On Wednesday, November 12th, the legendary Uli Jon Roth will be in Pittsburgh for a show at Jergel’s. This is the local stop on his “Pictures of Destiny” tour, a unique concert experience that blends generations and styles of music, alongside stunning visuals. The doors open at 6 pm, with the show itself starting at 8 pm.
The experience is broken into two parts, separated by an intermission. In one half, fans will explore Roth’s newer compositions, which are more orchestral, though still showcase his incredible skills on the guitar. The second half of the show is a celebration of the 50th anniversary of the album “In Trance” by Scorpions, which Roth was a member of until 1978. Roth will be accompanied the entire performance by a full band and the on-stage visuals are original works of art created by Roth himself!
Roth became a musical savant by embracing his curiosity for music and life at a young age. He began playing the guitar at 13 years old, eventually becoming captivated by classical music and going on to learn the trumpet and the bass. “Growing up, I was a big Beatles fan. They were the hottest thing on Earth and that really got to me. Learning is a journey that I am still on. Some things are the same, but other things are always evolving,” Roth said.
While Roth has traditionally explored his thoughtfulness through music, he did recently transition into creating a strictly visual form of art; he authored the book “In Search of the Alpha Law.” “The book is a lot about my personal beliefs, things I find true for myself and my view through the eyes of music,” Roth said. He wrote the book during the COVID-19 pandemic, and he put as much thought into the design as he did the philosophical musings. There are over 1000 visual illustrations, again all created by Roth. The first edition sold out quickly, and this is the second run. (Check it out here)
Some of the visuals that are featured in the book appear on stage during this tour. Roth is also a practiced oil painter, and on how he creates the scenes, Roth said, “I take the lyrics and the meanings of the songs and combine the two to put them out as a unity. I write and play how I see things.” He has performed this hybrid show across Japan and is now bringing the tour to North America. “For some strange reason, it really works,” Roth said. Roth with play with a band that is German and English, but also with a full orchestra. In the previous leg of the tour, he played with a Japanese orchestra, but here in America, it will be mixed. “We got along well, [the orchestra in Japan] and enjoyed working together. I’m sure the same will be true for this tour, but that is why you rehearse,” Roth said.
Before kicking off the tour, Roth will host the renowned Sky Academy seminar in Long Beach, California, on October 24th. The annual seminar series was created by Roth to get students to their own next level through a concert series, lectures, master classes and concentration exercises. Students range from beginners to advanced performers and composers. Each year, the seminar offers a different experience that is both challenging and rewarding. Of it, Roth said, “Everyone can get better. You can learn to apply your mind. Emotions can get in the way and be an obstacle to utilizing your full potential. Here, students can learn to connect music and self on a deep level, not superficially, and unleash their creativity.” The Sky Academy is an homage to Roth’s own pursuits as a lifelong student of many disciplines, and he has made it accessible to anyone else with a curious mind.
On stage, fans of Roth might recognize some of his older, yet transformative, songs such as “We’ll Burn the Sky.” In the nearly eight-minute masterpiece, which Roth helped to compose, listeners are taken through a cycle of loss and grief but also quiet contemplation and exaltation. The song was based on a poem by Monika Danneman and originally performed by Scorpions, but today the song takes on a new life. “The 1977 original version had all the main ingredients,” Roth said. “The present version had not yet manifested, but came to life on stage. A lot of the songs we perform change shape, but for the better.”
Anyone attending the show will no doubt be in for an unforgettable night. Roth himself and the musicians who play alongside him give their all to each and every performance. “All songs on the setlist are a favorite” kind of vibe. His passion for music and life, and sharing that passion with others through live concert experiences like this one, exudes from Roth. “I treat music with the respect it deserves to come alive. I inject it with a life force and the audience very much becomes part of that,” Roth said. To keep up to date on Uli Jon Roth or the tour, you can check out his website here. For tickets to the Pittsburgh stop, click here.
