Joe,

I've been a fan since I first heard Surfing with the alien 15 years ago. You are an inspiration and an influence in my progress as a musician. I met you briefly at a record signing for Flying in a Blue Dream in Paramus, NJ. A long time ago, when I was a kid, a music teacher wouldn't teach me guitar in school, because I was left handed. Ignoring the fact that Hendrix plays left-handed, this person didn't have the patience to teach me guitar. As a way around it I started playing keyboard, but teaching myself guitar songs on the keyboard. I can't read music, and I play by ear. I started learning primarily Metallica and your material. I wasn't very good, but I dreamed that one day I could play good enough to make my keyboard sound like your guitar, and play your music.

Last week my dream came true. I played in a talent show for my company, UPS, and played "Time". The mixing crew at the theater that I played in managed to mix my keyboard playing in with the CD version of time, and I played it note for note. It was the first time I ever played on stage alone, and in front of a crowd. I had a great time, and I can't believe how many compliments I got. People loved your song, and they liked the way I presented it. Someone told me that the Vice President of technology for UPS was tapping his foot and getting into what I was playing!

I just wanted to thank you for playing what you do. Over the last 16 years you have probably have become my biggest inspiration, because I find it such a challenge to learn how to play your music by ear, and not on the instrument that it’s intended for! If I can dream for a second, I wish that I had the opportunity to have you listen to my performance. I think I did the song justice, and I would hope that you liked it. I’m going to try to go to the PNC Arts center show next week. Thanks for having the forum to have fans write to you, and thanks for listening.

Hi Joe, members of the board,

I haven't posted on here much, but I wanted tell you about something that I'm going to be doing tomorrow night. I've been playing keyboards for 20 years, and I've learned how to play a bunch of your songs on the keyboard. I have learned to play guitar songs and sound like I'm playing a guitar but with using a keyboard. I range from playing Satriani, to Vai, to Metallica, Sevendust, Dream Theater, and things like that. I actually can finally play real piano and keyboard songs, but it's more fun to do the guitar stuff.

Tomorrow night, July 2, I will be peforming in a talent show hosted by the radio station 101.5FM in NJ in Point Pleasant at a place called Jenkinsons. I will be playing the Satch Boogie, and this will not only be the largest crowd I've ever played in front of, but more or less the first time in 19 years that I've actually been able to play this song. It was the song that got me into listening to Joe, and I'm actually surprised that I've managed to learn this song by only playing by ear. Cant read music to save my life :-)

I went to see your performance at Starland Ballroom 2 months ago, and I was pleasantly surprised to see that you have the Korg Karma keyboard on stage. This is the keyboard in which I am able to replicate your guitar sound. I would have never been able to play the Satch boogie without it.

Anyway, I have a myspace music site, where I have mp3s of my performances, mostly consisting of your songs. I have on there currently "Time","Made of Tears", and the main guitar riff of "St Anger".

Next week, I will have the mp3 of tomorrow night's performance on the site. Please check it out if you can.

http://www.myspace.com/mgrater

If anyone is in the NJ area and are interested in attending the talent show, here's the website providing more information

http://www.nj1015.com/personalities/big-joe-henry/talent-show/talent-show06/index.asp

Thanx for your time.

Good morning,

I performed the Satch Boogie on the keyboard last night at a talent show down in Point Pleasant NJ. It was fun watching people's mouths hang open. Although I didn't win the show it was a great experience for performing in front of a crowd. I will have an mp3 of the performance shortly.

If you are interested in hearing what a keyboard sounds like playing Joe's tunes, please go and check out

http://www.myspace.com/mgrater

Right now there are mp3s for "Time","Made of Tears", and "Echo".

Have a nice day,

marimariSRV, thanx. I will definately be performing again next year at this event. It was a lot of fun. I will probably be down in Middlesex Saturday night, playing some more Joe stuff. I have enough practiced for a small set, and I'm making it a weekly habit to get out and play. Check my site out for where I'll be performing and I'll have an mp3 of the Satch Boogie up by next weekend.

Joe,

Will you be bringing G3 back to the states in 2007? If not, are you planning on coming back to NJ for another concert?

Hi all,

In the last few weeks I got in the habit of posting on Youtube some of the songs that I've been performing with the keyboard for the last 20 years, and I have begun posting renditions of Joe's songs on Youtube, in addition to other bands that I've enjoyed listening to.

Currently I have posted my rendition of the Satch Boogie on a Korg Karma keyboard. Check it out and let me know what you think. There are more Satriani songs to follow.Please go to the YouTube page and comment on them. Here's the link to the page directly.

http://www.youtube. com/profile? user=mtg8321

I saw Joe in concert in April, 06 in New Jersey, and it was pleasant surprise to find out that he uses a Korg Karma on stage. It reinforced my belief that I have a really good keyboard to emulate the Satch sound.

Hope you enjoy.

Hi all, going to the G3 show in Sayerville later today...bought a VIP pass to meet Joe...I'm so excited about this. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would ever meet him. Hope to see some of you tomorrow night from NJ.

Saw G3 last night. Met Joe.

Joe, I just want to thank you for the time that you spent talking to us, answering some of the questions I had, and making a lifelong dream come true. I was floating (and I'm still floating) on cloud9 and I can't thank you enough for your time.

I also want to thank you for accepting my Cd performing your tunes on a keyboard. I hope it passed the "10 second test".

Good morning all,

I haven't posted on here in a while, but I wanted to reintroduce myself. My name is Michael, and I live in NJ. I don't play guitar, but I perform these instrumentals on the keyboard. I've been playing for 21 years, and a few months ago I had the honor of meeting Joe, and 2 weekends ago I met Steve Vai at his meet and greet. Tomorrow night I'm getting the opportunity to meet George Lynch. These 3 guitarists are my inspiration and main influence. I'm grateful that there are message boards for the fans to interact, sometimes with the artist.

I wanted to invite you to check out my youtube site. I've posted some Joe covers as well as some other guitarists. If you are interested, feel free to pop over and check out the videos.

http://www.youtube.com/mtg8321

Thank you for your time.

Hi all,

I'm heading over to Guitar Center tomorrow night in NYC. I'm hoping that getting there by 5-5:30 is not going to be too late.

Looking forward to meeting you again, and can't wait to see the new stuff live. I'll be the guy with the keyboard :-)

Have the new CD in the player as we speak. Some really cool new stuff Joe...always an inspiration

Hi Joe,

I met you last night in NYC, and I wanted to thank you for taking the time to play a music store, answer fan questions, sign autographs for hours, and for me, making a dream come true by signing my keyboard. (i was the guy lugging around the keyboard)

Looking foward to meeting you again if you end up touring in NJ.

After meeting Joe the other night, I got inspired. I decided to try to create an mp3 from scratch of Musterion. I recorded all the parts in Pro Tools using my Korg Karma keyboard. Drums, bass, rythym and lead guitar. It's only partially complete, but I've posted the mp3 out on my myspace site.

I'm playing by ear and memory, so it's not going to sound perfect, but I think I did ok.

Come check it out if you want

http://www.myspace.com/metalpianoman

Thanks for the compliment JS, glad I could do the song justice

Pro Tools is this recording software that allows you to create multi track recordings, and make mp3s out of the tracks. I think after Joe signed the keyboard, it's now possessed, cause I was able to figure out the drums, bass, rythym and a lot of the lead almost on the first try.

That Korg is the best thing I've ever bought. Last year when I saw Joe, I saw the Karma on stage, which was cool to know that he uses the same keyboard.

I should have the full version on the myspace site by the end of the weekend, I haven't been able to get the song out of my head.

I have some other Joe covers on my youtube site, Satch boogie, Surfing, Flying in a blue Dream, and on the myspace site I have "Made of Tears" and "The Traveller" on there as well.

Let me know what you think, and I hope that I've done the songs justice

http://www.youtube.com/mtg8321

Hi all,

I've posted another cover on my myspace site. Please check it out and let me know what you think.

I gave "Flying in a Blue Dream" a shot, I haven't played it in a while, and since Joe signed the keyboard on Wednesday all I've been doing is making covers for the last week.

I'm using a Korg Karma keyboard, with an overdrive guitar sound to mimic the lead guitar, and I'm playing along with a backing track.

I'm playing by ear, and it may not be as crisp as others playing this, but I think I did ok. Come check it out on my site, and let me know what you think.

Thanks,