toto make new fans during it. My only complaint is that it was way too short, but that's what you get at festivals. I hope they come back to the midwest on the album/25th anniversary tour. If not, I gotta start saving for plane tickets.
Amazing.

When I was an 8 year old boy, I found a record in the parking lot of a shopping mall. For any random reason someone had left it on the hood of my mother's car. It was TOTO "IV". Ever since TOTO has been my favourite band. I am 25 now and this has been my fifth TOTO show and I think it was the best I have seen so far. The guys just sounded great. When entering the stage with a fast and yet very smooth version of Bodhisattva the crowd was freaking out. So much energy! The band continued with a journey through TOTO history and some new titles: "Could you be loved" and "House of the rising sun" perfectly worked for the cheering crowd. As always, the band played, like they were one person - perfect timing and enough space for each musician to get as much beauty out of his instrument as possible. The show was partly very emotional. Especially David's introduction of "Home of the Brave" catched the audience and gave the song even more positive energy! Luke's solos: what can I say? I own a Music Man Luke myself and always want to sell it after I saw him live. It is simply unbelievable what you get out of this guitar, man!! I wish I could play half of that stuff! Fantastic! The show had also very funny moments, i.e. when Paich held an umbrella over Simon's head during his solo and was complaining about the time Luke needs for everything: for his soloing, band introduction, etc...
It was a great night and I truly believe that this band is the most creative, charismatic, energetic and most ass-kicking band in the world! The crowd showed this by giving the band one "La Ola" after the other. The only thing I missed was "Child's anthem" since I think it rounds up every TOTO show and gives it a certain exciting peak. I hope you will play that one in Frankfurt!
Lastly I wanna say a big thank you to the guy who had left that TOTO record on my mother's car!

Toto were playing their set in at a historic place between the Aachen Dome and the city hall, which made the whole thing very special. The members of the Band are always playing in the premier league of musicians. After all these years it seems to me, that they didn't lose the hunger for rock 'n roll. But I must complain, the show was a little bit short. I missed the great songs of "Mindfields"! Hope you guys will play "Caught in the Balance" and "Better world", when you return in fall! One special note for Luke: I play guitar and saw a lot of famous guitar players and so called guitar heros. Maybe some of them are faster then you or know more killer licks. But Luke, when you enter the stage, I allays know: You are the one and only guitar hero on the planet!! By the way: What is the drink in that mysterious cup, which your roadie always fills up during the set? If it makes you acting so cool I must have the ingredients! All the best from Bad Münstereifel, Germany.

I was on Bospop in Weert (Holland) at the 12th of july and saw TOTO. I took my camera bud I couldn't get it in. The only chance to take some pictures of my favorite group was to by an instant camera at one of the stands (shit). I am a fan from the day they started and every time they (or Luke) will play in Holland, I'm there. The show was great!!!!!!!!!! The boys were enjoying themselves and that made them do things right from the heart. After Bodhisattva (it could have been a TOTO song), they played Girl Goodbye, Africa and a new version of I won't hold you back. This new version is not my favorit preformance. Then they played a song of Bob Marley and the crowd got more crazy. This was not so difficult because it sounded good and after TOTO there was a performance of UB40. After Jake to the Bone Tony Spinner sang Stop loving you, and did a great job. The boys also played Georgy Porgy, Rosanna and Hold the line and it was like a party, just great. The band went of the stage and after a minute or two they came bach to play Home of the brave. It was one of the best shows I've ever seen. At last I will thank the girls wich were standing next to me for getting me a beer.
Regards,

Once before I had the pleasure of visiting a concert of this legendary band, founded way back in the 70's, during their past-to-present tour in 1990. I look back to that concert with very fond memories. It was at the time of the short interlude of singer Jean-Michel Byron with Toto, who I liked back than contrary to most fans, but it could be that I was just impressed by the quality of the band on that evening. The line-up than was Byron on vocals, Steve Lukather marvelously on guitar, David Paich, and if I remember correctly all three Porcaro-brothers, the much missed Jeff on drums, Steve and Mike on bass. But back to this day, after more than 11 years I was very excited to see Toto again. The performing musicians on this night were the backbone 3, Luke, Mike Porcaro and David Paich on keyboards. Besides them the successor of Jeff Porcaro for 10 years now, Englishman Simon Philips and the returned singer, who had helped form the band, Bobby Kimball. Next to the current members there were also 2 additional musicians, John Jessel (keyboards) and Tony Spinner (guitar), who both also played a vocal part in the show. They started off with a song from the cover-album "Through the looking glass", which is to be released in September. As I later found out it was the Steely Dan-tune "Bodhisattva". During the next song I saw a giant balloon in the sky who seemingly also wanted to reap the benefits of hearing this band play. "Africa" with a great bass solo by Mike, was dedicated to Steve (Porcaro?) and the new single, the Bob Marley-cover "Could you be loved" was announced as something that all UB40-fans in the audience would especially enjoy. What I noticed during the first part of the show was that the sound was not that loud. Most bands just turn the volume up, when they're playing, so the false notes seem to fade in the loudness of it all. Not these guys, who are musically still as firm as a rock and besides that were moving about the stage like young puppies with wiggling tails. Next came the first highlight of their act (at least for me) the instrumental piece "Jake to the bone", which was dedicated to all musicians in the crowd and Jeff (Porcaro). I immensely enjoyed the craft of playing a guitar that Steve Lukather displayed during this song (and others) and the finely tuned equilibrium of light effects and sounds outthere. "Stop loving you" was sung by Tony Spinner and the next highlight arrived with "I won't hold you back" in a new mellow arrangement, inspired by the use of the intro of this song by New York DJ Roger Sanchez in his hitsingle "Another chance" (don't like that single btw, I always want to hear the rest of "I won't hold you back" when I listen to it). The ending of the show was spectacular with 2 of my favourite Toto-songs, "Rosanna" and "Hold the line". I also should mention the masterful way of playing by David Paich during "Rosanna", well all these guys were good and even more very much enjoying themselves on stage and by that they ignited a flame that sparkled over to the audience. The last song played was "Home of the brave", understandably after 9/11, not my favourite song, but beautyfully performed once again.

Toto live at Bospop 12 July, The Netherlands, through my looking glass... After 1 hour driving and picking up a friend and his wife, my girlfriend and I arrived at Bospop, Weert. The weather was good, fortunately it wasn't raining, so the party could begin. There were playing more nice bands as Venice and a Dutch group Van Dik Hout, but it seemed that most people were coming for UB40 and Toto. As a fan since 1988 and seeing Toto many times live, I was curious how the band would sound. They came up at 9:15 pm, and it showed that they had fun and energy already! The opener was Bodhisattva, and the crowd started to get wild, unless the song isn't familiar with most people. I was surprised how fresh the band played, like they played as a starting band! After the opener Goodbye Girl, a song which is really great playing at a festival. Of course they played all the hits, a new version of I won't hold you back, and Stop loving you with Tony Spinner doing great on vocals. The first single "Could you be loved" was sung by the whole crowd, not surprising as there were many UB40 fans, it seemed they liked what Toto did. It was a great version with a typical Toto sound, and John Jessel doing some rapping! As Home of the Brave is one of my favorite Toto-songs ever, it was great they played it as last song, instead of Hold the Line. When the show was over, it started to rain! The best thing I think of this show was that it showed that the band really had fun in playing together again. They are not the youngest anymore but they had the energy of a schoolband, just like they started 25 years ago. So let's hope they are going to make more new albums for the new label.

...nothing to say...it was a great, an absolut fantastic evening, enthusiastic for all people....

1.) Bodhisattva (powerful opening)
2.) Girl goodbye (more powerful)
3.) Africa
4.) I'll be over you (for all beautiful girls this evening)
5.) Could you be loved (it grooves and swings, it's great)
6.) House of the rising sun (Bobby's favourite)
7.) Luke Solo (too good to be true)
8.) Jake to the bone (dedicated to all musicians and to Jeff - is it still the best Toto song?)
9.) Simon Solo (enthusiastic)
10.) Stop loving you (powerful rhythm - Tony Spinner at singing)
11.) I won't hold you back (new groove - very good - this is fucking good music, as Steve said not a sleepy and copied DJ song like "Another chance")
12.) Georgy porgy (it swings like never before)
13.) Rosanna
14.) Hold the line
Encore:
15.) Band intro with Tony Spinner playing Sgt. Pepper´s and David Paich playing his solo
16.) great Steve Lukather with great Al di Meola playing against each other (who's faster at playing?)
17.) Home of the brave (never let it end)

This was one of the first Open Air concerts in the village of Losheim, Germany - near by the camping and sea area. The weather was fine, the atmosphere was beautiful. All musicians, Al di Meola, Manfred Mann, especially Toto liked the relaxed people and the fantastic organisation. Al di Meola was standing next to us and was drinking his beer, Toto was in the crowd and listened to Al di Meolas notes. Beautiful, no more words to say. See you next year.

I visited the above-mentioned concert and I have to say that is was very great. It was my first TOTO-Concert I saw. Until this day I've only known your CD's and the famous songs like "Africa", "Rosanna" etc.. This evening in Germany in "Losheim am See" was great and I was enthusiastic about the power and the live performance of you all. In this context my compliment to Steve Lukather too. Your solos on the guitar are great. By the way: It's right what Mr. Lukather said during the concert about the "DJ in London" and his house-version of "I won't hold you back" . He said "What a f..." and I also think so. The original is a beautiful ballad. Sometimes it's terrible how other people mutilate a good song. It's the same with the "logical" song of Supertramp and the techno-version of a no-name band here in Germany.

On the 7th July I went to Midtfyn Festival to see my favorite band since 1978, and TOTO gave a great concert, where everything went good including the weather. There was an excellent spirit from all the members in TOTO, the sound was good, and the audience was great. I had pursuaded my wife to make our summer holiday in Berlin, so after the Midtfyn concert we took a bus to Berlin. To be sure that I could find the place where the concert was supposed to take place in the evening we went to Museums Insel in the afternoon AT THE RIGHT TIME.........because the guys were just to start the soundtest. They were really relaxed and had a lot of fun with each other, and I made 40-50 pictures. And thank you for that, because in the evening I was not allowded to take my digital camera with to the concert. It was not such a big audience as in Midtfyn, and unfortunately the sound was not as good either, but I had a great time. This was my 9th time I was lucky to see TOTO, Larry & Luke 1 time in Amsterdam , and the "Tribute To Jeff Concert" in Koblenz, and have ordered a ticket for Copenhagen and Hamburg in November.
Regards,

Throughout the whole Midtfyns Festival (Denmark) the rain had been pouring down and on the last day the crowd badly needed the sun to shine. During the day all dark, rainy clowds disappeared leaving the sky open for the sun to get through and all afternoon the weather was georgeous. By the time TOTO hit the stage the sun was full on. A perfect setting for the excited audience and for the band.

TOTO opened with a burning up-tempo version of the Steely Dan tune "Boddhisattva" and they had immediately the big crowds going. Fantastic to hear them play new material again (can't wait for the upcoming album release) and great to witness that the guys are as tight, groovy and happy on stage as ever. I've seen TOTO quite a lot over the past years but the show they put on to close this Festival last night was more than great tunes in new arrangements, mindblowing solos and fresh, great sounding new material. The gig revealed a bunch of unbelieveably skilled musicians touring once again with the same ultimate rockband, after 25 years of service. Everybody on stage seemed really happy to be together in TOTO and to be able to perform live with such enormous, great material that TOTO if any, has.

The setlist was similar to the one previous fans before me has reported and the only thing I didn't quite understand was the fact that Bobby did not sing "Home of the Brave"? Besides from that the audience absolutely rocked and really digged the show. Luke's introductions of each bandmember was hilarious and the new version of "I won't hold you back" and "Could You Be Loved" was really tasty stuff.

We are a huge group of fans that will be on the spot when TOTO returns to Denmark in the fall. For those of you who never saw TOTO live - GO!!!

The ruined castle in Borgholm holds 4,000 spectators. Not that many people attended, it looked more like about a 1,000 to me. The four previous TOTO shows I have seen (since Tambu in '95) all had a much larger audience, and the tremendous cheering generated from such a crowd really adds a spark to it all. It's funny, after 25 years, the bulk of the crowd still consists of 20-30-years-olds. But I also saw middle-aged people, teenage girls, a mom with a babycart, two punky looking guys with Ramones tags on their denim jackets, and lots of musicians, naturally. Anyway, to make a long story short, the show was excellent as usual, only too short! One and a half hours fly by so fast. The sound quality was excellent. The opener was a terrific version of "Bodhisattva," which was immediately followed by "Girl Goodbye." (I love when they slide from one song into another like that). "Africa" featured a bass solo courtesy of the mega-cool Mike Porcaro, who seems to look more and more like Jeff as the years go by. One idiot newspaper reviewer (who awarded the concert one star out of five, as all the Swedish critics always do), said that "the mega-hit 'Africa' worked splendidly", while Bob Marley's "Could You Be Loved" was "nauseating" and "the most sexless office party reggae ever performed in Sweden." Ha ha ha. The fact is that "Could You Be Loved" was great, while "Africa", to me, is always rather, well...dull live. It's obviously NOT a poor song, but unlike the other complementary hits played on every tour, it does not lend itself to rearrangement and "blowing." We've heard it one time too many. "Georgy Porgy" on the other hand, was fantastic. It's always one of the high points of a TOTO show, and the band comes up with a different arrangement each tour. It's pretty obvious that this tune is one of the band's own favorites, as well as mine. The jazzy thing that gets going at the end is wonderful. For me, the low point was "Stop Loving You." Tony Spinner does a good job singing it , but this is one song that really needs Jeff's incredibly pronounced backbeat and sneaky hi-hat to come alive. But most of all, why on earth choose this song instead of some upbeat crowd-pleaser like "Afraid Of Love"/"Lovers In The Night", "Gift With A Golden Gun", "Carmen", "Angel Don't Cry", "Isolation", etc. Obviously, the answer is that it was a hit record and many of the fans like it. But really, "Stop Loving You" should be scrapped for the fall/winter tour. The ending of the song, though, was brilliantly musical, and the same goes for all the live versions. Ingenious. Luckily, the ill-advised acoustic set of the Mindfields tour has been removed. A medley of ballads kind of makes a show bog down. Better to throw in a slow song here and there, and play the full piece. How about a medley of fast songs instead? It would be cool to hear "Drag Him To The Roof" go into "Carmen", as they feature almost identical guitar riffs in the same key.

After "Hold Of The Line", the band left the stage and came back for one encore, "Home Of The Brave". Great tune. Luke forgot to play his part during one segment of the song, and in embarassment put his finger like a gun to his head. When the same part of the song came again, Paich ran out from behind his keyboards (a Korg Triton and a Yamaha Motif 8) and put his ear to Luke's guitar, whereupon Luke jokingly tried to kick Dave in the butt as he ran back. It's a real treat to see these guys' sense of humour and the fun they display on stage. Other humorous moments were Luke's impersonation of Sammy Davis, jr. and his presentation of Mike Porcaro as "the biggest dick of all." :)

Further observations: The octobans in Simon's Tama set up in British racing green have been replaced by a kettledrum, which he used especially in "Could You Be Loved." As usual, he played impossibly well. John Jessel, long time second keyboardist, looked very emotional, putting his fist to his heart as he took a bow to the cheering crowd during the band presentation. David Paich wore new shades, instead of his Wayfarers, and Luke's Music Man guitar is now is black sparkle. Bobby Kimball's voice held up very well. Finally, a curvaceous mystery girl entered the stage for "Hold The Line" to sing additional vocals. I have no idea who she was. All in all, a great show, which will be even better later this year, when some more mid 80s stuff they haven't played for a while will be added to the setlist. Looking forward to the show in Stockholm in November.

The weather cleared up just as the band arrived in a van. It was two hours before the concert started, so there weren't that many fans there yet. It was really cool, getting to see the band offstage like that! Luckily i got a place right by the riot barrier, about a meter from the stage. I desperately tried to catch one of Steve Lukather´s plectrums, but sadly I didn't succeed. The concert was amazing and the crowd ecstatic. The band members are SO cool! They are extremely skilled and they certainly know how to give the audience a good time and their money worth. Mr Lukather´s guitar solos - oh my god!! You could tell the band enjoyed themselves on stage too, which helped create an even more magic atmosphere. I have to say, it was one of the best concerts I've ever visited. And as for the songs... They sure are classics, all of them. The crowd sang along in every single song, not just the more wellknown like Africa, Hold The Line and Rosanna. I've got only one thing to say to those who haven't been to a Toto concert - get tickets NOW!

This concert took place at the ruins of the castle in Borgholm, Sweden.I don´t really know how many there was in the audience. I´d say about 2000. Just a bit too little for this arena. Add an thousand and there would have been a real party.... The guys started with BODHISTATTVA. Great song really. Can´t wait to hear the album!! Best cuts this night: Girl goodbye, Africa (but too slow...) - Don´t know why, but they always seem to slow this song down live. The catchy thing disappears. Could you be loved? -- Great!!! Better than Bob Marley himself. Luke said killer version, and I can´t but agree. Still singing this song. House of the rising sun - Well, Bobby just is the ONE for these vocals!!! And Luke played his ass off!! The lack of organsolo made me a bit disappointed, but you can´t get it all.... I won´t hold you back - Best version I´ve ever heard!!!! Great with the sequencing. Jake to the bone - What can I say??? I´ll be over you, Home of the brave - Even if Luke forgot to play one time... He made very funny though.... Not so good songs: (Sorry but they were a few) Stop loving you - Tony sings terrific, but why not Bobby. I mean he´s such a great singer and the lead vocalist of the band??? And put Tony in FRONT while singing. Don´t know if Jeff´s drumming on this one is totally diffrent from Simon´s, but it definately did NOT swing... Slow and staggering. Rosanna - Great sung, and great played, but the synthsolo is just a shadow of what it used to be. Just that trumpetsound. Pity.. And so slow that it dosent even get catchy. All in all it was a good show. But I have too ask: Bobby is back. I love it and all of you too I guess. Then why is he more off-stage, than on-stage??? I mean: The man has got THE VOICE. Use it and let him sing!! He´s after all the leadsinger of the band. This was my 13th Toto concert since 1988. Take care!!

Friday afternoon, finish the job, 140km from Göteborg is a Toto concert tonight, what to do, sitting in my sofa, behind the wall and watching Tv or what? No, no.

This was my second Toto concert this week and I didn't join the concert in the same way as in Marstrand, I just wanted to go there and relax and enjoy the wonderful music. Here is my reiew on some parts of the concert.

The chorus leader from Marstrand was the first we heard when we arrived to the area, -Give me a "T", give me a "O" etc. I think Steve gave this man a big smile when Steve entered the stage.

AFRICA - Mike did a very nice base solo in the middle of the song and the audience really loved it. Personally I would like to see much more of this from Mike. It has become a rare experience to see Mike playing a solo. His bass playing is really fantastic and lovely, maybe we can expect us more solo from Mike during next tour?

I WON'T HOLD YOU BACK - I really love the performance of this song, based on the theme from DJ Roger Sanchez they made it very cool. David, like a cool funky dj he says, check out the DJ, and points on his keyboard back up behind him. Take a look at Mike's playing here, it is divine.

HOUSE OF THE RISING SUN - Bobby's voice is wonderful on this song. It shows his power and strength of singing. No doubt that this is going to be one of the highlights on the forthcoming record.

COULD YOU BE LOVED (Bob Marley) - The chorus is nice and funky and it is ok as a segment to a summer tour. To see Toto perform it was great.

JAKE TO THE BONE - David Paich, this man is cool, he played air bass during Mike's intro of this song. Mr Steve Lukather, particular the solo spots on this song will I hardly forget, I shiver when I thinking about it. And of course Simon Phillips, the man from England, I'm impressed.

GEORGY PORGY - David did a cool Honky Tonky solo here. Every time I have heard this song live it is always a new variant.

HOME OF THE BRAVE - Is it the best ToTo song or what? The audience was ecstatic to hear it. I am really glad to hear and see them perform this song live.

Unfortunately the band did not offer one or two more songs, the audience really screaming for an extra number a long time afterwards. The most positive during this tour apart from seeing the band perform was that there were no endless solos, they put on the extra musical touch in the songs instead and I prefer that.

The concert was held in a castle yard at Marstrand. Before the gates opening to the area people were singing ToTo songs in chorus, the atmosphere was that this is going to be something special tonight.
Mr Paigh boarded the stage with a cup of coffee and says "skål!" (cheers) to the audience in Steve's microphone and the party was a fact.
I have never seen or heard ToTo like this, it was funky and they freaked out in most of the songs with different sounds and of course, there were a lot of laugh and joke too. At the song Africa "I bless the rain down in Africa" the rain fell like - I don't know, but the audience didn't care, it was party and I think the gods joined us. During the introduction of the band David played mouth organ, heavy blues, it was cool.
There is so much more to say about this evening but I want to leave it open to the rest of you that are going to see the show. Is it the concert of the year so far? It's up to you, for me, it was no doubt about it.

Toto's new tour has officially begun!! The new set is finally hereand it's a GREAT time for Toto fans everywhere! It was very clear to everyone Saturday in Temecula that the guysare ready to hit the road for what is going to be an incredible25th Anniversary Tour. If Toto has not toured in your area for awhile, this is your chance to get out and see what we have all beenenjoying for so long. I guarantee you will not be disappointed!! Toto drew a huge crowd for this festival setting. Most of us got therevery early to get a great location for the show and watched as more and more people arrived to pack the site. As Toto fans, most of us have been wondering what changes they would be making to the set list for this tour. Here is the list for this show:
1) BODHISTATTVA (Steely Dan)
2) AFRICA
3) GIRL GOODBYE
4) I'LL BE OVER YOU
5) HOUSE OF THE RISING SUN (Eric Burden)
(Luke solo)
6) COULD YOU BE LOVED (Bob Marley)
7) JAKE TO THE BONE
(Simon solo)
8) STOP LOVING YOU
9) I WON'T HOLD YOU BACK (great new version, very Phil Collins)
10) ROSANNA
11) HOLD THE LINE
ENCORE
12) GEORGY PORGY
13) HOME OF THE BRAVE
Like I said, Toto was sounding great and it was obvious that they werehaving fun and are looking forward to an amazing tour. I would expect the set list and/or order to change as time goes on. You got the feeling that they were testing for a response and from the crowd thatday, they got it!! This was a 90 minute show and I'm sure that willincrease with the changes. In addition to the fun that the band was having, it was great to seethat they utilized Tony Spinner more this time around. For those of you who are not familiar, Tony plays second guitar and background vocals for Toto and has done a great job for years. They have moved him to a more prominent position on stage and he shares lead vocals with Bobby on "Stop Loving You". Very nice to see. The tour is just starting and this first show, after the Vegas warm-up, was a sign of the amazing shows yet to come. It was great to hear the Steely Dan, Eric Burden and Bob Marley tributes, as only Toto could do them, as a sample of "Through The Looking Glass" due out in September. Can't wait for the release!! I hope to see all of you at the next show. You can always reach meat prouddad@jps.net to talk Toto. Enjoy the shows!!

I've followed Toto since album 1 and never had the opportunity to experience them live until a few days ago. The energy, professionalism and true love for what they do was unlike anything that I have experienced from a concert before. Leading off with "Bodhisattva", a Steely Dan tune and to knock it out like they did, set the stage for the rest of the afternoon. Simon and Michael drove the bottom up to the top while David and Steve just plain kicked ass. Bobby Kimble, M.D. in the blue scrubs, showed why he is without a doubt, the man out front. A hot afternoon and he's knocking out the tunes barely breaking a sweat. This was truly an incredible experience for me. Hope to catch another show on the tour. Thanks for the Music. p.s. - More music from "Mindfields"