Guitardolescence: Coming of Age During The Halcyon Years of Guitardom

By Fernando Santomaggio

Looking Back: Singer, songwriter, bass and guitarist Fernando Santomaggio poses with his brother Tom Santomaggio in 1989.

In life, change can happen over a period of time, or as a result of a singular event. In rare cases we are gifted with periods laden with a multitude of events. One such example is the transition from the end of the 1980’s into the last decade of the 20^th century. The collapse of the Soviet Union? The fall of the Berlin Wall? Exxon Valdez? While these events were changing the lives of millions around the world, my life was being changed by a seemingly endless proliferation of important guitar-centric albums.

At a moment when I was only just beginning my musical journey, to have such a wealth of inspiration bestowed upon me felt quite like a textbook example of Jungian synchronicity. In the span of less than two years, a veritable cornucopia of new and unique guitar music came over my transom. I felt, I understood what Europeans felt like during the Renaissance!

Steve Morse’s High Tension Wires, Stu Hamm’s Kings of Sleep, Eric Johnson’s Ah Via Musicom. Yngwie Malmsteen’s Eclipse… all manna from guitar heaven! Amidst all that brilliance, two beams of light shone through: Joe Satriani’s Flying In A Blue Dream and Steve Vai’s Passion And Warfare. I very distinctly recall being a different person after hearing those albums. My life...(and) my world had changed.

While I was not fortunate enough to have seen any of my heroes at that time when I was being so profoundly shaped by their work, I have since crossed each off my “to-do” list several times over. Never once has the experience been anything less than mesmeric. While over time, the luster of hero worship has faded, it has given way to the beautiful patina of perspective. These are not human-like gods, but god-like humans.

Passion is to be admired in any form. To witness Satriani and Vai’s devotion to their art, their craft is truly affirmational. Neither has ever entertained the notion of resting on their laurels. Either would have earned their permanent place in the pantheon of rock guitar virtuosos based on only their earliest work. But, no… Both have constantly explored the boundaries of their and the guitar’s abilities. Even well into stage of their lives when most artists embark on “pay the bills” tours, and milk their past glory for every penny, Satch and Vai seem as enamored with exploring new musical frontiers as ever!

In a musical landscape littered with the ones and zeros of 'AIrt,' they represent a true triumph of the human spirit! Their passion for their art has relentlessly triumphed in the warfare of the creative process. It is certain they would have excelled at any endeavor they chose. Dr. Joseph Satriani M.D.? The Honorable Steven S. Vai, Chief Justice of The United States? Fortunately for us, they chose guitar!

And now, the wait is over. The SatchVai Band is back on the road, bringing their singular brand of guitar wizardry to stages across America. The "Surfing with the Hydra" 2026 U.S. Tour kicks off April 1, 2026, in Seattle, WA, at the iconic Paramount Theatre, which is a fitting launch pad for two artists who have never stopped pushing the instrument's outer limits. For those of us whose lives were forever altered by Flying In A Blue Dream and Passion And Warfare, this tour isn't just a concert series. It's a reunion with the music that made us who we are, performed by the men who made it possible. Satriani and Vai will hit Pompano Beach Amphitheater April 22 for a performance. Check out satchvaiband.com for a complete list of tour dates.

Fernando Santomaggio is a South Florida-based bassist, composer, and force on the regional music scene whose playing draws from a lineage of legends including Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, rank Zappa, Jaco Pastorius, Sting, and many others . Shaped by years on the cover circuit with acts including The Crush, Big Rock Band, Mixtape FM, and Idol Eyes, he debuted his own original album, Möbius Dick, last year. With more than two decades of technical music mastery and creative momentum behind him, Santomaggio stands as one of South Florida's most distinctive musical voices.