We're not sure how we missed this one. A few years ago (June 27, 2015, to be exact), a young Brazilian guitarist's dream came true; the guitarist—Patrick Souza—got to share the stage with his idol, Steve Vai.
But it's a lot more interesting than it sounds; in fact, the pair engaged in a guitar duel that left Vai speechless.
For a bit of context, Vai was conducting a guitar workshop in Brazil, and—obviously—there was no way Souza was gonna miss it. After all, his YouTube moniker used to be "MrPatrickVai." (He's since changed it to "Patrick Souza.")
After only about 11 seconds, Vai is aware he's up against a force to be reckoned with. We love Vai's reaction at the 29-second mark, when he throws his arms in the air as if to say, "That was some pretty cool stuff, folks. I'm as impressed as you are!" (It actually reminds us of Eric Clapton's reaction to Jeff Beck's first guitar solo in this 1981 video.)
Anyway, Vai is a class act; he knows this is Souza's special moment, not his, so he doesn't do anything to steal the spotlight from the hometown shred master. In fact, he turns it into what it's supposed to be—a fun moment shared by two super-talented guitarists.
For more about Souza, be sure to check out his videos on YouTube.
“I would say he’s underrated in the echelons of guitar. Honestly, there’s no-one close”: Steve Vai reveals what it’s like to work side by side with fellow Frank Zappa alum Adrian Belew on the BEAT tour
“I think Eddie got rubbed up the wrong way because we had another superstar guitar player in our lineup”: Eddie Van Halen apparently left Peavey because it signed a second standout shredder – Joe Satriani
