Gigi of AP's site found and posted this article.
Journey abides
Once-reviled band has reclaimed its pedestal, clinched its legacy
By Jeffrey Lee Puckett • jpuckett@courier-journal.com • August 21, 2009
It's hard to imagine, but there was a time when Journey wasn't considered awesome. They were dark days, as if a shroud had been pulled across the sky.
Even when the band was at its peak during the early 1980s, there were haters. Classic rockers dismissed them as lightweight. The nascent alt-rock scene saw them as dinosaurs. Punk rockers were repulsed at best, homicidal at worst.
Jealous. All of them. Journey is forever, and that's been proved conclusively as the band has wormed its way back into our mass consciousness on a scale that rivals its best years.
When “Don't Stop Believin'” was played over the final scene of “The Sopranos,” the song became, if possible, an even bigger part of pop culture. At karaoke bars throughout the country, there is that moment of perfect drunkenness that begs for Journey (see: “Family Guy,” karaoke night at the Drunken Clam).
When the band's new lead singer, Arnel Pineda, nearly quit in tears because he missed his family, the lovable story made headlines everywhere. “Don't Stop Believin'”“ was the first catalog track (meaning not a current hit) to top the 2million mark in digital sales.
And now Journey is performing in the same arenas as it did when selling millions of records. The band members return Friday to Freedom Hall, where they headlined nearly 30 years ago.
But why? How has this band endured when so many of its contemporaries have gone or faded? How have those who mocked them mercilessly in the '‘70s and '‘80s been transformed into non-ironic fans?
Easy. It's the singer and the songs
Read for more .. http://www.courier-journal.com/article/ ... ney-abides
August 21, 2009 - Louisville, KY - State Fair - Freedom Hall
Moderator: Andrew
12 posts
• Page 1 of 1
August 21, 2009 - Louisville, KY - State Fair - Freedom Hall
by Chubby321 » Sat Aug 22, 2009 9:24 am
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by Don » Sat Aug 22, 2009 10:20 am
Continued from the post above.
...Easy. It's the singer and the songs.
Steve Perry, who fronted the band during its biggest years and is now retired, possessed a voice so remarkable that every Journey singer since has essentially been a clone. He had enormous power, range and perfect pitch, all of which allowed him to easily sing over the squall of a rock band. There was something else, too — a sweetness that could quickly switch gears from melancholy to celebratory.
He had a lot to work with. The songs most associated with Journey are built like a rocket silo, crafted to expertly push every button ever pushed in the name of the Top 40. “Don't Stop Believin'” is a textbook anthem, “Faithfully” a textbook power ballad, and “Anyway You Want It” textbook pop. There are plenty more, but the list isn't inexhaustible; Journey's rep is based on a select handful of songs.
Journey wrote only two kinds of songs — sing-along anthems and end-of-the-prom ballads — and did so with precision and, believe it or not, taste; just compare a relatively economical Journey hit like ‘Any Way You Want It' with some of the more over-adorned hits by the likes of Asia or Styx.
“In the end, it's not irony that's kept the group going, nor rampant nostalgia (though both have certainly helped). It's the fact that ‘Lovin', Touchin', Squeezin'' has the best ‘nah nah' choruses since ‘Hey Jude' and that ‘Faithfully' captures the ambient ache of being away from a loved one. Even as a Journey fan, I'm still sometimes surprised by how awesome Journey can be.”.....
Ace guitarist Neal Schon and bassist Ross Valory are the only original members of Journey still performing, although keyboardist Jonathan Cain has put in 28 years. Drummer Deen Castronova joined in 2001, replacing Steve Smith.
Schon, who co-founded the band in 1973 with singer and keyboardist Gregg Rolie, was involved in the hiring of Perry in 1977. Two years ago he hired Pineda, whom he discovered while watching Journey tribute bands on YouTube, a move that energized the band and led to the million-selling 2008 album “Revelation.”
Pineda's voice is eerily similar to Perry's, but more important, he has the same combination of power and vulnerability. It's no coincidence that since he joined, the band's profile has risen.
“It makes perfect sense to me that Journey would still be drawing big crowds in 2009,” Raftery said. “After all, the group had a slew of Top 40 singles, the best of which … still sound pretty amazing on those Friday afternoon drive-at-five FM slots. Neal Schon could show up in a municipal-park gazebo and play nothing but feedback, and he'd still fill it to capacity.
“But I never thought Journey would return to must-see status, as it has this summer. After all, by the late '80s, Journey's keyboard arsenal and mawkish ballads seemed increasingly dated, especially in the post-punk era. And then Steve Perry left, and the band's fortunes changed considerably.”
Ace guitarist Neal Schon and bassist Ross Valory are the only original members of Journey still performing, although keyboardist Jonathan Cain has put in 28 years. Drummer Deen Castronova joined in 2001, replacing Steve Smith.
Schon, who co-founded the band in 1973 with singer and keyboardist Gregg Rolie, was involved in the hiring of Perry in 1977. Two years ago he hired Pineda, whom he discovered while watching Journey tribute bands on YouTube, a move that energized the band and led to the million-selling 2008 album “Revelation.”
Pineda's voice is eerily similar to Perry's, but more important, he has the same combination of power and vulnerability. It's no coincidence that since he joined, the band's profile has risen.
“It makes perfect sense to me that Journey would still be drawing big crowds in 2009,” Raftery said. “After all, the group had a slew of Top 40 singles, the best of which … still sound pretty amazing on those Friday afternoon drive-at-five FM slots. Neal Schon could show up in a municipal-park gazebo and play nothing but feedback, and he'd still fill it to capacity.
“But I never thought Journey would return to must-see status, as it has this summer. After all, by the late '80s, Journey's keyboard arsenal and mawkish ballads seemed increasingly dated, especially in the post-punk era. And then Steve Perry left, and the band's fortunes changed considerably.”
Perry's retirement due to health problems was pretty close to a full Salinger, a fact that Raftery says intrigued the next generation of listeners and helped pave the way for Journey's continued success.
Advertisement
“…When people in their 40s and 50s express shock that teenagers and twentysomethings have developed a sincere appreciation for Journey, they're forgetting that anyone born in the early-to-mid '80s never thought of Journey as cheesy,” he said. “They just think of an older band with a semi-reclusive singer, and of songs like ‘Separate Ways,' which has lots of power chords and which is pretty irresistible. Their definition of Journey is far different than our own.”
Cheesy. Interesting choice of words there. Although it was tough, we found a modern-day Journey hater to chime in, and that word came up a few times. My Morning Jacket drummer Patrick Hallahan clings to his dislike of the band; listening to Journey, he said, is like hearing “someone twisting styrofoam.”
“I can only handle so much cheese on my plate before I get full, and Journey is a load of cheese I can't seem to digest,” said Hallahan. “A little cheese goes a long way, and they paved an interstate with it. If you want to kill me, you put Supertramp, Journey and Steely Dan on tour.”
Journey forgive him. He knows not what he says.
...Easy. It's the singer and the songs.
Steve Perry, who fronted the band during its biggest years and is now retired, possessed a voice so remarkable that every Journey singer since has essentially been a clone. He had enormous power, range and perfect pitch, all of which allowed him to easily sing over the squall of a rock band. There was something else, too — a sweetness that could quickly switch gears from melancholy to celebratory.
He had a lot to work with. The songs most associated with Journey are built like a rocket silo, crafted to expertly push every button ever pushed in the name of the Top 40. “Don't Stop Believin'” is a textbook anthem, “Faithfully” a textbook power ballad, and “Anyway You Want It” textbook pop. There are plenty more, but the list isn't inexhaustible; Journey's rep is based on a select handful of songs.
Journey wrote only two kinds of songs — sing-along anthems and end-of-the-prom ballads — and did so with precision and, believe it or not, taste; just compare a relatively economical Journey hit like ‘Any Way You Want It' with some of the more over-adorned hits by the likes of Asia or Styx.
“In the end, it's not irony that's kept the group going, nor rampant nostalgia (though both have certainly helped). It's the fact that ‘Lovin', Touchin', Squeezin'' has the best ‘nah nah' choruses since ‘Hey Jude' and that ‘Faithfully' captures the ambient ache of being away from a loved one. Even as a Journey fan, I'm still sometimes surprised by how awesome Journey can be.”.....
Ace guitarist Neal Schon and bassist Ross Valory are the only original members of Journey still performing, although keyboardist Jonathan Cain has put in 28 years. Drummer Deen Castronova joined in 2001, replacing Steve Smith.
Schon, who co-founded the band in 1973 with singer and keyboardist Gregg Rolie, was involved in the hiring of Perry in 1977. Two years ago he hired Pineda, whom he discovered while watching Journey tribute bands on YouTube, a move that energized the band and led to the million-selling 2008 album “Revelation.”
Pineda's voice is eerily similar to Perry's, but more important, he has the same combination of power and vulnerability. It's no coincidence that since he joined, the band's profile has risen.
“It makes perfect sense to me that Journey would still be drawing big crowds in 2009,” Raftery said. “After all, the group had a slew of Top 40 singles, the best of which … still sound pretty amazing on those Friday afternoon drive-at-five FM slots. Neal Schon could show up in a municipal-park gazebo and play nothing but feedback, and he'd still fill it to capacity.
“But I never thought Journey would return to must-see status, as it has this summer. After all, by the late '80s, Journey's keyboard arsenal and mawkish ballads seemed increasingly dated, especially in the post-punk era. And then Steve Perry left, and the band's fortunes changed considerably.”
Ace guitarist Neal Schon and bassist Ross Valory are the only original members of Journey still performing, although keyboardist Jonathan Cain has put in 28 years. Drummer Deen Castronova joined in 2001, replacing Steve Smith.
Schon, who co-founded the band in 1973 with singer and keyboardist Gregg Rolie, was involved in the hiring of Perry in 1977. Two years ago he hired Pineda, whom he discovered while watching Journey tribute bands on YouTube, a move that energized the band and led to the million-selling 2008 album “Revelation.”
Pineda's voice is eerily similar to Perry's, but more important, he has the same combination of power and vulnerability. It's no coincidence that since he joined, the band's profile has risen.
“It makes perfect sense to me that Journey would still be drawing big crowds in 2009,” Raftery said. “After all, the group had a slew of Top 40 singles, the best of which … still sound pretty amazing on those Friday afternoon drive-at-five FM slots. Neal Schon could show up in a municipal-park gazebo and play nothing but feedback, and he'd still fill it to capacity.
“But I never thought Journey would return to must-see status, as it has this summer. After all, by the late '80s, Journey's keyboard arsenal and mawkish ballads seemed increasingly dated, especially in the post-punk era. And then Steve Perry left, and the band's fortunes changed considerably.”
Perry's retirement due to health problems was pretty close to a full Salinger, a fact that Raftery says intrigued the next generation of listeners and helped pave the way for Journey's continued success.
Advertisement
“…When people in their 40s and 50s express shock that teenagers and twentysomethings have developed a sincere appreciation for Journey, they're forgetting that anyone born in the early-to-mid '80s never thought of Journey as cheesy,” he said. “They just think of an older band with a semi-reclusive singer, and of songs like ‘Separate Ways,' which has lots of power chords and which is pretty irresistible. Their definition of Journey is far different than our own.”
Cheesy. Interesting choice of words there. Although it was tough, we found a modern-day Journey hater to chime in, and that word came up a few times. My Morning Jacket drummer Patrick Hallahan clings to his dislike of the band; listening to Journey, he said, is like hearing “someone twisting styrofoam.”
“I can only handle so much cheese on my plate before I get full, and Journey is a load of cheese I can't seem to digest,” said Hallahan. “A little cheese goes a long way, and they paved an interstate with it. If you want to kill me, you put Supertramp, Journey and Steely Dan on tour.”
Journey forgive him. He knows not what he says.
- Don
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by RossValoryRocks » Sat Aug 22, 2009 11:16 am
Outside of the fact they got Deen's date with the band wrong...not a bad write up!
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by fightingilliniJRNY » Sun Aug 23, 2009 12:21 am
This show really reinforced why I hate seeing concerts in a state fair setting, so I'm really looking forward to when the band goes away from them next year. I spent 1.5 hours trying to park from when I got off the interstate. Nobody was directing people and traffic just crawled along. I missed half of Heart's set as a result. Oh well.
Front row center for this show. I was sitting right next to RocknRoll and Crazy4Ross, so that was cool. It was great to meet them. The crowd was unbelievable. There were at least 16,000 in the arena, according to a security guard I talked to before Journey's set. And I'd believe it - the place was packed to the rafters. The crowd was loud, too. Arnel commented that the Louisville crowd was the loudest they've played to this summer.
Good show, good setlist. We got Mother, Father by Deen instead of Dead Or Alive, which was a great substitution. Other than that, it was the same as what I saw in Indianapolis. Journey played from 9:30-11:10. Arnel was really good, even being the fourth show in six days. They really tailor the setlist to his voice this year. There was about an 8 or 10-minute stretch when he didn't have to sing, as Deen took lead on Mother, Father, which went into Jonathan and Neal's guitar/harmonica instrumental before Wheel In The Sky. He had many other breaks with the extended jams and solos, too.
That's all for me for this summer, so I'll be looking forward to the next tour in support of the new album. Enjoy the band this tour. They're on fire right now.
Front row center for this show. I was sitting right next to RocknRoll and Crazy4Ross, so that was cool. It was great to meet them. The crowd was unbelievable. There were at least 16,000 in the arena, according to a security guard I talked to before Journey's set. And I'd believe it - the place was packed to the rafters. The crowd was loud, too. Arnel commented that the Louisville crowd was the loudest they've played to this summer.
Good show, good setlist. We got Mother, Father by Deen instead of Dead Or Alive, which was a great substitution. Other than that, it was the same as what I saw in Indianapolis. Journey played from 9:30-11:10. Arnel was really good, even being the fourth show in six days. They really tailor the setlist to his voice this year. There was about an 8 or 10-minute stretch when he didn't have to sing, as Deen took lead on Mother, Father, which went into Jonathan and Neal's guitar/harmonica instrumental before Wheel In The Sky. He had many other breaks with the extended jams and solos, too.
That's all for me for this summer, so I'll be looking forward to the next tour in support of the new album. Enjoy the band this tour. They're on fire right now.
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by isla » Sun Aug 23, 2009 12:39 am
fightingilliniJRNY wrote:This show really reinforced why I hate seeing concerts in a state fair setting, so I'm really looking forward to when the band goes away from them next year. I spent 1.5 hours trying to park from when I got off the interstate. Nobody was directing people and traffic just crawled along. I missed half of Heart's set as a result. Oh well.
Front row center for this show. I was sitting right next to RocknRoll and Crazy4Ross, so that was cool. It was great to meet them. The crowd was unbelievable. There were at least 16,000 in the arena, according to a security guard I talked to before Journey's set. And I'd believe it - the place was packed to the rafters. The crowd was loud, too. Arnel commented that the Louisville crowd was the loudest they've played to this summer.
Good show, good setlist. We got Mother, Father by Deen instead of Dead Or Alive, which was a great substitution. Other than that, it was the same as what I saw in Indianapolis. Journey played from 9:30-11:10. Arnel was really good, even being the fourth show in six days. They really tailor the setlist to his voice this year. There was about an 8 or 10-minute stretch when he didn't have to sing, as Deen took lead on Mother, Father, which went into Jonathan and Neal's guitar/harmonica instrumental before Wheel In The Sky. He had many other breaks with the extended jams and solos, too.
That's all for me for this summer, so I'll be looking forward to the next tour in support of the new album. Enjoy the band this tour. They're on fire right now.
You are not alone.
From Journey Forum:
Journey Was Great - Wait to Get in Was Horrible!
Saturday, August 22, 2009 - 12:18 am - JOscarJr
Journey rocked Freedom Hall tonight - it's true! The show was very good and the guys played to a sold out house. Unfortunately, my friends and I were forced to wait 2 hours on an interstate exit ramp while waiting to enter the KY Fair/Expo Center grounds...the exit ramp was a mere 2 minutes from the parking lot under normal conditions. I have no idea why the traffic was so bad, but our wait forced us to miss the entire Heart show and Journey's opening 3 songs. Needless to say, we are terribly frustrated by all this. I really fail to see myself going to another show during the State Fair here.
We were happy to get to see most of the Journey show, though...they even played "Ask the Lonely" - didn't expect to hear that, but it was great.
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by stevew2 » Sun Aug 23, 2009 2:02 am
I hate when they tell only half of Journeys history,its bullshitGunbot wrote:Continued from the post above.
...Easy. It's the singer and the songs.
Steve Perry, who fronted the band during its biggest years and is now retired, possessed a voice so remarkable that every Journey singer since has essentially been a clone. He had enormous power, range and perfect pitch, all of which allowed him to easily sing over the squall of a rock band. There was something else, too — a sweetness that could quickly switch gears from melancholy to celebratory.
He had a lot to work with. The songs most associated with Journey are built like a rocket silo, crafted to expertly push every button ever pushed in the name of the Top 40. “Don't Stop Believin'” is a textbook anthem, “Faithfully” a textbook power ballad, and “Anyway You Want It” textbook pop. There are plenty more, but the list isn't inexhaustible; Journey's rep is based on a select handful of songs.
Journey wrote only two kinds of songs — sing-along anthems and end-of-the-prom ballads — and did so with precision and, believe it or not, taste; just compare a relatively economical Journey hit like ‘Any Way You Want It' with some of the more over-adorned hits by the likes of Asia or Styx.
“In the end, it's not irony that's kept the group going, nor rampant nostalgia (though both have certainly helped). It's the fact that ‘Lovin', Touchin', Squeezin'' has the best ‘nah nah' choruses since ‘Hey Jude' and that ‘Faithfully' captures the ambient ache of being away from a loved one. Even as a Journey fan, I'm still sometimes surprised by how awesome Journey can be.”.....
Ace guitarist Neal Schon and bassist Ross Valory are the only original members of Journey still performing, although keyboardist Jonathan Cain has put in 28 years. Drummer Deen Castronova joined in 2001, replacing Steve Smith.
Schon, who co-founded the band in 1973 with singer and keyboardist Gregg Rolie, was involved in the hiring of Perry in 1977. Two years ago he hired Pineda, whom he discovered while watching Journey tribute bands on YouTube, a move that energized the band and led to the million-selling 2008 album “Revelation.”
Pineda's voice is eerily similar to Perry's, but more important, he has the same combination of power and vulnerability. It's no coincidence that since he joined, the band's profile has risen.
“It makes perfect sense to me that Journey would still be drawing big crowds in 2009,” Raftery said. “After all, the group had a slew of Top 40 singles, the best of which … still sound pretty amazing on those Friday afternoon drive-at-five FM slots. Neal Schon could show up in a municipal-park gazebo and play nothing but feedback, and he'd still fill it to capacity.
“But I never thought Journey would return to must-see status, as it has this summer. After all, by the late '80s, Journey's keyboard arsenal and mawkish ballads seemed increasingly dated, especially in the post-punk era. And then Steve Perry left, and the band's fortunes changed considerably.”
Ace guitarist Neal Schon and bassist Ross Valory are the only original members of Journey still performing, although keyboardist Jonathan Cain has put in 28 years. Drummer Deen Castronova joined in 2001, replacing Steve Smith.
Schon, who co-founded the band in 1973 with singer and keyboardist Gregg Rolie, was involved in the hiring of Perry in 1977. Two years ago he hired Pineda, whom he discovered while watching Journey tribute bands on YouTube, a move that energized the band and led to the million-selling 2008 album “Revelation.”
Pineda's voice is eerily similar to Perry's, but more important, he has the same combination of power and vulnerability. It's no coincidence that since he joined, the band's profile has risen.
“It makes perfect sense to me that Journey would still be drawing big crowds in 2009,” Raftery said. “After all, the group had a slew of Top 40 singles, the best of which … still sound pretty amazing on those Friday afternoon drive-at-five FM slots. Neal Schon could show up in a municipal-park gazebo and play nothing but feedback, and he'd still fill it to capacity.
“But I never thought Journey would return to must-see status, as it has this summer. After all, by the late '80s, Journey's keyboard arsenal and mawkish ballads seemed increasingly dated, especially in the post-punk era. And then Steve Perry left, and the band's fortunes changed considerably.”
Perry's retirement due to health problems was pretty close to a full Salinger, a fact that Raftery says intrigued the next generation of listeners and helped pave the way for Journey's continued success.
Advertisement
“…When people in their 40s and 50s express shock that teenagers and twentysomethings have developed a sincere appreciation for Journey, they're forgetting that anyone born in the early-to-mid '80s never thought of Journey as cheesy,” he said. “They just think of an older band with a semi-reclusive singer, and of songs like ‘Separate Ways,' which has lots of power chords and which is pretty irresistible. Their definition of Journey is far different than our own.”
Cheesy. Interesting choice of words there. Although it was tough, we found a modern-day Journey hater to chime in, and that word came up a few times. My Morning Jacket drummer Patrick Hallahan clings to his dislike of the band; listening to Journey, he said, is like hearing “someone twisting styrofoam.”
“I can only handle so much cheese on my plate before I get full, and Journey is a load of cheese I can't seem to digest,” said Hallahan. “A little cheese goes a long way, and they paved an interstate with it. If you want to kill me, you put Supertramp, Journey and Steely Dan on tour.”
Journey forgive him. He knows not what he says.
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by steveo777 » Sun Aug 23, 2009 2:48 am
Selling out 16,000 is pretty damn good. I wonder if they could have done that without Heart? They're definitely on a comeback, so could be possible.
Glad you had a good time. State fairs are not really a good venue for a concert, IMO. I've never had a good experience at them.
Speaking of state fair, Night Ranger will be at ours next friday, but I think I'm gonna pass. If Journey were there with them I'd probably make myself go.
Glad you had a good time. State fairs are not really a good venue for a concert, IMO. I've never had a good experience at them.
Speaking of state fair, Night Ranger will be at ours next friday, but I think I'm gonna pass. If Journey were there with them I'd probably make myself go.
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by Saint John » Sun Aug 23, 2009 2:51 am
steveo777 wrote:Selling out 16,000 is pretty damn good. I wonder if they could have done that without Heart?
Without question...but who cares, anyway?! More bang for your buck. Heart rocks and so does Night Ranger.
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by steveo777 » Sun Aug 23, 2009 3:36 am
Saint John wrote:steveo777 wrote:Selling out 16,000 is pretty damn good. I wonder if they could have done that without Heart?
Without question...but who cares, anyway?! More bang for your buck. Heart rocks and so does Night Ranger.
SJ, normally I wouldn't care. I've just been looking around lately trying to guage how Journey is selling today compared to the SA era. I don't need to compare to the SMFP era.
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by Chubby321 » Sun Aug 23, 2009 10:13 am
Concert Review.
Journey takes state fair crowd back to '80s
http://www.courier-journal.com/article/ ... ck+to++80s
By Jeffrey Lee Puckett • jpuckett@courier-journal.com • August 22, 2009
Although all of the usual criteria for a nostalgia-based show were in abundance at Friday night's Journey concert at the Kentucky State Fair, there was a big difference. The show didn't recall 1981. It was 1981.
The energy was no different, the songs sounded like they were fresh off the radio, and Freedom Hall was sold out as if Journey were still at the top of the charts. It even looked like the same drunk guy was hitting on the same drunk girl as she danced to “Lovin', Touchin', Squeezin'.” In other words it was a blast, and the band has never sounded better.
Nearly the entire set was composed of the band's best-known material, and sing-along moments were plentiful and sweet, peaking with the string of classics that closed the show — an epic “Faithfully,” a celebratory “Don't Stop Believin',” a giddy “Any Way You Want It” and “Lovin', Touchin', Squeezin',” with its fail-safe “nah nah nuh nah nah” finale. It was a built-to-kill 20 minutes and it slayed.
That Journey would know how to pace a show after 30 years of gigging was no surprise, but the band's unflagging energy was certainly impressive. New singer Arnel Pineda led the way, bounding around the stage as if he were 21 instead of 41.
Pineda has been the linchpin of Journey's resurgence thanks to a voice that echoes that of former lead singer Steve Perry, but Pineda has increasingly become his own man. He's no longer imitating Perry but singing in his naturally lower register with cannon-like power. In fact, he was almost too powerful at times, skipping subtlety altogether and simply pegging the meters. Neal Schon was sometimes guilty of the same on guitar, but it was easy to forgive both; pegging the meters is fun.
A state fair traffic jam meant I missed the first half of Heart's opening set, so I arrived just as Ann and Nancy Wilson launched a run of the overwrought power ballads that defined the band's 1980s. That wasn't the band's strongest period, but the songs are airtight and made to last even though they overdose on schmaltz.
In an inspired move, they segued from schmaltz to rock with a cover of the greatest schmaltzy rock 'n' roll song ever, The Who's “Love Reign O'er Me.” Ann Wilson completely killed it, and while everyone was still buzzing, the band broke into “Crazy On You” before coming back for an encore that ended with a pounding “Magic Man.”
Journey takes state fair crowd back to '80s
http://www.courier-journal.com/article/ ... ck+to++80s
By Jeffrey Lee Puckett • jpuckett@courier-journal.com • August 22, 2009
Although all of the usual criteria for a nostalgia-based show were in abundance at Friday night's Journey concert at the Kentucky State Fair, there was a big difference. The show didn't recall 1981. It was 1981.
The energy was no different, the songs sounded like they were fresh off the radio, and Freedom Hall was sold out as if Journey were still at the top of the charts. It even looked like the same drunk guy was hitting on the same drunk girl as she danced to “Lovin', Touchin', Squeezin'.” In other words it was a blast, and the band has never sounded better.
Nearly the entire set was composed of the band's best-known material, and sing-along moments were plentiful and sweet, peaking with the string of classics that closed the show — an epic “Faithfully,” a celebratory “Don't Stop Believin',” a giddy “Any Way You Want It” and “Lovin', Touchin', Squeezin',” with its fail-safe “nah nah nuh nah nah” finale. It was a built-to-kill 20 minutes and it slayed.
That Journey would know how to pace a show after 30 years of gigging was no surprise, but the band's unflagging energy was certainly impressive. New singer Arnel Pineda led the way, bounding around the stage as if he were 21 instead of 41.
Pineda has been the linchpin of Journey's resurgence thanks to a voice that echoes that of former lead singer Steve Perry, but Pineda has increasingly become his own man. He's no longer imitating Perry but singing in his naturally lower register with cannon-like power. In fact, he was almost too powerful at times, skipping subtlety altogether and simply pegging the meters. Neal Schon was sometimes guilty of the same on guitar, but it was easy to forgive both; pegging the meters is fun.
A state fair traffic jam meant I missed the first half of Heart's opening set, so I arrived just as Ann and Nancy Wilson launched a run of the overwrought power ballads that defined the band's 1980s. That wasn't the band's strongest period, but the songs are airtight and made to last even though they overdose on schmaltz.
In an inspired move, they segued from schmaltz to rock with a cover of the greatest schmaltzy rock 'n' roll song ever, The Who's “Love Reign O'er Me.” Ann Wilson completely killed it, and while everyone was still buzzing, the band broke into “Crazy On You” before coming back for an encore that ended with a pounding “Magic Man.”
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by Liquid_Drummer » Sun Aug 23, 2009 1:36 pm
They did sell well. I didnt go even though I live 10 miles away. Just dont care to see the greatest hits live and I knew the traffic would be horrible because we love our state fair and attendance is ALWAYS off the hook. I am sure the shear number of people that attend our fair helped them sell out. Good for them.
I stopped going years ago because the city is too cheap to redesign the roads around there and it is the most terrible mess every year.
I stopped going years ago because the city is too cheap to redesign the roads around there and it is the most terrible mess every year.
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Liquid_Drummer - Cassette Tape
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