- THE INFINITE STEVE VAI: AN ANTHOLOGY is now available. A best of compilation. Here is the info from Vai.com: "On Tuesday November 18, Sony releases The Infinite Steve Vai: An Anthology. With a tracklisting chosen by you, the fans, this double CD represents Steve's most essential recordings over the years."
- The Secret Jewel Box - Archives Vol. 3 and 4: The next installments of The Secret Jewel Box Set - 'Archives, Volume 3: Mystery Tracks' and 'Archives, Volume 4: Various Artists' are now available to order through the Vai.com Online Store.
8/14/03 - OK folks, it has been too long since I updated and there has been some significant news. Most notably, a new round of G3 concerts is scheduled to begin in October. This time around the third G is none other than the infamous Yngwie Malmsteen. Mixed opinions have been expressed on this choice by members of the Vai Yahoo group, but love him or hate him, he'll be on the tour.
Vai has also anounced that he will be postponing his musical project to release an instrumental CD in a more timely fashion.
Sony has also started an "Essence of Vai" CD project. Not so wonderful for Vai fans who have it all already, but wonderful for those who are only somewhat interested and who might want to get interested some more. ;-)
That's all for now.
Cheers.
6/8/03 - There are 2 new Vai CDs available for the box set! Woo-freakin'-hoo! Go get 'em at Vai.com
6/3/03 - And the Yardbirds CD Giveaway Contest winners are:
Vinnie Zummo: winner of CD and signed biography Debbie Ohara: winner of CD Julie Smith: winner of CD
Congratulations!
Winners should have received an email from Klew Media for details about how to receive your prizes. On behalf of Favored Nations, Klew Media and TheUltraZone.com I would like to thank everyone who entered the contest.
5/27/03 - There has been a lot of Vai news coming through the Vai.com web site. Some of the highlights:
1. Secret Jewel Box mini-site launched with track listing and other cool info about upcoming release of Volumes 3 and 4.
2. Steve will be featured on Celebrity Pets on VH1. There are some video clips at Vai.com and the show will air sometime in June.
3. Vai.com Forums open to the public now.
4. A lot more Vai goods going up for sale at EBay, but no official word on exactly wht and when yet.
Check out all the latest scuttlebutt over at Vai.com
4/11/03 - We are proud to host a banner ad for Favored Nations in support of the new Yardbirds CD called Birdland coming on April 22, 2003. See the banner on the Home page and on the Links page. (Please note that we were not offered money and did not ask for it.)
2/24/03 - There are a bunch more updates on the Vai site including new Ebay Auction info.
1/23/03 - Two very cool recordings added to the Audio section - solo piano renditions of For The Love of God and Call it Sleep by Kenny Friedman. You have to hear these tracks!
1/13/03 - There has been a ton of activity on the vai.com web site. Lots of new features and pictures and QT movies etc. Be sure to check it all out. http://www.vai.com
12/07/02 - Awesome! There are two fantastic new items on vai.com. One is the All About Evo, a super detailed look at Evo in all of its mangled glory! The other is a new Postcard from Steve. What a great read it is!
Thanks for the tip Col.
12/05/02 - There's been a few updates at vai.com, including another cool postcard from Steve and some new pictures of Steve at The Mothership.
12/01/02 - Sarah Rudolph recently got a letter from Rich Pike in which he sadly informed us that he has left Vai.com and Favored Nations to persue some new and different adventures. We wish him all the best and hope that he will still keep an eye on the list. His long time design partner Mike, along with Anthony Garone, will be at the helm now. We welcome them and hope they will have fun steering the ship.
Rich wrote: "On a side note, which might be of interest to many of the list people, one project will be a LOT of fun -- I'm launching an internet radio station in January 2003, called NoneRadio, which springs from the loins of noneforyoudear, an online magazine I started with Keneally & others back in 1999, but which I folded in 2001. The original None is gone but a new None site will return as a site for the radio show, which is a 4-hour show broadcasting live every Monday night, and repeating 24/7 through the week. The show will be hosted by me & Mike Keneally, with sometime special guest host Joe Travers joining us (Joe was Mike's drummer for some time and also drums with Duran Duran, Billy Idol & others -- he also STILL works for Frank Zappa, he's the FZ vaultmeister who puts together the new FZ records and he works at Frank's house each day with Gail & Dweezil). The three of us are always together if we're in LA, and we love to force each other to listen to music -- NoneRadio will be us forcing everybody else to listen to our favorite stuff now. :) It will be 4 hours of incredible, underplayed music, including indie content and lots of exclusive stuff, call-ins, etc."
Rich added that "GKS remains very much on my mind," and that he'll be starting a separate website for GKS sometime soon.
11/26/02 - According to a newsletter sent by Mr. Vai, Adrian Legg's new CD "Guitar Bones" will be released on Favored Nations Acoustic on January 28th, 2003
11/19/02 - More Vai Items up for bid at eBay! Very cool stuff indeed.
1) The Fire Garden World Tour back drop
2) Steve's old Roland R-5, from Passion And Warfare!
3) Steve's Eventide GTR4000 Harmonizer!
4) Custom Ibanez Universe guitar neck, from one of Steve's 7-strings!
Auctions end Nov 22!
11/17/02 - Major news update!!! Steve Himself wrote a juicy update at one of the JemSite forums. Here is the direct link: http://www.jemsite.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=16619
Thanks to Sarah Rudolph for the tip
11/16/02 - Marty Friedman, Tommy Denander, Lars Eric Mattsson, Steve Vai, Terry Syrek, David Valdez, Randy Coven, Michael Von Knorring, Tracy G, Mats Olausson , Ronni Le Tekro, Slav Simanic , Neil Zaza, Milan Polak, Carlos Creator, Mistheria , J. K. Northrup, Stephen Ross, Steve Booke with Magic Elf, Mario Parga, Daniele Liverani, Terje Rypdal, Max Arminchiardi, Ray DeTone, Keith LuBrant & Bernie Lambert, Rick Brannon & Dean Lopes, Scott Hughes, Rusty Cooley, Chris Hattingh, Joseph Anastacio Glean’s Valediction, Joe Becker, Michael Thompson, Morty Black, Dag Stokke are some of the musicians which will be featured on Vol. II of theJason Becker Tribute. Just like last time all the profits are going to Jason.
11/12/02 - Mike Keneally playing in Santa Monica on the 14th! See the Tour Info page for details
11/11/02 - Scoop! One of our Insiders-In-The-Know (Chris McMahon) tells us that Jennifer Batten will be releasing a new CD on Favored Nations sometime next year. Woo hoo! She is totally amazing.
11/7/02 - The worldwide release of Marty Friedman's new album "Music for Speeding" will be in the winter (exact dates to come) and will come out on UNIVERSAL in JAPAN, AUSTRALIA and ASIA, FAVORED NATIONS in USA, MASCOT in EUROPE. A South American deal is pending now. The whole world will be covered so be sure to get your dose! http://www.martyfriedman.com
Thanks to Kalle Flyckt for the info
10/29/02 - From the Billy Sheehan Newsletter: "Great news! It looks like I'll be joining Steve Vai for his next album! We had such a great time playing together on tour we decided to play together on Steve's upcoming new record. Also, a DVD of the Steve Vai tour last fall will be coming soon! We shot the sold out London Astoria show last year. It was an amazing night—I'm glad we got it on video! Coming SOON!"
10/25/02 - Scoop! Esteemed list member Kelly Cruz received a letter from Mr. Vai himself in which he informed Kelly that he is in the studio working on his next CD. He hopes to have it out by next summer. Woo hoo!
10/05/02 - Favored Nations to release a new Banned from Utoptia CD
Steve is Working on a DVD, due out soon, of the European tour for Alive in an Ultra World
Site News & Updates
5/29/03 - New Article added to the Articles section. Transcribed by Chris McMahon, it's an old interview with Vai and Satriani. Cool reading. Thanks Chris.
5/27/03 - A lot of new activity recently including the Yardbirds banner ads at various locations on the site as well as the Yardbirds contest giveaway. All of that is for supporting Favored Nations. We are glad to do it.
2/24/03 - An article on the Brian Beller site was added to the Articles page. Very cool story of the Bynoe/Beller auditions and that period and of Brian's work with Steve
1/13/03 - A great new article added to the Articles Section. Transcribed by Chris McMahon
11/13/02 - There have been a lot of additions recently. Too many to list here. But we have added a famous video from the Passion & Warfare days. This is the David Letterman appearance. Amazing! Check it out.
11/20/02 - Steve Vai solo project discography is complete!
11/16/02 - 2 new galleries with pix by Kelly Cruz added to the Photos section
11/7/02 - Anatomy of a Song and G3 Interview with Steve Vai and Billy Sheehan links added to the Audio page
10/28/02 - 3 new Photo Galleries added to the Photo section
10/26/02 - 4 articles added to the Articles page - They have been transcribed by Derek Prather
10/5/02 - Paris 2001 Concert pix and other scans added to the Photos section
10/3/02 - A load of article/interview links added to the Articles page
9/20/02 - There is a new Vai/music related fan site on the internet - this site! This date marks the initial upload of the basic main pages of The Ultra Zone. Good luck to us!
