Eric Johnson’s Six-String Monolith

Although Eric Johnson peaked commercially with platinum-selling 1990 Grammy-winner Ah Via Musicom, the intervening decades haven’t stemmed Austin’s adulation for the homegrown guitar virtuoso. A full Paramount Theatre proved that Thursday night. And indeed, what Johnson fanatic would miss him performing his breakout disc in its entirety?

Capitol Records debut and second album under his name following Reprise Records bow Tones four years earlier – Johnson’s first true solo LP Seven Worlds from 1978 only came out long after the fact – Ah Via Musicom patented a bright blend of chartworthy melodies and awe-inspiring six-string technique. The release landed Johnson on radio playlists, gave future guitarists new aspiration, and provided the Austin native an international career that continues to this day.

Joined by his Eighties/Nineties rhythm dream team of Electromagnets bandmate Kyle Brock and Tommy Taylor, who like Johnson worked closely with Christopher Cross, the shockingly youthful 63-year-old axe grinder whetted the crowd’s appetite with a 45-minute set of non-AVM material. After a near-ambient intro, Johnson went straight for the burn with the fretboard-shredding “Stratagem” from his latest album Collage. Further illustration of this tricky balancing act were vintage tunes “Trail of Tears” from Tones and fan favorite “S.R.V.” off 1996 AVM follow-up Venus Isle.

Demonstrating an almost comically wide range, Johnson sprinkled Led Zeppelin’s “Black Mountain Side” into the latter before moving onto surf classic “Pipeline.” Covers of the Beatles’ “The Night Before” and B.B. King’s “Rock Me Baby” reinvented the songs to the extent that they sounded like Johnson originals atop classic lyrics. Intermission followed.

The energy in the century-old palace shot up when the trio retook the stage. Though the crowd received the first set warmly, their voluminous anticipation left zero doubt what they paid to see. Johnson and company didn’t disappoint.

The band/audience energy exchange reached a delirious early summit with finger-busting album opener “Cliffs of Dover,” 1992 Grammy-getter for Best Rock Instrumental Performance and as good an example of Johnson’s melody/technique axis as he’s ever put down on tape. The perpetually smiling mug of drummer Taylor, the unsung hero in the threesome, reflected his joy in producing expert fills, clockwork timekeeping, and sheer power.

While the other AVM hits “Trademark” and “Righteous” garnered generous applause, detour tracks shone the brightest. Brief, countrified instrumental “Steve’s Boogie” and solo acoustic vehicle “Song for George” threw sparks, while the beauteous “40 Mile Town,” a ballad Johnson dedicated to his late Electromagnets bandmate Bill Maddox, rippled obvious emotion.

The guitar maestro hit the biggest home run with “High Landrons,” an otherwise rarely performed rocker that took off into the stratosphere on the strength of Taylor’s manic pound and Johnson’s white-hot leads. Recorded for AVM but instead donated to the 1988 axe comp Guitar Speak, the burly “Western Flyer” closed the set in a hail of soaring notes and flying fingers.

Unsurprisingly, the trio encored with guitar orgy “Zap,” with opening act Arielle in tow. When the house lights went up afterward, the electricity of the previous 40 minutes hung in the air. Twenty-eight years after its hit stature, Ah Via Musicom reiterated its status as one of the all-time great Texas guitar monoliths.