At this rate, Yanni may just come back every year.
Making his third appearance in Utah in as many years - this time at ParkWest on Friday night - the Greek-born musician/composer was greeted by a large and enthusiastic crowd of admirers."We remember this crowd from last year - the loudest crowd in America," Yanni said.
And that loud crowd had plenty to appreciate as Yanni, backed up not only by his own band but by the Utah Symphony as well, put on a great show. And there was plenty of show - 16 songs in a set that lasted just short of two hours.
Yanni bounced back and forth between his synthesizers and a concert piano, and even took the conductor's stand at one point. He also did a considerable amount of just plain bouncing. Tossing his trademark long, black hair, he projected as much personality as any rock star.
The performance was reminiscent of many a rock concert, what with its staging and light show. But Yanni proved to be the mellowest of rock stars, gently kidding with the audience and stopping to share bits of philosophy about life in general.
As for the music, all of it was, of course, composed by Yanni and displayed his diversity - from neo-classic to rock 'n' roll, with a pounding backbeat, from a decidedly Latin selection to a piece based on Greek folk rhythms.
Yanni's compositions are difficult to categorize. Just don't call his music new age. (He hates that.)
The star of the show wasn't in the least bit reluctant to share the spotlight with others. Members of his band each had a chance to shine, soloing on keyboards, bass, drum, percussion or violin.
In addition to the power of his band, Yanni was backed up by the power of the Utah Symphony on all but four numbers. The blending of sounds was generally seamless, although the electronic music overwhelmed the acoustic at times.
Also overwhelmed were large portions of the audience, who hooted and hollered with abandon.
The crowd was so enthusiastic that Yanni had to return to the stage for a genuine curtain call - not the preplanned encore that's a part of every concert, but a genuine "We want more!" demand.
"Now, you're all going to go home after this one, aren't you?" Yanni asked before finally finishing things off with "The End of August."
His fans did head back down the mountain, albeit rather reluctantly.