When I heard Christopher Cross and Toto were heading to Australia, I was initially excited. But then my logical brain kicked in. It told me that I didn’t know enough songs to warrant spending the money, that I was too busy anyway to fit it in, that perhaps these acts would be showing their age, so I decided to pass. Then fate intervened and a friend gifted me his ticket when he couldn’t make the concert. I am so grateful that he did, because the show last night was absolutely brilliant.
When you have two massive acts on the bill, you get right to the good stuff. Christopher Cross opened with “All Right,” signalling that he wasn’t going to leave us wanting. He seemed genuinely touched by the enthusiastic reception we gave him, but how could we be anything but appreciative when he was treating us to ‘80s gems we remembered so fondly? His vocals were solid and his guitar skills so much better than I imagined. His stage presence is understated, without bells and whistles, but give me great music performed well and I’m a happy camper. The audience who rose to their feet for a standing ovation after he ended his set with “Ride Like the Wind” seemed to agree.
You could feel the energy crank up a few notches when Toto took the stage with their incredible instrumental, “Child’s Anthem.” Just like Christopher Cross, they didn’t leave us waiting too long for a sing-along. They had us all up on our feet for “Rosanna.” You know that feeling you get when a band plays an encore and you just feel that peak musicality and passion? That’s the feeling I got during “Rosanna,” three songs into the set! Usually if a band stays past that point the energy naturally wanes, because where do you go once you’ve peaked? Somehow though, Toto managed to keep us all at that point of exultation.
Toto is one of the tightest bands I’ve ever seen. I guess this is what happens when you’ve honed your craft as session musicians. If you’re even a casual guitar fan, you know Steve Lukather is one of the best in the business. I marvelled at his prowess. He shared his vocal duties with Joseph Williams, who backs up his incredible voice with oodles of charisma. These guys might be out front, but the rest of the band are no slouches.
Most members have industry resumes as long as your arm. Keyboardist Greg Phillinganes was Michael Jackson’s musical director and he’s toured with Stevie Wonder, Eric Clapton, the Bee Gees, and John Mayer. Warren Ham on sax, percussion, and flute played with Kansas, Donna Summer, and Ringo Starr. Drummer Shannon Forrest has played on albums by Willie Nelson, Michael McDonald, Kenny Rogers, and Taylor Swift. Bassist John Pierce has played with Huey Lewis and the News since the mid ‘90s and recorded albums with Alice Cooper, Cher, and The Pointer Sisters. That’s just a snippet of the people they’ve worked with too. To say they’re good is an understatement.
The exception is Dennis Atlas, on synthesizer and vocals. His resume is less impressive, but he is the member of the band I recognised. Because Dennis auditioned with American Idol last year and got three nos. I remember his audition vividly. I howled at the TV, certain that Lionel Ritchie, Katy Perry, and Luke Bryan had made a mistake. Watching him every bit the equal of these musicians who’ve been in the business for decades warmed my heart. Remember the name Dennis Atlas; he’s a superstar in the making.
When talents like this come together? Oh boy. And separately in extended solos? Mind-blowing. When you have such incredible musicians in front of you who genuinely enjoy playing together, it doesn’t matter how many songs are familiar. You can just appreciate what they do.
Even casual fans like me got their sing-along moments with the final two numbers, “Hold the Line” and “Africa.” No encore, no bullshit, just giving the people what they want. I feel so lucky that fate intervened and put me at that show last night. It was everything I hoped it would be and so much more. If you missed them on this Australian tour, you missed out.
Photo credit: Lauren Katulka
