There’s a new supergroup in town, and it’s composed of some of the greatest guitarists of all time. And now they’re going on tour! “Supergroup” could not be a better description for this group. The band has dubbed themselves Generation Axe, and it includes Steve Vai, Zakk Wylde, Yngwie Malmsteen, Nuno Bettencourt, and Tosin Abasi. This April, the band kicks off their tour The Night of Guitars in North America. Fans will get to experience five great guitarists on stage at once performing a variety of collaborations. Each guitarist will perform songs from their own work as well as join forces on well-known songs. They will all perform as one cohesive band with a rhythm section that will include a bass and keys.
Steve Vai was voted the 10th Greatest Guitarist by Guitar World magazine, and he’s sold over 15 million records. He started his music career back in 1978 when he was just 18 years old, and he’s released eight solo albums since. His most successful release is considered to be Passion and Warfare, released in 1980, and his most recent release was The Story of Life, released in 2012.
Zakk Wylde was the former guitarist for Ozzy Osbourne, and he also founded the heavy metal band Black Label Society. He released the album Book of Shadows as a solo artist in 1996 and he also was the lead guitarist and vocalist for the band Pride & Glory, until it disbanded in 1994 after releasing one self-titled album.
Swedish guitarist Yngwie Malmsteen first become known for his neoclassical metal-playing style in heavy metal back in the 1980s. In 2014, he went on the Guitar Gods tour and back in 2012 he released the album Spellbound, his ninteenth album overall. Recently, Malmsteen announced that he is currently working on a new album.
Portuguese/American guitarist Nuno Bettencourt is best known as the lead guitarist of the Boston rock band Extreme, which was most popular in the late 1980s and early 1990s, with five studio albums to show for it. Bettencourt has founded many bands throughout the years, and he released the solo album Schizophrenic in 19987.
Tosin Abasi is a Nigerian American guitarist known for being the guitar player and founder of instrumental progressive metal band Animals as Leaders. He was also guitarist for the metalcore band Reflux. He recorded and released three albums with Animals as Leaders, the most recent one being The Joy of Motion in 2014.
Generation Axe Spring 2016 Tour Dates
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04/05: Seattle, WA – Paramount Theatre
04/06: Vancouver, BC – Queen Elizabeth Theatre
04/08: Oakland, CA – Fox Theater
04/09: Las Vegas, NV – The Joint
04/10: San Diego, CA – Humphrey’s Concerts By The Bay
04/11: Los Angeles, CA – The Wiltern
04/13: Denver, CO – Paramount Theatre
04/15: Kansas City, MO – Uptown Theatre
04/16: Salina, KS – The Stiefel Theatre
04/17: Dallas, TX – Bomb Factory
04/18: Houston, TX – Revention Music Center
04/20: Jacksonville, FL – Florida Theatre
04/21: Orlando, FL – Hard Rock Live
04/23: Wilmington, NC – Cape Fear Community College
04/24: Washington, DC – Warner Theatre
04/25: Cincinnati, OH – Taft Theatre
04/26: Indianapolis, IN – Murat Theatre
04/27: Nashville, TN – Ryman Auditorium
04/29: Chicago, IL – Copernicus Center
05/01: Madison, WI – Orpheum Theatre
05/02: Royal Oak, MI – Royal Oak Music Theatre
05/04: Toronto, ON – Massey Hall
05/05: Upper Darby, PA – Tower Theater
05/06: Westbury, NY – Theatre at Westbury
05/07: Hampton Beach, NH – Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom
05/08: Providence, RI – Providence Performing Arts Center