Blogger's Review of Journey/Def Lep show July 16th.

[Barb]

He has a lot to say about Def Lep, but I'm not interested in that part. You can read it here if you like: http://blogcritics.org/archives/2006/07/17/213828.php

That, I suppose, is an interesting place to segue to Journey's preceding set. Over the course of the evening they played damn near every song a fan would want to hear. The sequencing of the set list seemed a little odd. "Lights," "Open Arms," and "Lovin', Touchin', Squeezin'" came in the middle of the set. That looks to me like the way to close the show (with "L, T, S" perhaps being replaced by a different uptempo, but still) and leave the crowd on their feet. Journey, instead, opted to close with "Be Good to Yourself" and "Separate Ways."

The show opened unexpectedly with Neal Schon and Jonathan Cain performing "The Star Spangled Banner." That led into "Any Way You Want It" and the introduction of the replacement for the replacement lead singer. I was amused to find out some people in the audience did not know that Steve Perry has not been singing with the band for years now. Journey and Perry parted ways in 1997 and his clone, Steve Augeri, joined the band. Augeri bears some physical resemblance to Perry and a frightening vocal similarity. Augeri and the band have been touring ever since. On the current tour, his voice gave out and rather than canceling the gigs they replaced Augeri with Jeff Scott Soto.

Who?

Jeff Scott Soto, a former singer for Yngwie Malmsteen.

Don't worry. It's not as bad as you think. Soto has decent chops and the band has a secret weapon: ex-Bad English drummer Deen Castronovo. Soto handled the uptempo numbers and did a respectable job. You have to hand it to the guy — he has had no success as a solo artist and he is playing with (can you believe this) the 29th best-selling act of all time and he held his own. Some singers might have been intimidated by the prospect. Soto came out and put a lot of energy into his performance and seriously, he's not bad. Like Augeri, he can sound quite Perry-esque at times.

The real revelation of Journey's set is that the most Perry-esque voice in the band belongs to drummer Castronovo. Drummers are not supposed to sing and they are surely not supposed to be able to sing well. It's in the rulebook somewhere! There are only a handful audacious enough to test this rule. Count Castronovo among them. If Augeri's voice is not going to recover soon you might hear about Journey hiring a new drummer and moving Deen to the front.

Some songs stick around long enough in the collective noggin that it no longer matters if they are any good or not. Popular and good are not mutually exclusive. Even when they do compete it is hard to say that neither has virtue.

Other than the rotation of lead vocalists, the rest of the show is pretty much what you would expect, Cain alternating between keyboards and rhythm guitar and Neal Schon's searing guitar work. Schon, a terrific guitarist who was sometimes held back by the poppier leanings of the band, flashed his skills and re-created some of the most (over)played guitar moments in FM rock radio history. The solo at the end of "Who's Crying Now?" (with Castronovo handling lead vocal) sounded perfect in tone and note.

Everyone knows "Lights" which means the entire audience sang along. Half of them thought they were singing harmony. They weren't, but that didn't stop them from trying or enjoying the experience. "Open Arms" was greeted even more enthusiastically. Unfortunately, the power ballad was an invitation for the old folks to make out. Old people sex. Eeeew. I'm still too young to not be scarred by that!

Journey was better than I expected but I have a feeling a healthy Steve Augeri would have made an even bigger difference. Def Leppard and I have aged a bit since we last saw each other but enough of those years melted during their performance to make the reunion a happy one. Journey might have been slightly better at re-creating the album sound of their songs than Def Leppard but it was Def Leppard that seemed more able to energize the crowd.

The Wife To Whom I Am Married loved Def Leppard (her first time seeing them) but found Journey to be "cheesy." Some of the music is a little on the dramatic side for my taste but this is one of those times when the age difference (six years) between the two of us becomes apparent. I was young when Journey was at their commercial peak but I remember these songs. She was anywhere between zygote and toddler stage when some of these songs were first performed. She knew more of them than she thought she would but they do not hold a particular meaning for her.

Whether or not the songs are any good matters less when they are tied to vivid memories of better days, different days, and younger days. Consider this: how many people in that audience became first-time parents because of "Open Arms?" You do the math. For better or worse, this music is more than the soundtrack to a generation. It might have spawned a generation.

[Rockindeano]

he is playing with (can you believe this) the 29th best-selling act of all time and he held his own.

Just what in the Goddamned Hell is this suppose to mean?

There is a reason people fucked to Open Arms and the like. I did. I know TNC has, and Andrew as well.

Remember Andrew, you told me that story where you were doing the nasty with that hot New Zealand chick on your sailboat, in Queensland, and Open Arms live from Japan Boot was playing? You told me she was "grate Mate" and that song was forever etched into your memory. That was a great story, have any more to tell?

There is a reason they sold 41 million albums.
Don't ever tell me I don't support this band when they deserve it.