King of the Blues Finalist Zack Wiesinger Opens for Steve Vai

by Tom Watson.

Zack Wiesinger opening for Steve Vai in Porto, Portugal, July 9, 2007. Photo by Tom Watson.

The summer of 2007 has certainly proved memorable for 20-year-old guitarist Zack Wiesinger. On June 16, Zack performed in the Guitar Center King of the Blues (article 1, article 2) competition as one of four finalists out of an initial field of over 4,000 competitors. While Wiesinger didn't capture the crown, he walked away with several new guitars, a laptop computer, other prizes from the competition, and very little time to worry about the outcome. Eight days later, Zack was on stage in Luxomberg as the opening act for Steve Vai's Sound Theories Tour of Europe.

Wiesinger had been working for Vai as a personal assistant for several months prior to the King of the Blues (KOTB) finals and kept the boss apprised of his progress through the various stages of the competition. It was after he explained to Vai that at both the district and regional levels he had won a tie breaker after playing two minutes of unaccompanied electric guitar that Zack was offered the opening act slot for Vai's Sound Theories Tour. For 20-30 minutes, Wiesinger would take the stage with only his trusty 1979 Fender 25th Anniversary Stratocaster to entertain Vai fans with his own brand of guitar playing.

On July 9, 2007, the Sound Theories Tour performed in Porto, Portugal, at the city's premiere indoor venue, Casa de Musica. Backstage before the show, the tall and lanky Wiesinger sprawls on a couch and smiles about his tour experience to-date. Not only is this Zack's first tour of Europe, it's the first time he's visited the continent and he's doing his best to make the most of the opportunity. Today, he walked the five kilometers from downtown Porto to where the city meets the Douro River and the Atlantic Ocean, visiting small shops along the way, after sleeping on the tour bus trek from Spain to Portugal. That he's having the time of his life is obvious. If he's nervous, it's undetectable.

Twenty minutes later, the house lights go down and a single beam follows Zack's stage entrance. His saunter and body language are reminiscent of a young Jim Carey. He gives the crowd a serious look, then suddenly breaks into a wide grin and a multi-part fingerpicking rendition of the James Bond theme. 007 is followed by "Stompin' On My Fingers", "Fran Tarkenton" (including audience participation), "Intent" (a slow song), "Melty Melody Madness" (with slide), the Munsters theme song, and, as Zack puts it, "some blues".

It would be a safe bet that a good portion of the sold out house consisted of guitar players expecting an opening act shred-fest dazzle, but Wiesinger's fingerpicking style has more to do with goodhearted general entertainment than impressing fellow players. There are some serious moments, but Zack's performance is generally pickin' and grinnin'. The audience adores Wiesinger's emphasis on fun and his lack of pretension. This isn't about being a player, it's about standing up alone and using the guitar to entertain a crowd that paid 30 € each to come out on a Monday night to hear one of the most highly regarded electric guitarists in the world, Steve Vai. Mission accomplished.

Vai's Sound Theories Tour is in support of the recently released Sound Theories Vol. I & II CDs featuring Vai and the Netherlands Metropole Orchestra. Volume I presents Vai performing with the orchestra, while Volume II consists of the orchestra playing tunes written by Vai. The orchestral nature of Sound Theories accounts for the presence of two violinists in the touring band's lineup, Alex De Pue and Ann Marie Calhoun, both of whom double on keyboards. The other band members are Jeremy Colson (drums and percussion), Bryan Beller (bass), and, Dave Weiner (guitar). Much more information about the CDs and the current tour, including numerous detailed fan reviews, is available on both the official Steve Vai and Bryan Beller websites (links below).