“Unparalleled!” Toto LIVE! at BergenPAC
By Spotlight Central. Photos by Love Imagery
Fans are arriving from near and far to Englewood, NJ’s BergenPAC this Wednesday, October 19, 2019 evening for a concert by a band that is as comfortable playing R&B, blues, soul, progressive rock, hard rock, and funk as it is playing, pop, rock, and jazz.
Its name?
Toto.
As we wait for tonight’s show to begin, we take a moment to chat with Joseph from Jerusalem, Israel, who tells us, “I’ve been a fan of Toto since 1982, when the Toto IV album was released.”
Recalling, “I’ve seen them live before in London,” Joseph acknowledges, “I’m here on vacation in New York and wanted to come see them again — I love their music and their musicianship.”
Allyson from Perkasie, PA, tells us, “I’ve been a fan of Toto since the year 2000. They are amazing musicians — I admire their musicality — and they are very fan friendly, too — they’re really very nice, very down-to-earth people.”
“To see them perform live goes way beyond just the songs you hear on the radio,” explains Allyson. “Their live performances open a door to all these other amazing songs they do — and when you see them on stage, they really come to life.”
Debbie from Clifton, NJ reveals, “We’ve been listening to Toto since the beginning, but this is our first time seeing them live. Their music is the music of our generation — we’re always reminiscing about one or another of their songs.”
Debbie’s husband, Rich, agrees adding, “We’re trying to see as many bands from the ’70s and ’80s while we can — we want to support them so they’ll keep on making music.”
Ken from Bernardsville acknowledges, “I’m a big fan of Toto — this is my 4th time seeing them — and their guitarist, Steve Lukather, is one of the very best guitarists in the world,” exclaiming, “When you see him live, just forget it!”
And, lastly, we chat with Chris from West Orange, who tells us, “Toto is one of my favorite bands on Earth. I saw them in Europe and on the West Coast,” before joking, “and now they’ve finally come to see me on the East Coast!”
Recalling, “I’ve been following them since 2007,” Chris explains, “I discovered them in college — I was in the Glee Club at Rutgers where I heard my friend play their song, ‘Rosanna’ — and that’s what did it for me.”
Acknowledging, “I’m a music teacher — I teach elementary school children,” Chris concludes by noting, “I play Toto’s music for them — especially for the older kids — to expose them to it. It’s intellectually-inspiring music, which the kids like and find really interesting.”
The lights dim and the musicians of Toto — Steve Lukather on guitar, Steve Porcaro on keyboards, Joseph Williams on vocals, Lenny Castro on percussion, Shem von Schroeck on bass, Warren Ham on sax, Shannon Forrest on drums, and Xavier Talpin on keyboards — take the stage.
Following a flash of light, a jolting bolt of sound captures the attention of the crowd as Toto opens the show with “Devil’s Tower.”
As fans’ heads set to bopping, Steve Lukather shares the vocal spotlight with Joseph Williams on this straight-ahead rocker before he thrills the band’s fans with one of his patented world-class guitar solos.
The crowd cheers, and the entire audience rises when they hear the keyboard intro to Toto’s 1978 Top 5 hit, “Hold The Line.” As the audience stands and sings along on the famous “Hold the line/Love isn’t always on time” chorus, audience members energetically pump their fists to another eye-popping guitar solo from Lukather.
Following whistles and cheers, the group performs an audience favorite from Toto IV — a driving number entitled, “Lovers in the Night.” As Williams sings, “It’s just the soul that matters, and I don’t know why/You know she’s gonna make you cry/You know she’s gonna make you cry,” Steve Porcaro and Xavier Talpin duel on facing keyboards before Warren Ham concludes the tune with a scintillating sax solo.
Steve Lukather steps to the mic to say, “What’s up, Englewood? Welcome to our 40th Anniversary Tour,” before acknowledging, “It’s actually our 43rd anniversary now!”
Continuing, “We have lots of friends and family in the audience tonight,” Lukather adds, “Help us sing it out, if you would, on our next song.”
Launching into “Alone,” drums crash, keyboards swirl, and guitar and bass wail as stage lights flash to the music while Joseph Williams sings, “Seems like things ain’t what they used to be” and audience members happily join in on “Woah, woah” lyric.
Lukather tells the audience that he wrote the group’s next song, “I Will Remember,” with Stan Lynch, the original drummer for Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.
Revealing, “It brings us back to 1994, when we were missing those around us,” Lukather’s smooth vocal contrasts with complex percussion on this rhythmic ballad as he croons, “Even when love has come and gone/And our hearts have moved along/I will remember.”
Lukather plays a lyrical guitar solo, and Warren Ham concludes the piece with a soprano sax coda which is accompanied by flashing lights.
Joseph Williams handles the lead on “English Eyes” — his powerful voice calling out as the band rocks.
With it’s rhythmic “Hit Me With Your Best Shot”-like guitar accompaniment, Steve Porcaro and Xavier Talpin dance as they play their keyboards. Lights swirl as the Toto musicians take the audience on a journey — the ever-changing musical style shifting from rock to smooth jazz to power ballad — all the while featuring tight four-part vocal harmonies.
Steve Lukather’s head nods as he plays a lightning-fast modal guitar solo, and the crowd goes crazy for his musical mastery, calling out “Stevie! Stevie!” in response to the energy coming from the stage.
The lights darken as the sound fades away and Shannon Forrest and Lenny Castro are featured on a drum and percussion duet which is filled with complex and punctuating rhythms.
Adding guitar and bass and, soon enough, keyboards, the Toto instrumentalists impress with a fast and funky rendition of “Jake to the Bone.”
On this instrumental piece — reminiscent of the type of ’70s jazz fusion created by electric violinist Jean Luc Ponty — the band is rhythmically tight as they shift to a more complicated meter which contains seven beats per measure. Xavier Talpin impresses with a screaming synth solo to cheers and applause, and bassist Shem von Shroek brings on the funk as he rocks along with drummer Shannon Forrest.
Lenny Castro’s cymbals and metal gongs crash, swirling his metallic timbres and creating a new rainbow of colors and textures as lights dance overhead and the song changes mood and feel.
Morphing into a symphony of speeding rhythm and sound, the musicians walk around the stage sharing their unique energy with one another and the audience, their stellar performance progressing to a dynamic and powerful conclusion which is celebrated by hoots, hollers, and cheers from the crowd.
Lukather invites the audience to stand and join in singing on one of the highlight numbers of the evening, a live rendition of Toto’s 1983 Grammy-winning Record of the Year, “Rosanna.”
Lights flash on the audience as they happily sing along, clapping double time on the bridge to the famous “Meet you all the way/Rosanna, yeah” chorus and marveling at Xavier Talpin and Steve Porcaro as they light up the stage with their dueling keyboards.
Arms swaying, the crowd cheers for Talpin’s keyboard solo, which leads into both a Steve Lukather guitar solo and a Warren Ham tenor solo, and Talpin and Joseph Williams have fun dancing kicks together before the grand conclusion.
As the crowd cheers, Williams takes the mic asking, “You guys having fun? We’re having a ball tonight!”
Stagehands take a moment to place a keyboard and a set of chairs downstage where the performers take seats closer to the audience. At this point, Toto enters a more relaxed and intimate segment of the evening’s festivities where they not only sing and play for their fans, but also tell stories about the songs they perform.
Announces Lukather, “We’re going to change things up a little. This one goes back to our first album, from 1977.”
Here, he plays an acoustic 12-string guitar and Warren Ham switches over to flute for a performance of “Georgy Porgy,” a sweet early Toto composition which incorporates lyrics from the famous “Georgy Porgy, pudding pie, kissed the girls and made them cry” nursery rhyme.
Steve Porcaro tells a story which took place at the time the band was working on their landmark album, Toto IV. Recounting, “My daughter was crying about her day. She fell off the slide and a boy hit her. I told her he probably liked her and she didn’t understand and kept asking, ‘Why?’ I wrote this song for her.”
Here, Joseph Williams handles the lead on Porcaro’s composition which producer Quincy Jones included on Michael Jackson’s Thriller and it became a Top 10 hit — “Human Nature.”
Following warm applause, Lukather announces, “I wrote this one with Randy Goodrum in 1986. I’d like to dedicate it to all the beautiful girls in NJ.”
Here, Lukather handles the lead on “I’ll Be Over You.” With its poignant melody, the audience joins in on the familiar “As soon as my heart stops breakin’/Anticipating/As soon as forever is through/I’ll be over you” chorus.
Lukather takes the lead on the country blues number, “No Love.” Then, he and the band conclude this segment of tonight’s show with “Stop Loving You,” a performance which features an acoustic funk arrangement which contains a bebop jazz break.
Stagehands remove the downstage keyboard and chairs, and the band exits to leave Xavier Talpin alone at his keyboard for a featured piano solo.
At times sounding like he’s playing classical music and at other times sounding like he’s playing jazz, Talpin’s Keith Jarrett-like solo is a treat for the ears as he effortlessly performs a magnificent piano prelude filled with wild arpeggios and runs.
Tuneful and expressive, the crowd heartily cheers for Talpin’s turn in the spotlight and many in the audience rise to their feet as they shout, “Bravo! Bravo!”
The rest of the Toto band returns for a hard-driving number with an intricate rhythm section accompaniment, “Girl Goodbye,” which has audience members heads nodding as the band rocks.
After introducing one another, the Toto musicians set the house on fire with their performance of “Lion,” a progressive funk song featuring five-part vocal harmonies. As they move about the stage to the funky rhythm, Warren Ham grooves on his tenor sax solo and Steve Lukather plays a killer guitar solo which inspires audience members’ cheers.
The sound of whistling wind fills the darkened theater as the band begins the rolling instrumental, “Desert Theme,” a piece which some recognize from a 1980’s film score. Porcaro switches from one keyboard to another as the sound swells and meters shift. The sound of Lukather’s guitar floats above the band in triumph, spotlights turning over the audience and bathing them in white light. The music, dramatic and fluid, moves ever forward while it soars and flies above the crowd.
Lukather reveals, “That was from 1984 from the movie, Dune,” before adding, “And this next one, I would like to dedicate to George.” Here, Lukather and the band segue into George Harrison’s composition for The Beatles, “While My Guitar Gently Weeps.”
As audience members follow Joseph Williams’ lead and wave illuminated cellphones back and forth to the beat, spotlights rain down like heaven’s rays onto Lukather and his colleagues as they perform in memory of Harrison.
Lukather launches into a Jimi Hendrix-inspired guitar solo on which he shows why he is one of the premiere rock guitarists in the world. Precision, speed, and soul fly from his fingertips as he bends notes, his soulful solo pouring out over the crowd and provoking audience members to spring to their feet while screaming and applauding with approval.
Moving on to another audience-pleaser from Toto IV, the group performs “Make Believe.” Ham’s sax screams as Porcaro accompanies him on keys, and audience members happily join in with the band on the tune’s famous “Why don’t we make believe we’re in love again” lyric.
“Are you ready for that song now?” asks Williams.
As drums and percussion groove, the entire house is up on its feet singing along as the band launches into their monster hit from 1983, “Africa.”
Following the famous “I bless the rains down in Africa” chorus, Lenny Castro and Shannon Forrest take a percussion break which features complex African rhythms that audience members can’t help but dance to. Arms and hands fly as beats from the stage reverberate throughout the theater before Williams initiates a call and response session where he sings a variety of intriguing melodic phrases and, one by one, the audience echoes each one back to him.
“New Jersey — you guys sound fantastic!” exclaims Williams, before percussionist Castro joins in singing an unamplified vocal descant which interweaves with the audience’s vocalizations.
Following a soulful Warren Ham soprano sax coda, the song ends with cheers, whistles, stomping, and clapping from the crowd as the Toto musicians take leave of the stage.
The hooting and hollering continuing, the band members return and respond with an encore of their 1988 song, “Home of the Brave.”
Warren Ham and Joseph Williams handle the lead on this hard-driving rocker where they sing, “Leave the politics behind boys, they’re not working anymore/There’s so much more at stake here, it’s make or break here/Haven’t we been here before?”
The band energetically dances to the music as Lukather walks about the stage, dramatically soloing on his instrument. Audience members raise their hands and cheer at the end as each of the talented members of Toto gather downstage to take a well-deserved bow.
As the crowd filters out of the BergenPAC auditorium, we chat with several members of the audience who share their thoughts on Toto’s performance this evening.
Comments Jerry from Stanhope, “I’ve been a fan for a long time, but this is the first time I’ve ever seen Toto live, and they were great!”
Explaining, “After seeing Steve Lukather play with Ringo Starr and his All-Star Band, we knew we just had to get tickets for Toto,” Jerry acknowledges, “and I’m so glad we did — Steve Lukather did an amazing version of ‘While My Guitar Gently Weeps’ — that guy is just unbelievable.”
Son Kevin remarks, “Toto was so awesome! We’re big fans, and they absolutely exceeded my expectations,” before explaining, “Toto is a great band for all generations — and I just love that they can rock!”
Kevin’s friend, Zak from Andover, agrees adding, “And I loved all of the instrumental jams they played in and between the songs.”
Nelson, a musician from Tenafly, comments, “They were so tight — the songs sounded just like the records. I’ve seen Toto three years in a row, and this was the best I’ve ever heard them. The vocals were incredible, and Xavier Talpin — the young keyboardist — was fantastic!”
Adding, “We’ve been to Bergen PAC a few times,” Nelson acknowledges, “I was amazed by how big and full Toto sounded in this small theater.” Nelson’s wife, Jeronima, agrees noting, “It made for a fabulous, wonderful, fun night.”
Brad from Mendham calls Toto “Fantastic!” Acknowledging, “I’ve been following them since the late-‘80s,” Brad recalls,” The last time I saw them was five years ago. Their musicianship onstage is amazing, and it was really exciting getting to hear them play the music from Dune,” noting, “You never get to hear that played live!”
Rich from New Milford concurs adding, “I loved the Dune theme music, too — I’d never heard it live, either,” before explaining, “And Toto’s music in general is so harmonically diverse — that’s why I like it so much.”
Reto, here tonight from Zürich, Switzerland says, “I’m a big fan of Toto!” Recalling, “I’ve seen them about 10 or 12 times in Europe, where they have a huge fan base,” Reto comments, “I’m on vacation, so it was great to get to see them — they were really great tonight!”
Lastly, we chat with Becky from Middletown, DE who is happily clutching a Toto set list from tonight’s performance.
Reveals Becky, “I’m a long-time fan of Toto — ever since the very beginning.”
Recalling, “Back in the early days, my husband and I couldn’t go to their shows because we had little children,” Becky explains, “Now the kids are grown, so we’re seeing five shows on this tour alone, including seeing them back in our home state of Delaware.”
“These guys get better every show,” asserts Becky noting, “and they have such a wide range of fans — their music appeals to all age groups,” before concluding with a big smile, “They’re just unparalleled!”
To learn more about Toto, please go to totoofficial.com. For information on upcoming performances at Englewood, NJ’s BergenPAC — including Tommy James and The Shondells and Felix Cavaliere’s Rascals on November 1, Ruben Studdard Sings Luther VanDross on November 6, and The Brian Setzer Orchestra’s 16th Annual Christmas Rocks! Tour on November 20 — please go to bergenpac.org.
