MR

Separate Ways has been the opening track for a while now. How do you think this would go down: a snatch of Venus followed by Where Were You? Pushing my luck.. they could roll into Just the Same Way. I would be interested to hear Cain/Pineda take on that one.

I think Separate Ways is absolutely a perfect opener. It killed when it opened the 2009 tour, and I think it's crucial that Journey goes right into a big hit after following two bands like Foreigner and Night Ranger. They didn't grab the crowd right from the start when they followed Cheap Trick and Heart by opening with Never Walk Away, so I'm perfectly fine with Separate Ways leading things off. While Where Were You and Just The Same Way are solid songs, it would be a mistake to open with those two in the headliner spot. Just my opinion...

They should do Message Of Love again

fightingilliniJRNY wrote:I think Separate Ways is absolutely a perfect opener. It killed when it opened the 2009 tour, and I think it's crucial that Journey goes right into a big hit after following two bands like Foreigner and Night Ranger. They didn't grab the crowd right from the start when they followed Cheap Trick and Heart by opening with Never Walk Away, so I'm perfectly fine with Separate Ways leading things off. While Where Were You and Just The Same Way are solid songs, it would be a mistake to open with those two in the headliner spot. Just my opinion...

Maybe, but I was listening to Captured earlier...is there better opening to a live album than Majestic, WWY and JTSW?

I think they should stick with SW.
Foreigner using JukeBox Hero/Whole Lotta Love to close out their set really sets the table for Journey to come out with both fists swinging.

Journey is playing five ballads at some of their shows. They really need to start uptempo before those and the new songs deflate the crowd.

Exactly, WWY is the most swinging song in the Journey arsenal. At the very least they should substitute AWYWI for WWY as an encore.

Don wrote:I think they should stick with SW.
Foreigner using JukeBox Hero/Whole Lotta Love to close out their set really sets the table for Journey to come out with both fists swinging.

Journey is playing five ballads at some of their shows. They really need to start uptempo before those and the new songs deflate the crowd.

+1 What Don said exactly. The atmosphere is being charged and built up. As the anticipation of the headliner grows with the stage seemingly getting larger with the removal of each band's equipment following their respective performances, the volume getting a little bit louder as the night progresses, the songs chosen by the opening acts and their placement in the setlists and then, of course, the time between when all the activity on stage has ceased and the stage, crew, and equipment are now ready for the final element in the list of things that feeds the anticipation and expectations of the crowd - the moment when the venue goes dark and the roar of the crowd becomes deafening. What happens next will ultimately play a large factor in the overall satisfaction of the individuals in attendance - some of which paid ridiculous amounts of money to be sitting (standing) where they are.

So yeah, the opening song really needs to be something that everyone in the audience knows and knows well. From there, they can get creative. It's sorta kinda like what the Eagles did on the Hell Freezes Over tour and opening with Hotel Cal. After that, they had the crowd in the palms of their collective hand.

JRNYMAN wrote:

Don wrote:I think they should stick with SW.
Foreigner using JukeBox Hero/Whole Lotta Love to close out their set really sets the table for Journey to come out with both fists swinging.

Journey is playing five ballads at some of their shows. They really need to start uptempo before those and the new songs deflate the crowd.

+1 What Don said exactly. The atmosphere is being charged and built up. As the anticipation of the headliner grows with the stage seemingly getting larger with the removal of each band's equipment following their respective performances, the volume getting a little bit louder as the night progresses, the songs chosen by the opening acts and their placement in the setlists and then, of course, the time between when all the activity on stage has ceased and the stage, crew, and equipment are now ready for the final element in the list of things that feeds the anticipation and expectations of the crowd - the moment when the venue goes dark and the roar of the crowd becomes deafening. What happens next will ultimately play a large factor in the overall satisfaction of the individuals in attendance - some of which paid ridiculous amounts of money to be sitting (standing) where they are.

So yeah, the opening song really needs to be something that everyone in the audience knows and knows well. From there, they can get creative. It's sorta kinda like what the Eagles did on the Hell Freezes Over tour and opening with Hotel Cal. After that, they had the crowd in the palms of their collective hand.

Sort of agree, but imo they start with their best song and go downhill from there. SW should be the last song. If you are going to pretend you did not exist before 1981, why not start with Chain Reaction?

fightingilliniJRNY wrote:I think Separate Ways is absolutely a perfect opener. It killed when it opened the 2009 tour, and I think it's crucial that Journey goes right into a big hit after following two bands like Foreigner and Night Ranger. They didn't grab the crowd right from the start when they followed Cheap Trick and Heart by opening with Never Walk Away, so I'm perfectly fine with Separate Ways leading things off. While Where Were You and Just The Same Way are solid songs, it would be a mistake to open with those two in the headliner spot. Just my opinion...

Good argument! They have a bunch of hits and it's a smart move to use one of them to open the show. I've attended the Sao Paulo show and the crowd reaction to SW was amazing!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_QXM8DztPI

Ask The Lonely and Be Good To Yourself would be good too.

Actually, playing a new song to open the show when you already have the crowd's undivided attention means one less bathroom break during the show. Lots of bands open with their new single these days.

anyway you want it... great opener... gets the crowd into it... then seperate ways... then city of hope, guitar solo, stone in love... and rock on from there.

Archetype wrote:They should do Message Of Love again

They had to cut it short on the Arrival tour because it went over flat. Nobody knows it...its not a fan fave...and its not a new song. I don't see the point of ever pulling it out again.

Eric wrote:

Archetype wrote:They should do Message Of Love again

They had to cut it short on the Arrival tour because it went over flat. Nobody knows it...its not a fan fave...and its not a new song. I don't see the point of ever pulling it out again.

I think Tantra is a mood killer also. Notice how it comes in and out of the setlist at random? It's like they just can't find that one Eclipse song to get the crowd totally immersed. Resonate must have been their pick early on and then, for whatever reason they felt the need to throw Tantra out there instead. I think AIP will be their next experiment.

No problem with SW as the opener. Another option I think would be Stone In Love. Rockin tune, fairly well know Journey song. Come off whatever piece of taped intro they are using these days and the right into the opening guitar chords of SIL.

Seeing how Revelation has been pretty much outselling Eclipse the last few weeks, maybe they should open with NWA again.

I understand where some of you are coming from, but a lot of times the first song of a show features people running back to their seats from the concession stands and crawling all over each other. As long as you play something uptempo and maybe have a nice stage effect as an intro you are fine. The audience is going to eat up the first song for the most part anyway no matter what. Then you kick them in the ass with the second song.

The problem in this case (as noted earlier) is having 2 strong acts come on beforehand that finished their sets with major hits everyone knows. That's the downside of these triple bills. A lot of times the band playing in the middle has the advantage.

Always dug MOL as an opener, but it prolly does go over the head of the average fan.