Guitarist Malmsteen

Light drizzles Saturday night didn’t dampen the enthusiasm of the Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre audience as it devoured every speedy note of guitar hotshot Yngwie Malmsteen. No argument here: This guy can play. Unfortunately, Malmsteen emphasizes virtuosity over feel and that celebration of his own wizardry--including 2,001 solos--was both indulgent and tiresome.

Ex-Rainbow vocalist Joe Lynn Turner adds more presence to Malmsteen’s six-piece Rising Force band than past singers, but the guitarist still dominates the stage. He’d be better off being democratic. Saturday’s best moments were when all the players worked as a team. Even many of those moments, though, were destroyed by the sound system, which was loud past the point of distortion.

Opening act Lita Ford, the former Runaway whose new album is a national best seller, needs stronger material, but she was more distinctive on stage than on her generally colorless record. Why, though, does she have to work sooo -very-hard at being sexy? Ford is an incredibly sexy presence without any added effort.