During the course of the day, Steve Lukather kept saying, “How do you go and play after these great performers?” He was scheduled to perform last and close the show before the All-Star Jam. All day he was stressed that his set would not live up to the performances he saw earlier—this from a guy who has won five Grammys, has been nominated 11 times, and has recorded on over 1200 albums!
But when Steve hit the stage, there was no doubt that he had fans waiting just to see him. Every performer who played that day stood and watched his set. Al DiMeola sat on the edge of his seat watched Steve like he was a kid watching his favorite program. Steve is one of the best guitarists I have ever seen live. He plays with so much emotion and you feel every note he plays, yet is still one of the most down to earth, easygoing guys you’ll ever meet.
During his third song, he stopped in the middle of his solo and stated to the crowd that he wanted to bring James out and jam with him. You could tell that James did not expect this invitation, but he went out and the two of them traded licks. It was the perfect climax to a show that was already full of great performances.