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Don't Stop Believing'
ENCORE-
Separate Ways
I was sitting in the first section and got a good view from Cain's side. THe place was sold out, I was told by a person working there that I was around 17,000 attending, do not know if that was true, but the place was paced, first I have ever been the the Starwood in Nashville (ok it a little outside of Nashville)
My wife and I got there right when the Who's Won't get fooled again, so we hurried up to our seats (had been told that was the song they came on stage after), sure enough there was Schon playing the SSB, I got ever one up. Which they stayed for most of the show. I was going to enjoy this show, even if I wasn't thrilled with how JSS might sound. It was a hot night, and the band was even hotter, Neal was soaked by the end of SSB. Deen sounded a little hoarse, but was still awesome, Cain was in a very good mood, smiling laughing and waving at fans. Ross, well Ross and JSS seemed to hang out and mess around a lot, that was good to see.
The only songs I saw people sitting down on was Edge of the blade, and Dead or Alive. The ripped thru them, especially DOA, but alot of people might have thought it was new or something? But the place went wild on the last three, Faithfully, Don't Stop... and the encore Separate Ways. Even as the band walked off stage people were screaming for more, and I was one of them. That was the best "in Person" version of Separate Ways I have seen. The excitement of the band and the crowd was unbelievable.
But after the show I made a list of the Good and The Bad of the Nashville show
THE GOOD
Neal Schon- This was the best performance I have seen from him, in the past he has seemed to walk thru the shows, but not tonight, this man made the show, even if ever thing else had been bad. He was on FIRE.
Jon Cain- Was like I said above, very good mood., good solo
Deen C.-sounded a little hoarse, but was the best vocal of night on open Arms, the crowd was wild when he sang
.
JSS-I actually came away with respect for him. I have not seen the front man of Journey all over the stage like this since Perry. Now Augeri was good, but laid back, like he was taking for a ride thru the hits. JSS WAS THE RIDE. He was all over the stage, messing around with each member of the band, and he was smiling and seemed to have the time of his life.
JSS's boots I have , he always cussed a lot, not here or tonight anyway! Did he owe the songs he sang? some, but not all.
JSS did good on ASK THE LONELY, CHAIN REACTION, WANTED DEAD OR ALIVE, LTS, STONE IN LOVE and ECSAPE.
Set list- to the point, varied a little from the hits
The Mention of Steve Augeri (twice), once by Cain, once by JSS
THE BAD
Set list- NOTHING from the AUGERI ERA NOTHING, no Faith in HEartland or Higher Place.
Stage- way too small for the bad, don't remember Neal coming over to my side more than once. Def's stage rocked.
JSS- as active and as much fun as he was having, some songs were not that great-
DOn't Stop Believing, Lights, Wheel in Sky and Any way was ok.
The Crowd only two, that managed to do what the security couldn't do, kill my recorder in the middle of Def's set when they tried to stand in the chair and fell ripping my recorder from around my neck and knocking it into the person beer next to me who dropped it and now it isn't working
. Hopefully in a couple days after drying out it will play (if I can put it back together)
So my conclusion was it a good show? Oh yea.
Would I see this line up again? yes
would I buy a cd from them? yes
should they keep the name Journey? I don't know
Should JSS stay if Augeri don't come back? Maybe, maybe not, see question above.
Should Augeri be given a chance to come back? yes, but one chance only after a year off.
JSS did a great job, a great front man too. Plus he can sing. He isn't afraid of the high notes. But he doesn't take the Augeri approach, shys a way, or the Perry, going over the top. Instead he punches is way through them, in almost a howl. Reminds of a Hagar / Whitesnake mix. Not that that was bad, it was good. But it was until after the show, my wife and I were sitting in Waffle house and a couple Journey songs came on, my LTS was the first. We knew it was a Journey song, but was it Perry singing? Was it Journey playing? Took to the na nas to figure out it was. JSS actually sings a lot lower than Perry. At the show it was not noticeable, but after wards it was very. Perry has set the bar so dang high, can anyone do this right?
So I think JSS is awesome, really do. BUT, is he the right one, if Augeri don't come back healed? As of now I don't think so, the show was great last night, awesome, but really wasn't the high full Journey sound of the past.
I will support the band, and settle for this, cause it is good, but JSS is not a Perry sound a like, and Journey will always be about Perry (or his sound at least)-ERIC
