Toto, Christopher Cross and Men At Work at Toyota Pavilion at Concord

Toto’s “2025 American Summer Tour” hit the Bay Area last night with co-support acts Christopher Cross and Men At Work for a perfectly balmy summer evening of soft rock classics that had the fans trucking their way out to Concord on a Monday night. Arriving early, the state of the parking lot hinted at the size of the gathering crowd which probably was the largest the venue has seen on a weeknight for a 6:45 pm opening set. The Bay Area was absolutely ready to be rocked by the smooth sounds of an evening of yacht rock!

The cynical mind might describe the evening’s lineup as a series of nostalgia acts each containing only one original member, but the reality is that all of those original members … Steve Lukather (guitarist of Toto), Christopher Cross, Colin Hay (guitar/vocals for Men At Work) … all possess musical legacies that go far beyond the songs that they were performing on this particular evening. No need for backup on guitar when you have Cross and Lukather in the house!

Men At Work kicked off the event on this particular night of the tour with a 45 minute set that covered all the expected fan favorites from the first half of the 1980’s but of course Hay couldn’t pass up the opportunity to slide in one of his solo tunes (“Can’t Take This Town”). Clearly MAW has it’s fans and Colin acknowledged the four guys in the front row wearing hardhats and construction vests (hopefully no explanation required) but otherwise the rest of the crowd really needed no encouragement to stand up and sing along to the hits.

I quick 30 minute stage swap and Christopher Cross took the stage with a wave. Encircled by racks of guitars on either side and a row of amps behind, it was clear that Cross wasn’t going to be moving too far from his center-stage location as he busted into “All Right” from his 1983 release, Another Page, both vocals and guitar on point. Super-relaxed on stage, even as the ladies in the front row center seats swooned, Christophers performance belied his 74 years of age. “Sailing,” “Arthur’s Theme,” and “Ride Like the Wind” all highlighted a story career that literally defined the Yacht Rock category.

Full warmed up and maybe a bit primed with a few cocktails, the Concord crowd when bonkers when Toto guitarist Steve Lukather let the band onto the stage, his mane of white hair translucent beneath the blazing spotlights. Those front row ladies who went wild for Cross were back on their feet, phones in-hand and showing the rest of the amphitheater crowd how it’s done! Again, no encouragement was required as the audience took to their feet for the classics with “Rosanna” kicking up the energy in the space to new heights for the evening. Finally speaking to the crowd to introduce “99,” Luke addressed the rumors that he didn’t like the song, explaining he, “liked it so much that he was going to play it right now.”

The band was totally in the pocket as “Luke” worked the front of the stage without missing a note yet still allowing the rest of the musicians a moment to shine. Of course as the curfew approached and the set neared it’s end, anticipation built from the expectant crowd over those songs that could not, should not, ever by skipped by this band. Of course they were right, and Toto ended the epic the hour and 35 minute set with the one-two punch of “Hold the Line” and “Africa” during which the band was joined by Christopher Cross and Men At Work.

Toto Setlist: