Tony MacAlpine plays Saint Rocke May 27, Baked Potato May 28+29 Photo: Alex Solca.
MacAlpine is kicking off his latest tour for the new 12 song LP, Concrete Gardens, with three Southern California shows, one at Saint Rocke May 27 and two nights at the Baked Potato May 28 and 29. Joining MacAlpine on tour are Aquiles Priester on drums and Bjorn Englen on bass.
“I am looking forward to getting the new music out on the road with the trio,” explains MacAlpine. “The music grows in a live setting with a live audience.”
There are not many new musical accomplishments Tony MacAlpine can add to his extensive list of creative endeavors over the last three decades since his 1986 first solo album, Edge of Insanity. Best known as an instrumental rock solo guitarist, MacAlpine can now add live performance collaboration with EMGtv entitled “Square Circles” that features his new album Concrete Gardens filmed live in its entirety.
“This is the first time I have performed new songs in a live visual setting,” said MacAlpine. “I think this set a precedent for me. I would like to make more live recordings of new works in the future.”
Trading solos with Tony on the EMGtv’s live performance “Square Circles” is special guest guitarist Jeff Loomis. Loomis is also featured on the new album along with Priester on drums, Pete Griffin on bass and Nili Brosh on guitar. Concrete Garden’s audio was mixed by Adair Daufembach and engineered by Greg Wurth.
“It was so much fun to have Jeff play live with me during the recording of the EMGtv video” says Tony, “When we worked on the track ‘Square Circles’ he recorded his solos at his own studio, so it was really exciting to be able to experiment together in a live setting.”
MacAlpine is no stranger to touring with other heavy hitters in the very progressive instrumental genre having recorded and toured along side other talents like drummer Mike Portnoy, bassist Billy Sheehan and keyboardist, Derek Sherinian, and bassist Bunny Brunel’s fusion group CAB and Ring of Fire, featuring Yngwie J. Malmsteen. Nearly a decade later, in June 2011, he released his self-titled eleventh studio album through guitarist Steve Vai’s Favored Nations label.
MacAlpine has been highly influential in the neoclassical metal genre, becoming known for his instrumental rock style of playing that displays highly advanced shred and ‘sweep tapping’ techniques, which is a variation of sweep picking. He has incorporated elements of classical, jazz, fusion, hard rock and heavy metal playing both guitar and keyboard.
MacAlpine’s twelfth studio album, Concrete Gardens, was released on April 21 of this year. For more information on the ‘Square Circles’ sessions on EMGtv and his upcoming tour dates, check out his website at www.tonymacalpine.com.