Indy Review: Is it us or is it them?

[FamilyMan]

https://www.indystar.com/story/entertai ... 006296007/

[The_Noble_Cause]

It's paywalled for me. Can you C+P the text?

[FamilyMan]

It's paywalled for me. Can you C+P the text?

If you wanted “An Evening with Journey,” as the show advertised and you attended the band's March 17 Indianapolis concert, you got it: a two-hour set capturing most of the group’s heyday in the late 1970s and early 1980s. No opener, either, and not many frills to speak of besides some light pyrotechnics and a few T-shirt tosses.
The San Francisco rock outlet stopped at Gainbridge Fieldhouse Tuesday on its Final Frontier tour, which is ostensibly a farewell road trip after 15 studio albums and countless shows over the band’s more than 50-year run.
These are my takeaways from what was likely the rock titans’ last Indianapolis show ever:
Gainbridge crowd didn't meet the moment for Journey's farewell
As much as it pains me to admit it, whether a concert is objectively “good” or “bad” is really not for me or any one individual to decide. The quality of a live show, especially one from a legacy band like Journey, comes down to whether the fans leave satisfied: If diehards and casuals alike walk out of the building with grins and hoarse voices from singing along to the big numbers, that’s a successful outing.
Which leads me to Indianapolis: are you guys alright?

A fan snaps a photo of Journey's "Final Frontier" tour stop at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Tuesday, March 17, 2026, in Indianapolis. Michelle Pemberton/IndyStar, Michelle Pemberton/IndyStar
Maybe it was where I was sitting, or that it was a Tuesday, but the energy never hit where I’d hoped it would for a seminal rock act taking its victory lap. Most of the middle and upper decks sat the entire time, and the lower bowl was a mixed bag. Even the crowd pops on the bigger moments felt tepid.
Then again, a brief social media scroll tells me that many of those attending had an incredible time. I look forward to the emails vehemently contesting my observations (hbushman@indystar.com!).
A slower start didn't help matters
Given the general subdued nature of the Gainbridge crowd, I was worried for Journey. The first five songs or so were well received enough, with opener “Be Good to Yourself” and the following “Stone in Love” hitting some of the band’s semi-recognizable tracks. But the midnight train slowed to a crawl as issues with lead guitarist Neal Schon’s Gibson persisted, leaving him sidelined for a good part of “Suzanne” as he and a stagehand tried to tackle the technical difficulty.
"Well, that was a catastrophe,” Schon said of the hiccup.
The wobbly start wasn’t for lack of lead singer Arnel Pineda’s efforts. He pulled out all the classic crowd engagement tactics: clapping, leaping, repeating (insert state here), you name it. Nothing seemed to stick, until:
Journey's old favorites usher in signs of life
A much-needed shock to the system came with “Lights,” the group’s easygoing ode to its hometown San Francisco. You could feel the arena collectively wake up when Schon struck that jazzy, noodle-y riff, relieved their ears could latch onto something as instantly familiar and iconic as those first few seconds.
That trend continued with the setlist’s heavy hitters. Push and pull, ebb and flow, tug-of-war, whatever you want to call it, Journey faced continuous dips in energy and interest. A recognizable lick, would revive the room, if only temporarily. An impassioned “Open Arms,” for one, swooped in to save what might have been a slow descent to indifference toward the end of the set, with a string of the band’s lesser-known cuts coming in a clump after fan-favorite “Faithfully.”
Luckily, 50-plus years in the game means you know to end a set on a high note. A triumphant trio of “Separate Ways (Worlds Apart),” “Any Way You Want It,” and “Don’t Stop Believin’” closed the show, and I don’t need to waste space to tell you those brought the house down. Cue the confetti.
Can anyone replace Steve Perry?
A substantial Steve Perry-sized hole lingers in the Journey lineup, and despite the best efforts of the group, no one can truly fill it. The band has slotted four different members in the lead vocal spot during this tour In an attempt to do so.
Lead singer Pineda, who was famously so virtuosic a Journey cover vocalist that the real band recruited him in 2007, stayed true to form and gave it his all on the bulk of the setlist. Pineda seems to strain and stretch his instrument to its maximum by default, unleashing his go-to move of climbing to the top of a riff one note at a time and letting it rip. The bit, while certainly impressive, wore thin after a while, leaning slightly kitschy and — in the words of former Journey bassist and “American Idol” judge Randy Jackson — "pitchy, dawg."
Keyboardist Jason Derlatka took a stab at a pair of songs, nailing “I’ll Be Alright Without You,” while pianist Jonathan Cain and drummer Deen Castronovo traded lead duties on ringers like “Feeling That Way,” and “Anytime.” Castronovo handled “Lights” solo and really held his own, as did every member tasked with fronting a tune. Pineda’s talent, in particular, is obvious, and it’s easy to see why the band plucked him off YouTube almost two decades ago.
But a voice like Perry’s is hard to come by, and Journey never quite found it again.
Why it matters: Journey’s legacy as an enduring, prolific rock band
If you’re reading, I likely don’t have to explain the significance of this group to you, but just so we’re all on the same page: Journey is one of the definitive bands of the ‘70s and ‘80s, of American rock, of popular music in general. They’re comfortably in the top-50 best-selling artists ever, according to data from the Recording Industry Association of America, and they boast an absolute juggernaut of a hit that currently sits at 18-times platinum. “Don’t Stop Believin’” is the highest-selling single of the 20th century and a legitimate contender for the biggest song ever, period, full stop.
When you have a guy out front with pipes like Perry’s, and now Pineda’s, you can afford to take your songs to emotional extremes. Massive, sweeping ballads promising “forever yours” or fist-pumping anthems imploring you to “hold onto that feeling” have endured in the popular music canon because of how viscerally they evoke real experiences. Journey, anchored by huge rock soundscapes and powerhouse vocals, gave highs and heartbreaks an epic soundtrack.
And if the, forgive me, journey does end here, Indy was lucky to partake in the sendoff — even if the Gainbridge crowd waved a somewhat underwhelming farewell.

[danielb]

A well written review by someone who clearly is a fan.

A substantial Steve Perry-sized hole lingers in the Journey lineup, and despite the best efforts of the group, no one can truly fill it. The band has slotted four different members in the lead vocal spot during this tour In an attempt to do so.

Funny

Also good on him for pointing out Arnel's insistence to go for that octave stretching "scream", often pitchy. He should drop it. It gets old fast.

Also, it's interesting he picks up on the lack of audience connection. It should be huge with Journey's catalogue, yet there is a distance there. A result of the lack of communication between band members on stage or Arnel not connecting with the crowd despite all the jumping? This always spoke in JSS's favour. He was able to connect with a crowd.

[Monker]

A well written review by someone who clearly is a fan.

A substantial Steve Perry-sized hole lingers in the Journey lineup, and despite the best efforts of the group, no one can truly fill it. The band has slotted four different members in the lead vocal spot during this tour In an attempt to do so.

Funny

Also good on him for pointing out Arnel's insistence to go for that octave stretching "scream", often pitchy. He should drop it. It gets old fast.

Also, it's interesting he picks up on the lack of audience connection. It should be huge with Journey's catalogue, yet there is a distance there. A result of the lack of communication between band members on stage or Arnel not connecting with the crowd despite all the jumping? This always spoke in JSS's favour. He was able to connect with a crowd.

That is one thing that I have always noticed in Arnel in the shows I have seen. He seems to cater to the first few rows and connects to them but has a hard time connecting to the entirety of the arena. Arnel will personally engage those within shouting distance, pointing and gesturing to them, even singing directly to them. So, those in the first 10 rows or so may feel special. But, being seated beyond that, it felt like I may as well be watching a DVD of the concert. It has never felt that way when I have seen Styx, or someone more modern like Ghost...in fact, it felt like I was IN the DVD, not watching it.

[kmjrr]

A well written review by someone who clearly is a fan.

A substantial Steve Perry-sized hole lingers in the Journey lineup, and despite the best efforts of the group, no one can truly fill it. The band has slotted four different members in the lead vocal spot during this tour In an attempt to do so.

Funny

Also good on him for pointing out Arnel's insistence to go for that octave stretching "scream", often pitchy. He should drop it. It gets old fast.

Also, it's interesting he picks up on the lack of audience connection. It should be huge with Journey's catalogue, yet there is a distance there. A result of the lack of communication between band members on stage or Arnel not connecting with the crowd despite all the jumping? This always spoke in JSS's favour. He was able to connect with a crowd.

That is one thing that I have always noticed in Arnel in the shows I have seen. He seems to cater to the first few rows and connects to them but has a hard time connecting to the entirety of the arena. Arnel will personally engage those within shouting distance, pointing and gesturing to them, even singing directly to them. So, those in the first 10 rows or so may feel special. But, being seated beyond that, it felt like I may as well be watching a DVD of the concert. It has never felt that way when I have seen Styx, or someone more modern like Ghost...in fact, it felt like I was IN the DVD, not watching it.

Totally disagree. I've been to probably 15 shows since 2008. Arnel connects, and people love him. Many times he's run through the aisles too.

[danielb]

Then why is the audience reaction as described in the review?

[Monker]

A well written review by someone who clearly is a fan.

A substantial Steve Perry-sized hole lingers in the Journey lineup, and despite the best efforts of the group, no one can truly fill it. The band has slotted four different members in the lead vocal spot during this tour In an attempt to do so.

Funny

Also good on him for pointing out Arnel's insistence to go for that octave stretching "scream", often pitchy. He should drop it. It gets old fast.

Also, it's interesting he picks up on the lack of audience connection. It should be huge with Journey's catalogue, yet there is a distance there. A result of the lack of communication between band members on stage or Arnel not connecting with the crowd despite all the jumping? This always spoke in JSS's favour. He was able to connect with a crowd.

That is one thing that I have always noticed in Arnel in the shows I have seen. He seems to cater to the first few rows and connects to them but has a hard time connecting to the entirety of the arena. Arnel will personally engage those within shouting distance, pointing and gesturing to them, even singing directly to them. So, those in the first 10 rows or so may feel special. But, being seated beyond that, it felt like I may as well be watching a DVD of the concert. It has never felt that way when I have seen Styx, or someone more modern like Ghost...in fact, it felt like I was IN the DVD, not watching it.

Totally disagree. I've been to probably 15 shows since 2008. Arnel connects, and people love him. Many times he's run through the aisles too.

Well, Ok. When I saw the "Main Event" tour, Styx had Glen Burtnik stealthly in the dark go to a certain place in the crowd on the center stairway. Then the spotlight turned on and showed where he was and he had to make his way BACK to the stage. That was creative, fun, and engaged the entire venue. When I saw Franz Ferdinand, he climbed off stage and and walked through the crowd as well. It was in a smaller venue with a general admission crowd...and of course everybody, probably < 1000 people, loved it. Doing this for 20,000 people only engages a small portion of that crowd. For those in the 100th row - yawn...watch the big screen, could be watching this at home on video.

Look, Arnel tries...and I give him credit for that...but others do it better.

[kmjrr]

I'll tell you what's not engaging - A drummer behind the kit singing, or a keyboard player way in back singing lead - no matter how good their voices are.

[Journey/Survivor]

I'll tell you what's not engaging - A drummer behind the kit singing, or a keyboard player way in back singing lead - no matter how good their voices are.

I'd rather watch Deen sing while he's playing the drums. But, in fairness, I watch the musicians more than I do the singer most of the time.