Guitar Masters Unleashed in ‘G3’ Concert

It’s not so easy being a guitar hero these days. Back in the ‘80s, fretboard gymnastics were at premium value, and fast fingers could win respect and recording contracts. But in the post-grunge ‘90s, that kind of virtuosity is somewhat unseemly, and its practitioners have had to find craftier ways to wield their instruments. On Saturday at the Hollywood Bowl, the “G3” concert offered some lessons in survival skills from a trio of six-string masters: Joe Satriani, Eric Johnson and Steve Vai.

Satriani’s headlining set had all the makings of a display of self-indulgence--his power trio supplied just enough heavy riffing to support nonstop soloing. But Satriani’s soloing is exceptional, and it’s a tribute to his musicianship that the set stayed as exciting and energized as it did. Nearly every move he made on guitar summoned the question “How’d he do that?”--and while he could clearly astonish an audience without challenging himself, at this performance he seemed intent on pushing his talents to their limit. One attempt at playing tenderly was a bit disconcerting--like listening to someone scream a lullaby--but when Satriani kept to the hard, wild side, it was an amazing exhibition of talent.

Johnson’s set brought a mix of jazzy funk, Texas boogie and a version of B.B. King’s “Rock Me, Baby.” Johnson is fleet-fingered, but more impressively, he is a master of tone. His graceful, fluid lines built on emotion rather than technique, and he showed himself to be one of the rare guitar heroes who can make a point even more powerfully with understatement than bravura.

Vai was the unreconstructed guitar-star, shimmying about the stage in leather pants and adding bumps, grinds and showy gestures to his solos. His skills are undeniable, but beneath all the flash was some weak material.

The evening ended in a clamorous jam session, as the three reigning heroes were joined on stage by Kenny Wayne Shepherd, a guitar phenom who opened the show with a set of fiery, blues-based tunes. Sprawling renditions of Dweezil Zappa’s “My Guitar Wants to Kill Your Mama,” and a Jimi Hendrix-style “Red House” were powered through. And in head-to-head competition, it was Johnson’s soulful fingers that took the gold.