Steve Vai, Eric Johnson, Rudy Sarzo and Billy Sheehan were among the stars who headlined Sweetwater’s GearFest 2019 this past June. Held in the musical-instrument retailer’s home base of Fort Wayne, Indiana, the 18th annual GearFest featured live shows, clinics and workshops hosted by world-class music industry professionals, and, of course, truckloads of new instruments.
In addition to the performers mentioned above, GearFest 2019 included session-master Pete Thorn, gristle-king Greg Koch, Courtney Cox of the Iron Maidens, YouTube sensation Rob Scallon and online Guitar Zoom educator Steve Stine. Rounding out the artists were a number of legendary musicians who performed, shared their knowledge of music and discussed career highlights. These included Jeff “Skunk” Baxter, Dennis Chambers, Johnny A, Doyle Dykes and country/bluegrass legend Ricky Skaggs, who performed with his group Kentucky Thunder.
This year’s event was an exceptional assembly of talent, as Vai and Johnson performed separately during their individual workshop sessions but returned to the stage to jam alongside Sweetwater’s All-Stars band during the opening night Customer Appreciation Concert. The show included Vai and Dykes performing an inspired version of the George Harrison-penned Beatles classic “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” with the house band. Another notable off-the-cuff performance included Sweetwater’s own Nick Bowcott, Sarzo and Stryper’s Michael Sweet blasting a rendition of Ozzy Osbourne’s seminal classic “Crazy Train.”
Clinics and workshops included Sheehan’s “Transcending Traditional Bass” session, where the bass legend discussed the equipment he uses and prefers, explained his signature performance techniques and practice habits, and provided insights on being a professional musician. Thorn presented his approach to composing and recording in his “Modern Guitar Recording and Production” seminar, where he also shared useful