Guitar virtuosos and lifelong friends Joe Satriani and Steve Vai are set to bring their collaborative powerhouse band, SatchVai, to stages across North America next spring. The newly announced “Surfing With The Hydra” tour will see the duo joined by a formidable backing lineup featuring drummer Kenny Aronoff, bassist Marco Mendoza, and guitarist Pete Thorn.
Instrumental prog-metal titans Animals As Leaders have been confirmed as the support act for the 40-date trek, which launches on April 1 at the Paramount Theatre in Seattle and concludes on May 30 in Vienna, Virginia.
This tour represents a significant evolution in the nearly 50-year relationship between Satriani and Vai, marking the first time they have formally toured as a unified band rather than solo artists sharing a bill. Fans can expect a setlist comprised of classic tracks from their individual catalogs as well as new material from an upcoming SatchVai studio album. A new single and video, “Dancing,” is scheduled for release on March 2, 2026, via earMUSIC.
Satriani expressed his excitement about bringing the project to American audiences following a successful run overseas.
“The SatchVai band rides again! After a fantastic European tour last summer Steve, Kenny, Marco, Pete and I will bring the ‘Surfing With The Hydra‘ tour to the U.S.,” Satriani said. “We can’t wait to play you the new material from our forthcoming SatchVai album along with your favorite songs from our shared catalog. And that’s not all, we’re bringing along the incomparable Animals As Leaders. You do not want to miss this show with this lineup!”
For Vai, the experience of performing in a band context with his mentor and friend has been a dream come true.
“The SatchVai band summer Euro tour of 2025 far exceeded anything I could have imagined,” Vai added. “Joe and I struck pure jammin’ gold night after night. Being in the same band with Joe, playing songs we actually wrote together on stage, in real time felt like watching a childhood fantasy step out of my teenage brain and stroll onto the stage. And somehow, it was even more rewarding, satisfying, and downright fulfilling than I ever thought possible.”
Tickets for the tour go on sale to the general public this Friday, December 12, at 10:00 a.m. local time via Ticketmaster. A Live Nation pre-sale will be available starting Thursday, December 11.
SatchVai “Surfing With The Hydra” 2026 Tour Dates:
- April 01 – Seattle, WA @ Paramount Theatre
- April 02 – Portland, OR @ Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall
- April 04 – Oakland, CA @ Fox Theater
- April 05 – Reno, NV @ Grand Sierra Resort and Casino
- April 07 – Long Beach, CA @ Long Beach Terrace Theater
- April 08 – San Diego, CA @ Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre
- April 10 – Mesa, AZ @ Mesa Amphitheatre
- April 11 – Las Vegas, NV @ The Theater at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas
- April 14 – Denver, CO @ Mission Ballroom
- April 16 – Houston, TX @ 713 Music Hall
- April 17 – Dallas, TX @ Music Hall at Fair Park
- April 18 – Austin, TX @ ACL Live at the Moody Theater
- April 20 – Mobile, AL @ Saenger Theatre
- April 22 – Pompano Beach, FL @ Pompano Beach Amphitheater
- April 24 – Clearwater, FL @ Baycare Sound
- April 25 – St. Augustine, FL @ St. Augustine Amphitheatre
- April 26 – Orlando, FL @ Hard Rock Live
- April 27 – Atlanta, GA @ Atlanta Symphony Hall
- April 29 – Charlotte, NC @ Ovens Auditorium
- April 30 – Durham, NC @ DPAC
- May 02 – Minneapolis, MN @ State Theatre
- May 03 – Chicago, IL @ Chicago Theatre
- May 05 – Milwaukee, WI @ The Riverside Theater
- May 07 – Nashville, TN @ Ryman Auditorium
- May 08 – Cincinnati, OH @ PNC Pavilion at Riverbend Music Center
- May 09 – Indianapolis, IN @ Everwise Amphitheater at White River State Park
- May 10 – St. Louis, MO @ The Factory
- May 12 – Buffalo, NY @ Kleinhans Music Hall
- May 13 – Toronto, ON @ Meridian Hall
- May 15 – Northfield, OH @ MGM Northfield Park
- May 16 – Rochester Hills, MI @ Meadow Brook Amphitheatre
- May 17 – Syracuse, NY @ Landmark Theatre
- May 20 – Boston, MA @ Leader Bank Pavilion
- May 21 – Albany, NY @ Palace Theatre
- May 22 – Waterbury, CT @ Palace Theater
- May 23 – Virginia Beach, VA @ The Dome
- May 27 – Reading, PA @ Santander Performing Arts Center
- May 28 – New York, NY @ Beacon Theatre
- May 29 – Atlantic City, NJ @ Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa
- May 30 – Vienna, VA @ Wolf Trap
