The unusual demand for seats for the concert offered in November last year Movistar Arenacoupled with the lack of availability of dates for a second performance, undoubtedly left a bittersweet taste in the mouth of a significant number of local fans Toto.
However, just over a year after that last visit and certainly much sooner than expected, the North American group returned to Buenos Aires not only to pay off their debts, but also to double their bet by putting on a show in a larger open-air venue like that Argentine polo field. But they didn’t come alone, this time they joined forces Christopher Cross as a standout opening number.
That a band born in Los Angeles in 1977 still attracts so much attention from audiences both in Argentina and the rest of the world may come as a surprise to some. However, there is data to support and reinforce this international interest. According to current official statistics, Toto is not only one of the most listened to artists on Spotify, but also 50 percent of his listeners are under 34 years old.
This then explains the diversity and breadth of the audience that gathered at the charming venue in Palermo: whole families, couples, groups of friends, followers of the first hour, fans of their eighties hits and, above all, many musicians who matched the profile of its members, all exceptional and experienced session musicians who put their famous virtuosity at the service of their accomplished compositions, rather than personal brilliance and gloating.
And this is exactly where Toto’s enormous and unmistakable appeal lies. No one in the audience questions or doubts its professionalism and every contribution from its members is greatly celebrated. But they are clearly aware that everything must point to the same and only goal: that the songs are the true protagonists of the evening.
And that’s exactly what happened right at the beginning with the instrumental piece “Child’s Anthem” (by Tototheir 1978 debut album), followed by the hard rock banger “Carmen” and the volcanic version of “Rosanna”, where the septet announced for the first time that they would be facing an authentic and super-powerful instrumental pop-rock machine of the highest order.
With the group’s signature logo as a backdrop and without resorting to elaborate staging or special effects that could distract attention, Toto embarked on a retrospective tour of the best parts of his discography with remarkable versatility. The natural fluidity with which he moved from pop (“Pamela”) to reggae (“Mindfields”) and from hard rock (“White Sister”) to funk (“Georgy Porgy”) and from there to ballads (“I Won’t Hold You Back”) was truly astonishing.
This situation not only contributed to the concert being extremely entertaining and varied, but was also reinforced by the absolutely relaxed attitude of the musicians. The seven members of the combo seem to have no problem hiding their sincere desire for fun and entertainment on stage. And what could be described as “cool” was noticed and celebrated by the audience in countless parts of the show.
Although they always performed as a team pulling together, bassist John Pierce’s standout moment came with the irresistible funk base of “Georgy Porgy.” The young and long-haired keyboardist Dennis Atlas showed off his powerful and sharp vocal range on the hard rock section of “Angel Don’t Cry”, while the highly acclaimed Greg Phillinganes (a frequent contributor to albums and shows by Michael Jackson, Quincy Jones, Eric Clapton, Stevie Wonder and many other superstars) showed off his keyboard skills and gave the day a soul and jazz touch. Meanwhile, Shannon Forrest on drums and experienced multi-instrumentalist Warren Ham (brass, percussion and backing vocals) completed the scene and contributed their full range of skills.
For his part, Joe Williams, who served as master of ceremonies and then interacted with the audience, gave his best as a singer while playing the historical role Steve Lukather (His scrolls include participation in thriller by Michael Jackson) demonstrated not only his undeniable kindness and good humor, but also his ductility, skill and exquisite good taste on the guitar.
The classic “olé, olé, olé, olé, Toto, Totoooo”, which emanated from all sectors of the Argentine polo field, was not only a source of surprise and excitement for the musicians, but also encouraged them for a while sprint The ending was a slam dunk and there was no break. After the romantic touch of “I’ll Be Over You” (accompanied by the lights of thousands of cell phones illuminating the night), “Stop Loving You”, “I’ll Supply the Love” and the inevitable and precise “Hold the Line” and “Africa” followed one after the other.
With 48 years of experience and several member changes that fortunately have not managed to destroy their essence, Toto is more than a band because it is so many bands in one; an authentic and powerful orchestra, able to face any style of music that comes its way without shame, concluding an evening that had begun in the afternoon initially with contagion warm up responsible for Alejandro Pont Lezica from the trays and then by the presence of a very special guest.
Eight years after his last stop in the countryside and accompanied by the first shadows of dawn, to which was added a light but brief drizzle, Christopher Cross He reunited with the local audience to perform a set based on his greatest hits, the handful of hits that were all the rage in the early 1980s and that made him, without exaggeration, the true “master and lord” of the FM stations of the time.
Yes OK Take me as I amhis last studio album, dates from 2017. Cross took advantage of this new landing to release a song: “You”, a composition that fits his well-known soft and gentle style. The classics that everyone wanted to hear didn’t take long to arrive. And so “All Right”, “Never be the Same”, “Sailing” and “Arthur’s Theme (Best that you can do)” played one after the other and colored the night with pure romantic nostalgia.
Supported by a lively quartet of piano, drums, bass and brass as well as three elegant backing singers, the 74-year-old sober singer-songwriter from Texas seems very comfortable in the comfort zone in which ballads, soft rock and mid-tempo coexist harmoniously; All styles that revolve around delicate melodies and her patented warm and suggestive vocal register.
Despite the lack of surprises and the fact that the audience found what they were looking for, the gesture that Cross made to the local audience when he performed “Open up my Window”, a song of his included on the album, was greatly celebrated. Windows from 1994, but with lyrics now translated into Spanish and entitled “I open my window”. Sung in a duet with one of his backing singers and with the only accompaniment of an acoustic guitar, this passage was one of the most emotional and applauded of his presentation, in addition to the artist’s previous request: “Please be kind to my Spanish,” he requested with a touch of humor.
The musician, wearing a blue jacket and matching hat, approached the final section of his presentation with “The Light is on,” the jazzy melodies of “No Time for Talk” and the popular and more rhythmic “Ride Like the Wind.” In this way, Christopher Cross served as an unbeatable starter for Toto, the “main course” that followed.
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