Well, it happened...... Discuss!

[Marabelle]

My take on life is to do something today that you didn't do yesterday. It's always nice to see somebody do something they didn't think they could do; particularily when you can see they enjoyed doing it.

[brywool]

Way cool! Nice to see and hear him singing live. It's great for him.

However, to hear Lovin' Touchin in Squeezin in the key of F instead of A- that's a long way down folks. That's not a half step or a whole step we're talking. His speaking voice and singing voice are incredibly raspy. His tone is of course amazing. This is pretty much what I've expected for years and why him being with Journey is an impossibility- that is, unless they rearranged all of their tunes. They could do that, but it wouldn't have the same feel that Journey tunes have.

The non Journey tune was great.

Still, To hear THIS VOICE doing NEW STUFF in lower keys would be AMAZING. It needs to happen and it'd be awesome.

[Memorex]

Personally, I already enjoyed Journey with Steve Perry. No big deal to me that they aren't together. It's not like they are going to inspire me with new versions of DSB. Something new with Steve and Neal would be cool though.

[chad]

Never thought I'd see the day he returned. So glad it happened. Miss this guys voice.

Just noticed it made the front page of Yahoo https://music.yahoo.com/blogs/live/don- ... 06597.html

[ebake02]

Honestly, he sounds pretty damn good considering how long it's been.

[youkeepmewaiting]

It was rusty, croaky, unpolished and I LOVED every second of it.

The voice is still absolutely there - very silly but I couldn't but smile all of the way through it. Amazing tone to his voice. Never thought I'd see him standing on a stage again, not like that anyway.

[Deb]

Personally, I already enjoyed Journey with Steve Perry. No big deal to me that they aren't together. It's not like they are going to inspire me with new versions of DSB. Something new with Steve and Neal would be cool though.

+1

[WIX]

I spent 20 fricken minutes typing up this long ass reply about the worlds greatEst singer and me the biggest Perry fan ever....JUST ASK ME!

But this fricken site lost the post and asked me to log in again. I forgot it always did that to me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!SHIT! So this is the short version.

All I can say is I would pay to see a show, he should have decided to come out of the singing closet in Idaho. But what the heck!

First song sounded great with his raspy voice tone. Without having his own band and Journey back up vocals I am not to judge on journey tunes. But he did Good!

I do not feel anyone can totally judge until he got some more shows and all the dust off. Sure my mind is still in 1984 and this showed 84 is over. But he fricken did it.

I hope the Perry faithful get a chance and warning to see him somewhere. But Steve kinda does what Steve does. I quit trying to get inside his head as I would get lost for days and days turned into months and I missed work and I got tired.

I am just glad he decided to get out of the Pizza shop and get the singing shoes on.

MY STANDING OFFER FOR THE PAST DECADE IS STILL OPEN STEVE PERRY. I WILL BUY YOU LUNCH AT DEL TACO ANYTIME!!!

Donna Please would sound awesome with that 65 year old sexy yummy voice........ Ya I am a dude and I said that!

[AR]

I'm glad Perry finally performed. He should do it more often.

To all of the loons over the years though who criticized Steve Augeri, Jeff Scott Soto and even Arnel - be prepared for some payback because Perry sounded pretty rough. He is 65 years old though and I get that. But it is time to get your heads out of the clouds and realize Perry isn't God and has aged. A lot.

That said I hope he continues venturing out there. It was cool to see. That's the original guy/real deal and that counts for a lot.

[portland]

I'm glad Perry finally performed. He should do it more often.

To all of the loons over the years though who criticized Steve Augeri, Jeff Scott Soto and even Arnel - be prepared for some payback because Perry sounded pretty rough. He is 65 years old though and I get that. But it is time to get your heads out of the clouds and realize Perry isn't God and has aged. A lot.
That said I hope he continues venturing out there. It was cool to see. That's the original guy/real deal and that counts for a lot.

We have all aged a lot....I can't do what I did 30 years ago can you? But if I could I would...and to try is awesome!

[AR]

I'm glad Perry finally performed. He should do it more often.

To all of the loons over the years though who criticized Steve Augeri, Jeff Scott Soto and even Arnel - be prepared for some payback because Perry sounded pretty rough. He is 65 years old though and I get that. But it is time to get your heads out of the clouds and realize Perry isn't God and has aged. A lot.
That said I hope he continues venturing out there. It was cool to see. That's the original guy/real deal and that counts for a lot.

We have all aged a lot....I can't do what I did 30 years ago can you? But if I could I would...and to try is awesome!

I understand more than you can imagine. I play in an over 40 baseball league. Not half the ballplayer I used to be, but there are times when the kid in me shines through and I do something right. It happens a lot less often than I'd like, but when it does it's a great feeling.

[Memorex]

I know I didn't have to go to the chiropractor twice a week 25 years ago. So I guess aging just generally sucks.

[G.I.Jim]

I'm glad Perry finally performed. He should do it more often.

To all of the loons over the years though who criticized Steve Augeri, Jeff Scott Soto and even Arnel - be prepared for some payback because Perry sounded pretty rough. He is 65 years old though and I get that. But it is time to get your heads out of the clouds and realize Perry isn't God and has aged. A lot.
That said I hope he continues venturing out there. It was cool to see. That's the original guy/real deal and that counts for a lot.

We have all aged a lot....I can't do what I did 30 years ago can you? But if I could I would...and to try is awesome!

Some of us more than others... I agree with you, it was very cool to see! I never thought I would see that again. Sure, there is a TON of polishing needed, but considering he wasn't being backed by a band like Journey and that he hasn't performed on a stage in nearly 20 years.... cool as SHIT!!!

[AR]

Interesting that he chose that Eels song with the lyrics "I will never be the same". Poignant. Maybe an introduction to getting out of his shell a little bit.

[Gideon]

Haven't heard his performance of "Motherfucker," but his Journey covers weren't good at all.

[AR]

Haven't heard his performance of "Motherfucker," but his Journey covers weren't good at all.

I look at it this way. It was cool to see him up there. For a 65 year old man and the real architect of those songs vocally = cool. Keep doing it now and then.

Anyone with delusions of Perry fronting Journey in 2014 are out of their minds. Steve Augeri sounds stronger these days.

[Gideon]

Haven't heard his performance of "Motherfucker," but his Journey covers weren't good at all.

I look at it this way. It was cool to see him up there. For a 65 year old man and the real architect of those songs vocally = cool. Keep doing it now and then.

Anyone with delusions of Perry fronting Journey in 2014 are out of their minds. Steve Augeri sounds stronger these days.

Pretty much. I mean, I'm not going to dog him. But a spade's a spade. His performance doesn't sound any better to me just because he's "Steve mutherfucking Perry." Not only is he drastically diminished technically, I wasn't a fan of his creative choices: phrasing, emphasis, etc.

He's definitely not up to fronting Journey anymore. Schon's right to stick with Pineda.

[Marabelle]

Here comes the boom!

[Memorex]

Haven't heard his performance of "Motherfucker," but his Journey covers weren't good at all.

I look at it this way. It was cool to see him up there. For a 65 year old man and the real architect of those songs vocally = cool. Keep doing it now and then.

Anyone with delusions of Perry fronting Journey in 2014 are out of their minds. Steve Augeri sounds stronger these days.

Pretty much. I mean, I'm not going to dog him. But a spade's a spade. His performance doesn't sound any better to me just because he's "Steve mutherfucking Perry." Not only is he drastically diminished technically, I wasn't a fan of his creative choices: phrasing, emphasis, etc.

He's definitely not up to fronting Journey anymore. Schon's right to stick with Pineda.

Weird. I just took another listen (with headphones this time) and I was really impressed with how he phrased everything to fit with his ability. I thought it was very artfully and intelligently done. It kept melody throughout and of course avoided what he can no longer do. Expertly done in my opinion.

Don't understand the connection between Steve Perry appearing with some group in Minnesota and him fronting Journey again. One has nothing to do with the other. Journey and Steve Perry together are over (at least that's the current status). People should live in that world and stop "needing" something other than reality. Schon being right to stick with Pineda supposes that he had a choice. I doubt he did. And if Steve ever did come back, it would just be different. Who in their right mind needs to hear any song Journey did in the 70's or 80's sung the same way in 2014? If that's a requirement for you (meaning the collective you), well that's just weird.

[koberry]

I so enjoyed that. Can't believe how long it's been that many of us have held out to hear him sing on stage again. Have replayed the video a handful of times.

I have loved Journey in every incarnation going back to hearing and repeatedly replaying their eponymous album on vinyl & 8-track 35 years ago. This man doesn't want to and really can't create new music and tour with anywhere the same fidelity as in my (and his) youth. I am really happy to hear Journey continue to produce new music, and I know that can't be w/ Steve. I love them both separately and together.

I never thought I'd see this again and could not be happier to have done so.

[The_Noble_Cause]

Anyone with delusions of Perry fronting Journey in 2014 are out of their minds. Steve Augeri sounds stronger these days.

As much as I hate to reduce this to a pissing match or a battle between the aging Journey frontman, the comparisons are inevitable. And you’re right. Steve Augeri, on a good night, still sounds like a tenor. What is Perry nowadays? He sounds like Rod Stewart with maybe a little more upper range. This doesn't come as a surprise to any fan who heard ROR or FTLOSM boots over the years. But reading some of the shocked or disparaging user comments on YouTube and Yahoo News makes you realize that alot of people have been clinging to a dream that sailed a looong ass time ago.

I DO think his cover of the Eels ballad at the start was great.

[AR]

Anyone with delusions of Perry fronting Journey in 2014 are out of their minds. Steve Augeri sounds stronger these days.

I DO think his cover of the Eels ballad at the start was great.

I liked that as well.

[slucero]

What I heard was this:

The mechanical part of his voice is 65 years old... he doesn't have the 30 year old range.. but he doesn't need it..

The non-mechanical parts phrasing, emoting, articulation.. are all still there..

He's a little pitchy now.. his vibrato a bit more warbly... but using the voice will also tune it up... the voice does get stronger from use...

Technology now exists to fix is too.. almost all computer based recording software (Logic, Protools) has pitch editing/correction tools. Pitch correction is now used in FOH (Front Of House) systems too... all of it would be transparent to the listener (not the T-Pain sound)


I'd love to hear a standards album from Perry... He'd kill it.

[Pacfanweb]

He sounds good enough to do music in that format...things in a lower register, different arrangements, etc. Kind of like what Robert Plant does with old songs on tour. I'm not sure Perry's audience would be as accepting of that as Plant's though, but I'd enjoy it.

Good to see Steve back onstage, especially a couple days after Phil Collins randomly shows up to sing somewhere. Things are looking up.

It's because Plant never stopped working. His high note went away as he kept on recording and touring, and people just accepted it because it was a gradual thing.

Last time anyone heard Perry onstage singing Journey songs was 1994, and he could still do it back then, even though his voice had changed some.

Fast-forward 20 years and it seems a bit more shocking to hear how low he is now, simply because we haven't been hearing him all these years and it "seems" sudden....but it's not.

But you know what? As I predicted years ago here, he still sounds like Steve Perry, and people would love it if he got out there and performed. He can still sing. Just because your voice isn't as high as it once was, doesn't mean you don't still have control over what range you still have and can't work with that.
Plus, if he started exercising those pipes more regularly, he might get a little bit of it back....not most of it, but it might creep back up a bit.

Personally, I am seeing a trend here...he's gradually letting us hear bits and pieces of what he still has left, and I think it's on purpose. I think he's leading up to something, but didn't want us to hear him for the first time either on record or live without some evidence of what he can still do out there for everyone to hear.

[JohnH]

Well this is sure a shock. The voice is exactly what I expected but I still love it and he sounds great. Lower voices stuff is fine at this point. Really amazed to see it!

[bru87tr]

I enjoyed it's a Mother more than the Journey songs. In fact, I got some serious goosebumps after hearing him sing their song. What great feel and range.

Raspy and rusty on the Journey songs yes, but not on that Eels song. He sounded incredible on that song.

[Jeremey]

Awesome! What a great, meaningful entrance to come out after all these years and perform that song after all he's been through. I hope when all is said and done, this will go down as a positive and cathartic experience for him.

[Vocalsmanvocals]

I have been waiting since 2001, 13 years (and I know for some of you longer) to see it like this. Steve Perry is not singing back up, Steve Perry is singing lead for the first time in 20 years live!! Every year, rumor after rumor, to finally to see it, as a huge Steve Perry/Journey fan, is just the best way to top off a truly awesome holiday weekend. It was emotional for me inside, Perry is singing Open Arms half way through, what a performance!! His emotion he conveys as a singer is like no other. He is the man, the myth, and legend all rolled up into one. The best vocalist of his generation or maybe ever, Steve Perry. And to tag onto what Jeremy said, I hope he had a positive experience too, I know it was for me as a fan. I am sure it took all the guts in the world to get back out there. He is amazing.

PS. When Andrew put out the last Perry interview a few years back, it really closed that chapter for me, of when or if he would ever really come back and sing. That interview was great! And to see Perry sing again, was a real treat.

[Vocalsmanvocals]

My take on life is to do something today that you didn't do yesterday. It's always nice to see somebody do something they didn't think they could do; particularily when you can see they enjoyed doing it.

Sweet and simple! Love it! Great post!

[scarygirl]

He did it! So what he was a little raspy. He has obviously been working with a voice coach because he sounded a thousand trillions time better than he sounded at the World Series a few years back. He sounded just as I exoected, after 20 some years of inactivity and damaged vocal chords. Still his damage and inactivity sounds a trillion times better than the JUSTIN Biebers of this world. He is a legend! I cannot wait for an album!!!!