Last tour for awhile

[The_Noble_Cause]

From Luke's twitter -

"And it begins:
TOTO summer tour in Europe 2019. Check my website for dates http://www.stevelukather.com . Cant wait to play again.
We have not even seen each other since March. Gonna be a fun one and the LAST tour for quite some time so make it out if ya can.
London here we come.."

[The_Noble_Cause]

Everybody on their game.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDLn7pUEOfQ

[RonaldDupris]

Going to start a shitstorm for saying this but:

Toto isn't Toto without David Paich. So if Paich isn't ever coming back, I'd rather Toto just call it quits.

That's not a knock on original members Luke and Steve P but Toto is and always will be Paich and Jeff Porcaro's creation. Without at least one of them in the band, Toto should not exist.

[The_Noble_Cause]

Going to start a shitstorm for saying this but:

Toto isn't Toto without David Paich. So if Paich isn't ever coming back, I'd rather Toto just call it quits.

That's not a knock on original members Luke and Steve P but Toto is and always will be Paich and Jeff Porcaro's creation. Without at least one of them in the band, Toto should not exist.

Ridiculous. The FIB show I saw with Greg on keys was amazing. While I wish Paich was currently there, this isn't the first time he had to step out. TOTO currently has more original and longtime members than most bands - Lenny, Joe, Warren, Steve P, and Luke.

[RonaldDupris]

Going to start a shitstorm for saying this but:

Toto isn't Toto without David Paich. So if Paich isn't ever coming back, I'd rather Toto just call it quits.

That's not a knock on original members Luke and Steve P but Toto is and always will be Paich and Jeff Porcaro's creation. Without at least one of them in the band, Toto should not exist.

Ridiculous. The FIB show I saw with Greg on keys was amazing. While I wish Paich was currently there, this isn't the first time he had to step out. TOTO currently has more original and longtime members than most bands - Lenny, Joe, Warren, Steve P, and Luke.

That period with Greg was awful and a trainwreck. 2003-2008 was the darkest time in Toto's history.

[The_Noble_Cause]

That period with Greg was awful and a trainwreck. 2003-2008 was the darkest time in Toto's history.

FIB show I saw was great - even Bobby blew me away.

[WalrusOct9]

Honestly, if Paich isn't coming back, I kinda agree. Only two guys left from the first album, and no offense to Steve P, whose contributions are kind of like the secret sauce, but only one of those guys is really prominent onstage and singing leads.

I get it, this stuff happens, but I don't know how I feel about the band going on indefinitely without their founder and primary songwriter (since I'm always hoping, as long as the band is an ongoing concern, that they'll keep making new music, even if it's not on a regular basis).

The show I saw last year was good, but it definitely felt a little hollow without Paich there.

But also "last tour for awhile" could mean like, a year off. Remember Luke ended the band in 2008 and they were back on the road (reconfigured) two years later. I think all this means is that there's no definite plans for 2020, which, considering this is their 10th year in a row of being on the road, is totally understandable. Plus, maybe a year or so off will give them time to recharge their creative batteries and rekindle the desire to make some new music.

[Andrew]

That period with Greg was awful and a trainwreck. 2003-2008 was the darkest time in Toto's history.

What utter rot! Greg was awesome...and that album/tour was quite spectacular.

[Sundet]

That period with Greg was awful and a trainwreck. 2003-2008 was the darkest time in Toto's history.

Certainly not as a whole. I think they lost their way a bit with the covers album and the 2003 tour (with Paich sitting out and then Simon also going absent for a while) but they came back to Europe in 2004 with a revamped and frankly excellent setlist which I think rejuvenated the band somehow and may have inspired them to write and record the very good FiB album in 2005. The 2006 tour was okay from what I remember, but with Mike Porcaro's departure from it, and the turmoil that was obviously going on within the band, I think the wheels basically came off in 2007-08. Ironically, the two DVD's from the 2000s (filmed in 2003 and 2007, respectively) appear to have been recorded at the band's lowest ebbs that decade, which might colour later remembrance of it, but as a whole it wasn't all that awful.

[Ehwmatt]

I absolutely love Paich. But the show I saw last year, with Prince's former keyboard player filling in for David, was killer. Great energy. As long as Luke, Joseph, and, ideally, Steve P. are there, I'm there. I would personally miss Lukather more than Paich in a live show to be honest.

[RonaldDupris]

That period with Greg was awful and a trainwreck. 2003-2008 was the darkest time in Toto's history.

What utter rot! Greg was awesome...and that album/tour was quite spectacular.

Falling In Between is my least favorite Toto album. It's a mess and has no cohesion at all. Sounds like 7 different bands playing among the 10 tracks.

Xavier is light years ahead of Greg because not only is Xavier an awesome player but he's also very professional. Something Greg clearly struggled with. I hated Greg's onstage antics and he tried way too hard to be the centre of attention. Greg was a douchebag. Xavier is respectful of Toto and is a class act.

[Andrew]

Greg not professional? Now I know you’re having a laugh.

And FiB was and remains a masterpiece.

[WalrusOct9]

I think FIB was the best record they'd made since the 80's, but I guess that's the thing with Toto is that their catalog is diverse enough to warrant a lot of valid, varying opinions.

I liked Greg, he's one of the best keyboard players on the planet (and his resume backs that up) and is a super nice, fun guy, onstage and off.

The tour got a little weird at the end with just Luke and Bobby left, I won't lie...you had 3 out of 5 guys onstage who had nothing to do with 90% of the music they were playing, and no one really seemed that happy. At least now everyone seems to be in a much better state of mind, but I wonder if they'll ride out this year and then see what the status is with Dave before committing to another major outing.

[RonaldDupris]

Greg not professional? Now I know you’re having a laugh.

And FiB was and remains a masterpiece.

To each their own. Greg's persona on stage was not my thing and I found it be a turn off. He came off cocky and attention seeking. If the band is going have someone fill in for Paich, at least they got Xavier now who I think is superb.

I think their last record Toto XIV from 2015 is their all-time masterpiece.

Toto XIV, Toto IV, and 7th One are my top 3.

[The_Noble_Cause]

I think their last record Toto XIV from 2015 is their all-time masterpiece.

To me, both FIB and XIV have some great moments. But masterpieces? Nah. I think even "Old is New" is more cohesive overall.

[Ehwmatt]

I think their last record Toto XIV from 2015 is their all-time masterpiece.

To me, both FIB and XIV have some great moments. But masterpieces? Nah. I think even "Old is New" is more cohesive overall.

I tend to agree that FIB is not cohesive. Some great moments as you said, but it sounds more like a side project for a Toto member or two. You can hear elements of the signature sound here and there, but it just didn't seem like Toto at the end of the day. XIV, on the other hand, is a masterpiece to me. Killer album.

[The_Noble_Cause]

I tend to agree that FIB is not cohesive. Some great moments as you said, but it sounds more like a side project for a Toto member or two. You can hear elements of the signature sound here and there, but it just didn't seem like Toto at the end of the day. XIV, on the other hand, is a masterpiece to me. Killer album.

XIV is pretty good. Some songs - like Burn or Fortune - miss the mark for me.

[JohnH]

That period with Greg was awful and a trainwreck. 2003-2008 was the darkest time in Toto's history.

FIB show I saw was great - even Bobby blew me away.

Same here. I loved that lineup and flew to Vegas to see them at Boulder Station. Bobby was on it and Greg was awesome.

[Ehwmatt]

I tend to agree that FIB is not cohesive. Some great moments as you said, but it sounds more like a side project for a Toto member or two. You can hear elements of the signature sound here and there, but it just didn't seem like Toto at the end of the day. XIV, on the other hand, is a masterpiece to me. Killer album.

XIV is pretty good. Some songs - like Burn or Fortune - miss the mark for me.

Fortune I can understand. But man, I love Burn. Such a cool vibe.