– Preston Frazier 

Good afternoon, Dennis. How are you?

 – Dennis Atlas

Hello Preston. How’s it going

– Preston Frazier 

Good to meet you. 

Most of my Blog’s readers and podcast listeners know of my affection/obsession with the band Toto. I’m glad to have another part of the Toto puzzle, 

Dennis Atlas will talk about his work with the band.

I know you’re about to head out on the road again in the spring and summer. 

Before we get to the upcoming Toto tour, let’s talk about your background. When I looked through your website, DennisAtlas.com, I noticed that even though you are a keyboardist and vocalist on the current Toto tour, you are also a multi-instrumentalist.

– Dennis Atlas

 I play the keys very well and am a strong vocalist. I can get by with the other stuff a little bit.

– Preston Frazier 

On your website, you’re playing some Dream Theater music, handling bass, guitar, and drums!

– Dennis Atlas

 I love doing that stuff. It was a good challenge, and it made me pick up those instruments and fiddle with them in ways I hadn’t done before.

– Preston Frazier 

How did you get your start with music?

– Dennis Atlas

I was singing in my earliest memories; from things my parents tell me, I was singing along to the radio forever.

I just grew fascinated with the piano. We had one sitting in the house; it was way out of tune.

For some reason, it was tuned down a half step, and I gravitated toward that. I loved Styx and Queen, which had these frontmen, lead singers, and piano players. I was drawn to that, and my parents signed me up for piano lessons.

I had classical piano lessons with a lady in Santa Clarita. That was really all the formal training I needed to get up to speed with music theory and playing.

It all started with that classical background and those piano lessons.

– Preston Frazier 

What was your goal at that point? 

– Dennis Atlas

I have always wanted to be a rock star! That was it. If you had asked me the same question when I was four years old, it would have been: I want to be a rock star and all that it entails: writing music, playing in great bands, collaborating, playing instruments, and singing.

I just want to give a big crowd of people a good time and make them feel it in their hearts.

– Preston Frazier 

Could you give us an overview of the bands you’ve been involved with before Toto?

– Dennis Atlas

Let’s go way back. The first was a band called Motion that started in the garage with my older brother.

We covered a few songs, but we were mainly writing music. I still look back on it and think, “Wow, I would love to put that out one day in the world because it was cool for a couple of teenagers in the garage writing stuff.”

Then, I wanted to start a Styx tribute band with my friends, so I was the 14-year-old kid, even before we were old enough to be in casinos where we were playing gigs.

 That band ended up taking on a life of its own, which was really great. From there, I played in other tribute bands, including a Boston tribute band, a REO Speedwagon tribute band, and a Kansas tribute band, which was a blast.

 I got hired to sing in this multi-dimensional tribute band from the Midwest called Arch Allies, and that was a blast because we did Styx Queen Journey, REO Speedwagon, Boston, and Def Leppard.

Later, I joined bands that primarily performed original music. 

I wrote and recorded an entire album with a band called Initiator, which was a very collaborative effort. I consider that my first main art and my first album.

 I also played in a band called Lufeh, and I still sing in this band, which is a Brazilian progressive rock band.

 It’s in English. All the guys are from Brazil, and they wanted to have an American singer. The drummer lives here now.

I ended up playing in this cover band called The Trip, which encapsulated everything that came before and so much more because I had the secret idea I wanted to put together a band that just played everything.

We played Abba, Bruno Mars, and Metallica.

It would just be a dance party the whole time live.

That band led to meeting Ron Bumblefoot Thal.

 He’s an alien!

He would play with us as a special guest in the Trip.

That band helped me understand the quality expectations on and off stage.

Ron introduced me to Toto’s Steve Lukather, which eventually led me to the world we live in now—a beautiful and wonderful world!

– Preston Frazier 

Bumblefoot is a fantastic vocalist and guitarist. I met him when he played with Asia. He is a good person to vouch for you!

– Dennis Atlas

He’s out of this world, and I appreciate him. I joined Toto in 2024, just about six months ago.

Talk about life-changing.

It was right between the last 2024 leg, which was mainly a U.S. or North American leg, and right before going to Europe.

So, my first show was in Europe.

– Preston Frazier 

At that point, Greg Philliganes stepped in for Xavier Taplin. 

Talk a little bit about the preparation for the shows.

– Dennis Atlas

I received that phone call on  May 11th, something along those lines, and our first show was on June 23rd in Luxembourg.  I had about five weeks to prepare.

 I had other gigs going on throughout that time, too. 

 I just sat down at my keyboards and was given the set list and which keyboard parts I would be learning because there were two keyboardists in the band.

It was the same thing with the vocal parts.

 I was given an idea of which parts I was taking, mainly the high one, which is usually the high one when there’s a chorus that plays that role in the band.

I sat here in my home studio and just crammed it all out.

I learned the part to get it down. I might record a little video with one hand and another hand playing it or set up the camera, and this is just because when you hear it, it’s one thing, but when you figure out how you’re going to orchestrate it on the keyboard with what sounds and everything, which the sounds are of course the bulk of the work when you’re playing keys is you learn the lick. Then, you sit for 20 minutes, adjusting every little nuance of all the synth and organ sounds.

When I had down what I wanted to play, I would record it into Logic so I could listen back and say, “Okay, that’s what I’m going for now. I just have to practice that.”

It was seventeen songs, and we  met up at David Paich’s

 house.

 We went through all of the parts, just David, Greg Phillinganes, and me. I showed up as prepared as possible, given that I only had a couple of weeks. They were able to give me so much knowledge!

These two phenomenal and world-class keyboardists coached this beautiful session.

The feedback was specific. For example, they might say, “You could turn the cutoff frequency up here, or you could orchestrate…” You could arrange and voice these chords this way or this part here; you got to play with this particular dynamic. All this fine-tuning changed what it sounded like when I walked in, and I really sounded like Toto playing these songs.

That was a big part of the magic.

 At one point, David was giving feedback to Luke and said, ’We’re good.

He’s got it down…” 

We went to David’s house twice to review the keyboard parts, but then we only had one rehearsal with the whole band.

Our rehearsal was that very last day before they had to send the equipment to the first gig. 

– Preston Frazier

Let me back up a little bit. 

For half of their career, Toto had two keyboardists, one of whom was instrumental in creating keyboard/synth sounds, samples, and patches.

Were you given programs by Greg and David? 

– Dennis Atlas

No, that’s something that I tend to specialize in as a keyboard player, and that’s part of why I get recommended from band to band to do this role.

Half of it is in the playing, but a big part of it as a keyboard player is saying, “Oh, this song has horns and strings and synth and this and that,” and figuring out how to get that on to your 88 keys.

 I’m using two keyboards, and I’m thinking about how to layer and split. I showed up as prepared as possible to be ready to play my role.

I just created the sounds on my own using Main Stage. All of the plugins that I use within Main Stage are the software by Apple that I use on my laptop. The keyboards control those sounds, so none of the sounds are coming from the internal sounds of the keyboards.

I develop all the sounds that I’m able to dial in my software, so I’m relatively experienced in doing that, and then when I came in there, they had all of these notes and little things that we were able to

to dial in further from there, but it was very much building those sounds from scratch, which you want to do as a keyboard player.

Imagine if you’re a guitar player; you don’t want to step in and play someone else’s rig. As a keyboard player, half of your job is creating those sounds.

I am very creative and take great pride in the sounds that I create. 

In this case, 99% of the song is just trying to replicate what people are so familiar with in that studio version of the song.

– Preston Frazier 

Another element I’ve talked to a few people who’ve worked with the band before on stage is the tightness of the harmony and high harmonies vocals.

Now Toto has you, Joe Williams, and Warren Ham…

– Dennis Atlas

And Greg, don’t forget about Greg.

People forget that it’s a live performance.

People hear so few live performances nowadays that they forget what it sounds like. We’re not machines; our voices waver.

Greg’s just always perfect. It doesn’t even make sense!

I mean that the first time he makes a noise out of his mouth, it’s there; it’s like he’s playing an instrument.

  I walked into a very well-oiled machine where everybody’s been singing these songs not only for years and years but even on this tour. I walked in in the middle of the year, and the setlist stayed the same from what was before, so it was already very tight.

I came in knowing exactly what I was singing and knowing my parts, and it all fell into place. Luckily, we had a really nice vocal blend.

– Preston Frazier 

Which songs are the most challenging for you to play/sing?

 – Dennis Atlas

That’s a great question.  I always look forward to that “Rosanna” solo every night and that “Africa” solo every night because those were the first couple of things that I thought I better get this down 

While learning the songs, I made videos for myself, too. 

 I look forward to the  “99” solo, too.

I remember from the 2024 tour that almost every night, we were playing “With A Little Help from My Friends,” the Joe Cocker/Toto version, with that high harmony and long-drawn-out notes that keep happening throughout this song.

It’s also important to maintain the right vocal tone and posture to ensure that you’re not blowing your voice out on those notes.

– Preston Frazier 

And you’re doing many vocals on “Goodbye Girl” and “Carmen.”

 Those high parts must be a bear.

– Dennis Atlas

It was enjoyable to spend time in rehearsal figuring out how to perform those parts.

We tried a couple of different vocal configurations, and then they heard me sing it and said, ‘There it is.’ That was my first moment of feeling accepted.

“Goodbye Girl” was the first song we played together, the seven of us in the room.

When we got to that part, and I sang it, Luke gave me this big smile.

I remember being about to walk on stage as Toto’s new keyboardist in front of 20,000 people in Luxembourg.

It was my first time in Europe. In the first song, I sang this high, totally legendary Bobbie Kimball part. It was thrilling.

– Preston Frazier

You finished a few dates in South America last year, and by the time this comes out, will you have done dates in Europe again?

– Dennis Atlas

Yes, last year, we did seven shows throughout Mexico and South America, and that was a blast. We did that just in November.

It was just tremendous. I’ve played in South America with that band, Lufe, in Brazil.

 People there embrace you, and they appreciate music very much. Toto hasn’t been there in 14 years at that point. People were so

excited. The shows were sold out. We’re playing in these giant arenas. 

They treat you like you’re so loved and appreciated. 

– Preston Frazier 

That’s why Toto has been around for so long; when America wasn’t buying the records, it was buying them in Europe and South America.

 Do you use any equipment on stage that we haven’t talked about?

 – Dennis Atlas

Everything you’re hearing is coming from the main stage and my various plugins within that, such as Arturia and Native instruments, among others.

I had the Port Chronos, which I love because of the feel of the keys, sliders, and everything else.

I will have my Arturia key lab out with me on this coming tour, and I like that for all of the MIDI functionality.

 I like the slimness and the look of the keyboard.

My Roland RD-88 is the second keyboard I have right next to me, and it’s also a wonderful keyboard. I back up sounds on that if any of the MIDI things ever fail. I have sounds on the Roland that are ready to go because the Roland is really good in its simplicity and just how logical things are to set up sounds within the keyboard. They’re very much ready to go and inspiring to play on immediately.

– Preston Frazier 

I know a lot of fans are excited about the concerts with Christopher Cross and the new setlist. I know there are some deep cuts in store. 

I think you’re one of those changes that makes people want to go and see the band again, too. 

 – Dennis Atlas

I’ve been that fan my whole life. And I love being a part of the conversation when we’re on the bus because I give them that perspective.

Absolutely. I talk about my fandom of all the bands I’ve followed for years. I’m excited about Toto, even now, as a part of the band.

 I’m still watching and listening to everything as a fan, absorbing all of the music from the last 50 years.

– Preston Frazier

Absolutely. So, Dennis, I know I’m running out of time here, but I want to ask you about your album, “My Magical Wonderland.”  It’s bold. 

– Dennis Atlas

A brand new mix is coming out in the next couple of months.

 I released the original album in 2021, which I recorded all on my own. I played all of the instruments at the time.

I thought, okay, here’s my time. I will go into the studio and see what I can do by playing all the instruments because I have to do that at some point.

I had a lot of songs that had been sitting for so long that I wanted to finish.

‘My Magical Wonderland’ came out in 2021, and I got busy doing many other things. 

I then started fiddling with songs, adding keyboard parts, and changing the track sequence.

Then this whole wonderful Toto thing happened. I realized there were more eyes on me, and I wanted to be putting out my music. I have a lot more music to put out.

Given my knowledge now, five years later after the album first came out, I thought I should remix the album too!

That’s why you will see a new version of that album this year.

Almost no one has heard this new version, which was mixed by Ron ‘Bumblefoot’ Thal. 

He did a phenomenal job. He understood the assignment because I handed it to him and said I made these little subtle changes throughout the album.

I rearranged the tracklist and made some small edits. The album is now exactly one hour long. 

I was very proud of the original mix I created and everything because I’m not an audio engineer by trade.

I just learned how to mix by doing it, not studying the subject. I wanted to hand it to somebody who can properly EQ and compress the drums.

Ron got it. He said, I can do that. He edited the drums just a little bit, made things a little punchier, and properly mastered everything but kept my mix intact.

‘My Magical Wonderland’ is this creation of a selection of songs that I wrote, very personal experiences, and it’s my solo album; it came out in 2021, and now it’s coming out again but in a new way in 2025.

– Preston Frazier 

So you can look at that on your website, DennisAtlas.com?

– Dennis Atlas

 I will put it on Bandcamp this time in addition to my website. 

– Preston Frazier 

Anything else you want to add?

 Dennis Atlas

I’m just so happy to be here and rocking with Toto. I’m enjoying all of the excitement, communicating with the fans, and all of that.

It’s been an incredible ride, and it will continue for many years to come. So yeah, thanks to the guys in Toto, thanks to Luke and Joe and all the guys.

It’s just been fantastic.

Come check us out in Europe 2025.

– Preston Frazier 

Absolutely. Before I let you go, what are your five favorite albums?

Styx – Cyclorama

Dream Theater – Awake

Symphony X – The Odyssey

Queen – A Night at the Opera

Kansas – Point of Know Return

Haken – The Mountain

The Toto Christopher Cross tour dates are below.