Joe Satriani created the alter ego of “Shockwave Supernova,” the outlandish and extroverted ‘performance side’ of the normally shy and retiring guitar virtuoso. “Understanding that it was another character that would do these things on stage led me to the idea that it was time to transform him into something else,” Satriani says. “Not to retire him, but to put him through a metamorphosis. He had come to the end of one road and had to see another way forward. That’s what would guide the shape of the album.”
One way of looking at Shockwave Supernova is that it’s a concept album, but Satriani has never operated under such rigid restraints. The 15 songs on the new record would be ‘inspired by’ his concept, but they don’t follow a direct narrative. “The real reason for the concept was to allow me to make creative decisions song by song, exploring unique moods and feelings as they relate to my central character,” he says. “So in that way, it’s both loose and free-form, but there is an overall tone, one of a rebirth.”
Presented by AT&T Performing Arts Center and AEG Live
Price
- $25-$85
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