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Thirsty Merc Frontman Joins Toto

Mary Varvaris

"Can't wait to get into these tunes on stage with these absolute legends," Rai Thistlethwayte said.

Thirsty Merc's Rai Thistlethwayte, Toto
Thirsty Merc's Rai Thistlethwayte, Toto(Credit: Supplied/Press)
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Thirsty Merc singer and co-founder Rai Thistlethwayte has landed himself another spectacular side gig: playing keyboards and providing backing vocals for international rock superstars Toto.

Thistlethwayte joins the Rosanna hitmakers on tour across the US. The dates run from Wednesday (18 February) through Friday, 13 March. The tour is billed as “An Evening With” – usually an intimate concept for a concert, but with Toto’s elaborate songwriting and excellent musicianship, we wouldn’t be surprised if they became full-blown rock shows.

Sharing the news of his joining Toto’s live band on social media, Thistlethwayte said he was “extremely excited” about the opportunity.

“I’m extremely excited to be joining @totothemselves on keys and backing vocals,” Thistlethwayte said. “The first tour date is tomorrow in #Milwaukee, can’t wait to get into these tunes on stage with these absolute legends!”

The band added that they’re “thrilled” to have the Aussie star join them on tour. Check out a photo of Rai with Toto below.

At the time of publication, it’s unclear if Thistlethwayte will remain with Toto when they embark on their summer tour of the US, which takes place in July and August. On that run, Toto will be accompanied by special guests Christopher Cross and The Romantics.

In 2023, it was revealed that Thistlethwayte had been quietly performing as a touring member of American electronica group KNOWER and would perform on their since-released debut album KNOWER FOREVER. He also tours as a keyboardist for Joe Satriani’s solo project.

Also in 2023, Thistlethwayte joined rock icon Sammy Hagar on tour, who had gathered a supergroup of musicians including the aforementioned Satriani on guitar, the Thirsty Merc singer on keyboards and backing vocals, Michael Anthony (formerly of Van Halen) on bass, and Jason Bonham (son of late Led Zeppelin legend John Bonham) on drums.

Thirsty Merc’s most recent album, Celebration, was released in 2022. The album contains reimagined covers of well-known Australian songs across decades, including Daryl Braithwaite’s As The Days Go By, plus hits including Who Listens To The Radio (The Sports), That’s When I Think Of You (1927), and The Seekers’ hit from 1966, Hey There, Georgy Girl.

The band’s last album of original material, Shifting Gears, was released in 2015.