Yngwie Malmsteen is A Force To Be Reckoned With in Anaheim

Photos and words by Steve Rose

Ever the showman, Yngwie Malmsteen lived up to his reputation as a virtuoso on the guitar as he wowed his fans at a packed House of Blues in Anaheim, California. As he unleashed a flurry of arpeggiated notes while walking on stage, he was greeted with a thunderous roar from the crowd and a couple of fog machines that had the stage hazy and ready for this master of the (scalloped) Stratocaster to do his thing. Playing in front of a wall of Marshalls, his set included staples like “Rising Force,” “Baroque & Roll,” and “Black Star.” Yngwie continually shows that there is no one on his level when it comes to playing this neo-classical shred guitar that he has pioneered. It was also very cool to hear his take on the “Star Spangled Banner,” which he made his own and was very entertaining to watch. It’s not uncommon for Yngwie to play a crazy guitar lick, kick his pick to a fan in the front row, grab another pick, do a spin and continue with the song. He plays so technical and effortless, it makes a struggling guitarist like myself, very jealous.

He recently released a new album, Blue Lightning, that is a great collection of songs including covers by Jimi Hendrix, Deep Purple, the Rolling Stones, and the Beatles. Check out this album and don’t miss your chance to see this guitar hero when he comes to your town.