by Jerry Watson
— Guest Photojournalist —
April 12, 2024 at the Stiefel Theater in Salina, KS
What do you do when you’re on the road opening for Journey but have some free time? You get some headlining gigs in between! That’s exactly what Toto (aka The Dogz Of Oz) did and played to a sold-out audience at the Stiefel Theater in Salina, KS April 12th. Not limited to the time allotted when performing as the opener for Journey’s spring tour, Toto was allowed to stretch their musical muscle on a 16-song set that included the hits and several deep, deep cuts.
The band has had a major resurgence in the U.S. over the past decade, helped by hitting the road with other bands such as Journey and Yes. This year’s model features former band members Shannon Forrest (drums) and Greg Phillinganes (keyboards, vocals) back in the fold. They join Steve Lukather, who’s been in the band since the beginning, vocalist Joseph Williams, multi-instrumental Warren Ham, keyboardist Steve Maggiora and long-time friend John Pierce on bass.
They kicked off their show with a blistering version of “Girl Goodbye” from their 3rd album Turn Back and quickly got the crowd up for “Hold The Line.” The ballad “99” was the only song featured from Hydra followed by Toto IV’s “Make Believe.”
Luke said the next song, the instrumental jazz fusion tune, “Jake To The Bone,” was for the musicians in the audience but it appeared to definitely be a fan favorite.
Solos by Phillinganes, Luke (with Jimi Hendrix’s “Little Wing”) and Forrest were followed by deep cuts; “A Thousand Years” and “Dying On My Feet,” which was written and sung by Phillinganes for the Falling In Between album from 2006.
The band’s family tree can heard on over 5000 albums from the 1970s to now and as the band members were introduced, snippets of Michael Jackson’s “Beat It,” Michael McDonald’s “I Keep Forgettin,'” and “Hakuna Matata” from the Lion King were performed to the delight of the crowd.
The show ended with the mainstay hits “Rosanna” and “Africa” and a standing ovation.
Toto’s legacy is in good hands with Luke and Williams at the helm. Toto is opening for Journey for 30 shows and headlining 14 before heading off to Europe this summer. They expect to see huge audiences as their popularity is much bigger there. Trev Lukather (Luke’s son) and his band The Effect will be opening for several shows.
Set List:
Girl Goodbye
Hold the Line
99
Make Believe
Jake to the Bone
Greg Philliganes Keyboard Solo
Burn
I’ll Be Over You
Stop Loving You
Little Wing (The Jimi Hendrix Experience cover)
Shannon Forrest Drum Solo
I’ll Supply the Love
A Thousand Years
Dying on My Feet
Band intros with snippets of Beat It, I Keep Forgettin’ and Hakuna Matata
Home of the Brave
With a Little Help From My Friends (The Beatles cover)
Rosanna
Africa
Concert Photo Gallery
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