It’s a balmy autumn night in Sydney and inside the ICC Theatre, there’s a buzz of anticipation for an evening steeped in smooth rock, unfiltered talent, and songs that have stood the test of time. The crowd spans generations, but everyone here knows exactly what they’ve come for — a rare double bill of Christopher Cross and Toto, two acts who helped define a pre-digital era when musicianship was king.
Cross opens the evening, strolling onstage with grace and self-effacing humour. He’s turning 74 next month, he tells us, quoting Keith Richards on the joys of still being here and appreciating the fact that he is being applauded for aging. There’s a warmth to him — a sense that he’s genuinely thankful to be playing again after a serious bout of Covid. His voice? Unmistakably intact. His guitar playing? Sleek, controlled, and criminally underrated.
His self-titled debut album won five Grammys in 1979 — including Album, Song, and Record of the Year — a record-breaking sweep that wasn’t matched until Billie Eilish came along nearly four decades later.
Backed by pianist Jerry Léonide, multi-instrumentalist Andy Suzuki, bassist Kevin Reveyrand, drummer Francis Arnaud, and three shimmering vocalists — Jewelee Peters, Lisbet Guldbaek, and Julia Sarr, resplendent in matching shocking-pink outfits — Cross glides through his hits with ease. “Ride Like the Wind” brings the house to its feet, with the audience happily filling in for Michael McDonald’s absent backing vocals.
Toto were originally formed in 1977 by some of the most in-demand session players in Los Angeles. Jeff Porcaro (drums) and David Paich (keys, vocals) had already built formidable reputations before recruiting guitarist Steve Lukather, bassist David Hungate, keyboardist Steve Porcaro, and lead vocalist Bobby Kimball. They were the ultimate studio dream team — players behind the scenes of records by Steely Dan, Boz Scaggs, and Michael Jackson. Jeff Porcaro tragically died in 1992 at just 38, Paich stopped touring due to health issues, and the band has undergone numerous lineup changes and legal entanglements over the decades. Through it all, Lukather remains the band’s anchor and fiercest advocate — still recording, still touring, still shredding.
Toto take the baton and kick off with “Child’s Anthem” — the room already locked in — before moving into “Rosanna”. That unmistakable groove hits like a wave.The crowd is instantly on board, but it’s the tightness, the sheer technical prowess on stage, that truly sets the tone. Lukather adds in a snippet of Elton John’s “Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting” to take the song next level. This is the Dogz of Oz tour — a tongue-in-cheek nod to the band’s namesake: Toto, the scrappy little terrier who trotted alongside Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz. Now, Toto are storming the land of Oz — and doing it with serious bite.
Steve Lukather, tells us that he recently broke a bone in his leg and he’s only just ditched a medical moon boot, but his fretwork is fiery and flawless. No gimmicks, no posturing — just a player doing what he’s done for decades at the highest level.
Joining him tonight are vocalist Joseph Williams, saxophonist/flute/keys/vocal dynamo Warren Ham, legendary session keyboardist Greg Phillinganes, bassist John Pierce, drummer Shannon Forrest, and Dennis Atlas, who takes the lead on a soaring rendition of “Angel Don’t Cry.” It’s a lineup that doesn’t just do the legacy justice — it elevates it.
Phillinganes’ jazzy flourishes on “Pamela” add a whole new dimension, while the crowd roars its approval during “Georgy Porgy” after Lukather cheekily checks if we’re feeling funky. “I’ll Be Over You” is dedicated to young lovers in the audience. By the time we reach “Africa”, via a couple of keyboard and drum solos, the entire theatre is on its feet — dancing, swaying, singing every word like gospel.
What cuts through most of all is how sharp, tight and musically daring this band still is. Toto weren’t just chart toppers — they were the engine room behind some of the most iconic records in history, including Michael Jackson’s Thriller. Steve Porcaro, wrote Jackson’s hit “Human Nature.” Lukather himself famously suggested Eddie Van Halen for “Beat It.” These are players who shaped pop music from the inside.
Tonight is a reminder of a different time, when albums weren’t measured in streams and hits weren’t born on TikTok. In the ’70s and ’80s, you had to earn it — in the studio, onstage, in every note. And earn it they do. No tricks. No filters. Just the music. And that’s more than enough.
Images Deb Pelser
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