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ASIA Featuring John Payne Bring Their Brand of Aural Goodness to the Helwig Winery. August 15.

By capitalchaostv on August 18, 2025 • ( 0 )

For those brave enough to venture out to the gorgeous Shenandoah Valley in Amador County last Friday night, the end reward was well worth the effort. For the uninitiated, the winery has been producing live music for decades and once again curated yet another fine, although brief, live music season. Nestled inside a man-made amphitheater, the venue provides ample room for dancing, drinking, and relaxing while providing one of the most gorgeous backdrops of any venue within a 100-mile radius.

Once again, this boutique winery delivered the goods bringing yet another spectacular musical offering in the form of Asia featuring John Payne.

At present, this touring configuration of Asia features John Payne (lead vocals, bass, guitar), longtime member Jeffrey Kollman (guitar, backing vocals), Ryo Okumoto (keyboards), and Aaron Olson (drums, percussion). What separates the progressive-leaning band from other like-minded touring entities is their attention to original compositions while providing their own undeniable live stamp.

Today, the British–American rock group band serves as a great addition to the already successful career John Payne enjoyed while fronting Asia from 1991 to 2006. Playing songs from his time with the group and before, Asia featuring John Payne is much more than a tribute act going through the motions for a quick buck.

Opening with “Go” from the ‘Astra’ record, the band slowly coerced attendees out of their seats and into the general admission area. It would take “Only Time Will Tell” from the massively successful self-titled Asia album, however, to really connect with those seeing the band for their first time.

Other highlights during their spirited set included “Military Man” from the ‘Aria’ record, which Payne dedicated to those who served both deceased and still with us. Also of worthy mention was “Who’ll Stop The Rain” from the ‘Aqua’ album, a gorgeous cover of Jeff Beck’s “Because We Ended As Lovers,” and a fabulous rendition of “Wildest Dreams”, also from Asia’s first record.

Although marred by technical difficulties during “Solo Survivor” which saw Ryo Okumoto’s keyboard lose power for nearly the whole song, Payne and company handled the setback like professionals and powered through.

The night ended in grandiose fashion with Asia’s biggest hit, “Heat Of The Moment,” serving as the set’s closing salvo. Following the band’s bow, Payne and company headed directly to their merchandise booth and signed anything and everything while selling some signed guitars and an extremely rare compilation featuring Asia over the years on several, different record labels.