Yngwie Malmsteen Begins Guitar Gods Tour

You can practically smell the ego rising from the press release of Yngwie Malmsteen's Guitar Gods tour. I mean, why is it necessary to point out that Malmsteen got his own signature Fender model before Eric Clapton?

Because Yngwie has never been as universally revered as Clapton has and when you're as narcissistic as Malmsteen, you tend to point out every minute detail of your legacy, even the ones that really don't mean anything. Same thing goes for the Guitar Hero references. Who gives a shit?

Yngwie does. That's all that matters.

I won't be in the area during the time the Guitar Gods tour rolls around, otherwise, I'd be all over this. To see Yngwie and Uli Jon Roth (who may rank as one of my favorite guitarists ever) on the same stage would be pretty amazing, even if Yngwie's epic ego only allows him to log 9 dates to show off his six string prowess.

Here's the release:

(New York, NY) - The king of neo-classical shred guitar, legendary guitar virtuoso Yngwie Malmsteen, will soon return to stages across North America this summer for the first-ever "Guitar Gods" festival tour. Bringing together such accomplished axemen as Uli Jon Roth (Scorpions, Electric Sun), Gary Hoey ("Hocus Pocus") and Bumblefoot (Guns N' Roses), Malmsteen will headline an epic celebration (6+ hours!) of the instrument for a full evening of guitar pyrotechnics. Each show will also feature special surprise guests. The "Guitar Gods" tour is created and produced by April Malmsteen, Yngwie's wife and manager and is presented in proud partnership with Guitar Center. Please see below for the itinerary; more dates to be announced.

Of the upcoming tour, creator and producer April Malmsteen commented, "Being able to put together this festival has been a lifelong dream of mine. I sincerely believe that "Guitar Gods" will bring tremendous value and enjoyment to not only the guitar and heavy metal enthusiast, but also to anyone who loves music." Yngwie Malmsteen's most recent studio album, SPELLBOUND and his first book, the autobiography, Relentless: A Memoir, are both available now. Malmsteen was recently profiled about both on NPR's Weekend Edition Saturday; that segment can be heard here. In other news, the Yngwie Malmsteen premium artist signature series by Fender is now available. The series features a full lineup of Malmsteen-endorsed accessories such as guitar strings, instrument cables, gig bags, electronic tuners and more.

For nearly three decades, Grammy-nominated guitar icon Yngwie Malmsteen has been amazing audiences with dazzling technical speed and ability. Malmsteen's signature style of playing, which combines elements of seemingly disparate styles of music - metal and classical, spawned the now commonplace genres of heavy metal known as "shred guitar" and "neo classical" and earned Malmsteen the title "the Paganini of heavy metal". Malmsteen was the first guitarist to have his own Fender signature guitar model (even before Eric Clapton). He has graced the cover of more than 200 magazines worldwide, has won every guitar award imaginable and to date, has sold millions of records. Time named Malmsteen one of the "Top Ten Greatest Electric Guitar Players", an honor he shared with the likes of Les Paul, Jimmy Page and Jimi Hendrix. "Guitar Hero" enthusiasts know they have arrived when they are bestowed with the Yngwie Malmsteen award in the Xbox 360 version of "Guitar Hero 2". The award signifies a 1000+ note streak in succession.

Held in the highest regard in his own right, Uli Jon Roth brings the very special 40th Anniversary Scorpions set that he has been playing to audiences from Europe to North America, embracing his history with the band and digging deep into their catalogue for this tour.

Acclaimed for his accomplishments for perfecting his playing in multiple genres (rock, blues, surf), Gary Hoey performs his radio hits such as the Billboard Top 5 smash "Hocus Pocus" along with other favorites. 

Bumblefoot, best known for his work with Guns N' Roses, embarks on his first solo tour, playing songs from his entire critically-praised recorded history.

Yngwie Malmsteen/Guitar Gods North American tour 2014:

JUNE

13 Huntington, NY Paramount Theatre
14 Sayreville, NJ Starland Ballroom
17 Englewood, NJ Bergen Performing Arts Center
20 St. Charles, IL Arcada Theatre
21 Toronto, ON Phoenix Theatre
26 Seattle, WA Showbox Theatre
27 Portland, OR Roseland Theater

JULY

3 Beverly Hills, CA Saban Theatre
8 Tucson, AZ Rialto Theatr

Yngwie Malsteen Tour Kicks Off Tonight

He can play guitar better than you, and admit it, if you played as good as Yngwie played, you'd wear frilly pirate shirts and show off all the time too.

And two dates in the Chicagoland area!

Got Yngwie...If you can afford the ticket prices.

Jesus.

Finally, judging by all of the sequential dates that Mr. Malsteen appears to be doing, he will be going through a lot of boxed wine.

From the inbox:

(New York, NY) - The king of neo-classical shred guitar, legendary guitar virtuoso Yngwie Malmsteen, will soon return to stages across North America for a headlining tour in support of his new album Spellbound.

Spellbound was released in December, 2012. The trek will kick off in Cleveland, OH at the House Of Blues on Wednesday, April 24th and will feature an eclectic mix of classic tracks, as well as new material from Spellbound and his previous studio album, Relentless. Please see below for the itinerary, more dates to be announced.

In other news, Malmsteen will soon add another achievement to his already impressive career: his first-ever book, the official autobiography Relentless: A Memoir. Written by Malmsteen himself, the book chronicles his journey from humble beginnings in Sweden to contemporary life as one of the world's greatest guitarists. The book will be released on Monday, May 6th via Wiley Publishing and can be pre-ordered here. Of the new book, Malmsteen commented, "I've been very fortunate to have a career with extraordinary highlights. It's been a life-long dream to document these stories. I can't wait for the release of my book so that fans can read my story in my own words." As if a new record, new tour and new book weren't enough to keep the guitar legend busy, Malmsteen is also very proud to introduce www.relentlessshred.com, his brand new guitar tutorial website. At www.relentlesshsred.com fans and players worldwide at every level can log on to learn from the master himself.

For nearly three decades, Grammy-nominated Swedish guitar icon Yngwie Malmsteen has been amazing audiences with dazzling technical speed and ability. Malmsteen's signature style of playing, which combines elements of seemingly disparate styles of music - metal and classical, spawned the now commonplace genres of heavy metal known as "shred guitar" and "neo classical" and earned Malmsteen the title "the Paganini of heavy metal". Malmsteen was the first guitarist to have his own Fender signature guitar model (even before Eric Clapton). He has graced the cover of more than 200 magazines worldwide, has won every guitar award imaginable and to date, has sold millions of records. Time named Malmsteen one of the "Top Ten Greatest Electric Guitar Players", an honor he shared with the likes of Les Paul, Jimmy Page and Jimi Hendrix. "Guitar Hero" enthusiasts know they have arrived when they are bestowed with the Yngwie Malmsteen award in the Xbox 360 version of "Guitar Hero 2". The award signifies a 1000+ note streak in succession.

Yngwie Malmsteen North American headlining tour:

APRIL
24 Cleveland, OH House Of Blues
25 Detroit, MI St. Andrew's Hall
26 Toronto, ON Phoenix Theatre
27 Hartford, CT Webster Theatre
28 Munhall, PA Carnegie Music Hall
29 Boston, MA The Wilbur Theatre
30 New York, NY Irving Plaza
MAY
3 Memphis, TN Beale Street Festival
4 Chicago, IL House Of Blues
5 St. Charles, IL Arcada Theatre
7 Denver, CO Summit Music Hall
9 Anaheim, CA House Of Blues
10 West Hollywood, CA House Of Blues
11 Fresno, CA Tower Theatre
12 Ventura, CA Majestic Venture Theatre
13 San Francisco, CA The Regency Ballroom
14 San Diego, CA House Of Blues
16 Dallas, TX Granada Theater
17 San Antonio, TX Backstage Live - Out Doors
18 Houston, TX Outdoors Houston Guitar Festival

Yngwie Malmsteen Reminds Everyone How Good He Is With New Album and North American Tour

"GUITAR VIRTUOSO YNGWIE MALMSTEEN TO UNLEASH THE FURY ON NORTH AMERICA THIS FALL: MALMSTEEN'S FIRST NORTH AMERICAN TOUR IN MORE THAN THREE YEARS KICKS OFF IN OCTOBER."

That was the introduction in bold print, announcing Yngwie's newest album. Just look as some of his comments below and behold how self-absorbed they sound.

That's because Yngwie is an awesome guitarist.

And he knows it.

He's like the Ron Burgandy of guitarists, "He everyone! Come see how great I am!"

And there will be fans who do exactly that.

Sure, you can make the argument of the claim of how good he really is or question the soul of what he's really doing inside all those notes, but let's not forget the first time you heard Yngwie, marveling at the speed in which he was shredding.

The cynicism came later-and is probably deserved-but you can't deny the jaw-dropping method you witnessed on first glance. For a brief moment, you were willing to admit that Yngwie was one of the greatest guitarists ever.

The moment he opened his mouth to agree with your thoughts is the same moment you looked for reasons to disagree with him and put his ego in check just a bit.

Here's the press release:

(New York, NY) - It's been a long wait for American and Canadian fans...but come this October guitar legend Yngwie Malmsteen will make his triumphant return to North American stages with a Fall headlining tour. In support of Malmsteen's latest release, Relentless, the trek will kick off on Thursday, October 13th at New York City's Irving Plaza. Please see below for the itinerary, more dates will be announced shortly. Of the upcoming dates, Malmsteen commented, "I am very much looking forward to playing new pieces from Relentless, as well as Malmsteen classics. Fans can expect the unexpected...I raise the bar with every performance I do and this tour will be no different."

Released late last year, Yngwie Malmsteen's aptly-named latest album, Relentless, contains more than 60 minutes of new material and showcases the guitar great at his best with the signature virtuosity and mind-blowing technical speed for which he has come to be known. The album also features striking vocals from Tim "Ripper" Owens (Judas Priest, Iced Earth), who first collaborated with Malmsteen on 2008's critically-acclaimed Perpetual Flame (Malmsteen's first album for the Rising Force Records label). Relentless has received rave reviews from both critics and fans alike. Malmsteen recently graced the February cover of Guitar Player, with the magazine avowing, "Relentless continues the guitarist's long string of insane, epic and jaw-dropping releases."

For nearly three decades, Grammy-nominated Swedish guitar icon Yngwie Malmsteen has been amazing audiences with dazzling technical speed and ability. Malmsteen's signature style of playing, which combines elements of seemingly disparate styles of music - metal and classical, spawned the now commonplace genres of heavy metal known as "shred guitar" and "neo classical" and earned Malmsteen the title "the Paganini of heavy metal". Malmsteen was the first guitarist to have his own Fender signature guitar model (even before Eric Clapton). He has graced the cover of more than 200 magazines worldwide, has won every guitar award imaginable and to date, has sold millions of records. Time recently named Malmsteen one of the "Top Ten Greatest Electric Guitar Players", an honor he shared with the likes of Les Paul, Jimmy Page and Jimi Hendrix. "Guitar Hero" enthusiasts know they have arrived when they are bestowed with the Yngwie Malmsteen award in the Xbox 360 version of "Guitar Hero 2". The award signifies a 1000+ note streak in succession.

Yngwie Malmsteen North American headlining tour:


OCTOBER

13 New York, NY Irving Plaza

15 Silver Lake, MD Fillmore

18 Montreal, QC Club Soda

19 Toronto, ON Phoenix

21 Chicago, IL House Of Blues

23 Denver, CO Bluebird Theatre

26 San Francisco, CA Fillmore

28 Anaheim, CA House Of Blues

29 Los Angeles, CA Club Nokia

NOVEMBER

1 Houston, TX House Of Blues

2 Dallas, TX House Of Blues

5 Ft. Lauderdale, FL Revolution