Virtuosity and precision were on display Tuesday night at UB's Center for the Arts as Joe Satriani continued to prove why he is one very best in modern guitar rock. There may be, after all, many shredders and speed players but very few of them hold a candle to the Satchman.....

The night began with a performance by the Steve Morse band. Led by legendary guitarist, Steve Morse, who has played with Deep Purple amongst a host of others, the band played a potent mix of jazz-amped, fusion rock, sprinkled with Morse' unique imprint. At times the playing was subdued, at other times raucous. One particular gem, a triple-time rockabilly shuffle played in excess speed seemed a high point. I wasn't too familiar with Steve Morse, but after last night I'm paying attention.

Joe Satriani came on shortly thereafter, hammering out quick spurt guitar leads as only he can. His presence and feel for the guitar cannot be overstated. Joe has an innate understanding of melody and knows where the ear wants to go. It was interesting to watch his dive bomb prowess interact with shreditude to form some truly beautiful guitar soundscapes. And then he played "Flying in a Blue Dream" and the old time fans went crazy. I have to be honest. I would have liked to hear some of the older tunes. He barely touched upon The Extremist or Surfing with the Alien, but I guess it's just a case of artist wanting to play his newer material. I can live with that.

Overall, it was hours of guitar worship, and those who appreciate that sort of thing, revelled in it. This type of music may not be for everyone but those who were there last night will testify to it; the power and beauty of the guitar as an instrument and a communication device with Aliens cannot be denied.

When I was twelve years old I discovered the guitar. My life changed. Suddenly, I heard voices, tones, places I'd only dreamt of, and places I'd never imagined. You've heard this story before.

What usually gets lost in the pages of the story is the translation of instance; that initial breaking point. The moment that things seem slightly different. This impact feels familiar, yet is somehow wholly, and profoundly, new. Kind of like a boxer getting hit with a knockout punch. As his mind drifts from his body, he is experiencing a separate plane of conscience, yet it is feeling that is noticed; recognizable. The guitar simply felt right, in every literal and metaphorical meaning that word holds.

And in my world; a world of squeals, bends, hammer-ons, pull-offs, inflections, boogie and groove, there was one cut above the rest: Satriani. To the slighty-before-teenage me, this man truly Surfed with the Alien. He flew the Blue Dream. He was an Extremist, traveling in a Time Machine.

I LOVED Joe Satriani.

For 27 years, Satriani has defied all things you could and should do on the guitar. He shreds to the utmost degree. But this is not what makes him special. Unlike the thrashers, and the speed-maniacs, and the noodlers, and the technique-obsessed bores, Satriani understands that feel and presence carries a tune, more so than the art of shred ever could. You may, after all, respect the technique, however a technique without practical purpose is meaningless. Noodling for noodling's sake is not interesting. Satriani writes songs and plays them with intent; bastions of melody, they are beautiful children. A world of his own creation.

If you're not sold on instrumental "guitar" music, I highly suggest you open your mind and check out Satriani tonight, as he plays University at Buffalo's Center for the Arts (7:30pm, tickets $31-64). I saw him nearly 20 years ago and my mind was blown. I expect nothing less now than I did then. Opening the show is the Steve Morse Band.

Tonight, The Pink Floyd Experience will be performing the 1975 Pink Floyd classic Wish You Were Here and other Floyd cuts at UB's Center for the Arts. Hailing from San Diego, the PFX strives to present a complete Pink Floyd live experience, combining faithful reproductions of the musical and visual elements that made Floyd shows in the 70's legendary, and from what I've seen the attention to detail is impressive (although my basis for historical comparison is truthfully nonexistent). Tickets are  $64.50, $44.50, $34.50, and doors open at 7:30 PM.