SatchVai: Satriani & Vai at Palace

Joe Satriani and Steve Vai played the Palace Theater in Waterbury, Connecticut, on Friday, May 22, as part of the SATCHVAI Band’s first U.S. tour, according to the venue and the band’s official tour page. The stop was billed as a one-time performance at 7:30 p.m. at the downtown theater. The show placed two of rock guitar’s best-known instrumental players on the same bill under a shared band name rather than as separate headliners. Animals As Leaders was listed as the opening act. ### When did Satriani and Vai play the Palace Theater? The Palace Theater listed the SATCHVAI Band for Friday, May 22, 2026, from 7:30 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. at 100 East Main Street in Waterbury. The Connecticut tourism listing carried the same date, time and venue information. That makes the Palace appearance a single-night stop, not a multi-month local run. The user’s source card referred to a longer engagement window, but the venue and CTvisit listings both show one Waterbury performance on May 22. ### What is the SATCHVAI Band? The SATCHVAI Band is the formal live collaboration between Joe Satriani and Steve Vai, according to the official band site and the Palace Theater listing. Both sites describe it as the first time in nearly 50 years of friendship and musical partnership that the two guitarists have joined forces as a band. The group’s current lineup includes drummer Kenny Aronoff, bassist Marco Mendoza and guitarist Pete Thorn, with Animals As Leaders on the bill as special guest on the tour. The official site says the 2026 North American run follows a European tour in 2025. ### What music are they bringing on this tour? The official SATCHVAI Band site said the “Surfing With The Hydra” tour would feature new material from a forthcoming SATCHVAI album along with songs from Satriani’s and Vai’s catalogs and selected covers. The site also promoted the single “Dancing,” released on March 2, 2026. The Palace and CTvisit listings also point to earlier SATCHVAI releases, including “The Sea of Emotion, Pt. 1” and “I Wanna Play My Guitar,” the latter featuring Glenn Hughes. Those descriptions frame the project as more than a one-off jam, with recorded material already attached to the tour. ### How much did the Waterbury show cost? CTvisit listed standard admission prices at $40, $54.50, $84.50 and $104.50. The same listing showed VIP tickets at $309 and $329. Eventbrite also carried the Waterbury date and showed a broader public price range of $54 to $170, reflecting ticketing tiers on that platform. The venue page itself identified the event as a Palace Theater presentation rather than a festival or package bill. ### Was this stop part of a larger U.S. run? The official band site described the 2026 trek as a 40-show North American tour running across April and May. The Palace Theater page said the U.S. run followed what it called a successful European debut band tour the previous summer. Live Nation’s tour listing showed the band continuing after Waterbury with dates on May 27 in Reading, Pennsylvania, May 28 in New York, May 29 in Atlantic City and May 30 in Vienna, Virginia. Songkick’s calendar also placed Waterbury between Albany on May 21 and Virginia Beach on May 23. ### Where can readers check upcoming dates and local details? CTvisit carried the Connecticut event listing for the May 22 Waterbury show, while the Palace Theater page provided the venue address, time and ticket links. The official SATCHVAI Band site listed the broader “Surfing With The Hydra” itinerary and named the touring lineup. Live Nation’s schedule shows the next announced stops on May 27 at Santander Performing Arts Center in Reading and May 28 at the Beacon Theatre in New York.