Journey's 40th Anniversary Plans

[Don]

Journey turns 40 years old this year, marking a career that's seen sales of more than 80 million albums and the rise of "Don't Stop Believin'" as the top-selling catalog track in iTunes history.
Keyboardist-guitarist Jonathan Cain says that the band is quite aware of the anniversary and has plans to celebrate later this year:

http://www.pyx106.com/pages/dr_john_coo ... 1040110#ix

"We're working on a concert that kinda says that, in San Francisco, and if we can pull it off. Can't really say right now, but it's supposed to happen in the summer at AT&T Park. If we can get that to happen, that would be it."

During its four decades Journey has gone through 14 members, including five lead singers as well as future "American Idol" judge Randy Jackson, who played bass for a tour. Though not specifically mentioning Steve Perry, Journey's most famous ex-member, we asked Cain if the anniversary concert might be a chance to bring back some of those former bandmates. But Cain says the group is more likely to honor another figure from its past, the legendary promoter and early Journey supporter Bill Graham:

"It could be. I think for us it's probably, we're thinking more Bill Graham kind of thing. Bill really was a big supporter of Journey, and without Bill, I mean, we'd never have played the Rose Bowl. He was our sort of godfather...That would sort of wrap up the bow and maybe do a tribute to him. We think about him a lot. It was a huge loss to the music business, just a tremendous guy."

Journey recently finished a run in Australia with Deep Purple and begins a short Japanese tour on March 11 before heading to Europe with Whitesnake beginning March 16. Journey is planning sporadic North American dates this summer, as well as some soccer stadium shows with Rascal Flatts, Journey's partner on a recent "CMT Crossroads" episode.

[jrnyman28]

It really sounds like he is putting the nail in the coffin

[steveo777]

It really sounds like he is putting the nail in the coffin

Everything eventually runs it's course. Jon has a daughter to help with her career. There is the Santana IV thing coming up. There is probably much more lucrative stuff ahead than what they would be able to produce by keeping Journey running. From us looker's perspective it might be time to put the ol sow in the barn. Then again, we could be wrong. There is a lot of publicity this week, from all the negativity on Facebook to all the reviews, good or bad, of the DSB documentary. Any publicity is good publicity.

[Don]

It really sounds like he is putting the nail in the coffin

Everything eventually runs it's course. Jon has a daughter to help with her career. There is the Santana IV thing coming up. There is probably much more lucrative stuff ahead than what they would be able to produce by keeping Journey running. From us looker's perspective it might be time to put the ol sow in the barn. Then again, we could be wrong. There is a lot of publicity this week, from all the negativity on Facebook to all the reviews, good or bad, of the DSB documentary. Any publicity is good publicity.

Much like 2010, the publicity comes when Journey isn't actually on the road. And let's be honest. Even though Tater seems to be plastering us with reviews, the film is in 30 theaters, not 3000 like most movies.

[YoungJRNY]

Back in '08 with the hiring of Arnel, that was the bands last hoorah and last major push to keep the flame rolling into the back-end of their career and they had one helluva run the last 5 years. Though ticket sells and the never-ending mega money-maker of Don't Stop Believin' still attract outstanding crowds, you can't help but to finally feel the flame starting to ware out. I'm all for Journey's farewell tour and give it one last concert to rock our hearts out.

[steveo777]

Back in '08 with the hiring of Arnel, that was the bands last hoorah and last major push to keep the flame rolling into the back-end of their career and they had one helluva run the last 5 years. Though ticket sells and the never-ending mega money-maker of Don't Stop Believin' still attract outstanding crowds, you can't help but to finally feel the flame starting to ware out. I'm all for Journey's farewell tour and give it one last concert to rock our hearts out.

The must do it right and give us an epic DVD. Then I'm good.

Arnel will always live in my heart as a hero and the little engine that could. Nobody can take that accomplishment away from him. He gave us his all.

[Don]

Back in '08 with the hiring of Arnel, that was the bands last hoorah and last major push to keep the flame rolling into the back-end of their career and they had one helluva run the last 5 years. Though ticket sells and the never-ending mega money-maker of Don't Stop Believin' still attract outstanding crowds, you can't help but to finally feel the flame starting to ware out. I'm all for Journey's farewell tour and give it one last concert to rock our hearts out.

The must do it right and give us an epic DVD. Then I'm good.

If Jon's bitching about the money they spent on making Eclipse under Wal-mart, I can't see Journey self financing a DVD. Wal-Mart is done bankrolling them.

[Don]

Back in '08 with the hiring of Arnel, that was the bands last hoorah and last major push to keep the flame rolling into the back-end of their career and they had one helluva run the last 5 years. Though ticket sells and the never-ending mega money-maker of Don't Stop Believin' still attract outstanding crowds, you can't help but to finally feel the flame starting to ware out. I'm all for Journey's farewell tour and give it one last concert to rock our hearts out.

The must do it right and give us an epic DVD. Then I'm good.

Arnel will always live in my heart as a hero and the little engine that could. Nobody can take that accomplishment away from him. He gave us his all.

The wigglers would the same about Augeri who destroyed his health for the same cause.

[steveo777]

Back in '08 with the hiring of Arnel, that was the bands last hoorah and last major push to keep the flame rolling into the back-end of their career and they had one helluva run the last 5 years. Though ticket sells and the never-ending mega money-maker of Don't Stop Believin' still attract outstanding crowds, you can't help but to finally feel the flame starting to ware out. I'm all for Journey's farewell tour and give it one last concert to rock our hearts out.

The must do it right and give us an epic DVD. Then I'm good.

Arnel will always live in my heart as a hero and the little engine that could. Nobody can take that accomplishment away from him. He gave us his all.

The wigglers would the same about Augeri who destroyed his health for the same cause.

Any singer will destroy their health singing that catalog. It's a time bomb and this is a historically correct statement.

[Archetype]

Let's put it into perspective; Styx and REO Speedwagon haven't enjoyed anywhere near the commercial success that Journey has in the last 5 years, but people aren't talking about how it's the end for them. They keep on touring, release a song here and there and still do live DVDs. Eclipse sold 100,000 copies. How many did Generations sell? How many did Cyclorama sell? How many did Find Your Own Way Home sell? If Eclipse came after Generations, everyone on here would be going nuts about how well it did (Reaching #13 on the billboard top 200) I don't think Generations even cracked the top 50 and Arrival peaked at #56, but look at what Journey has done since then.

[brywool]

Let's put it into perspective; Styx and REO Speedwagon haven't enjoyed anywhere near the commercial success that Journey has in the last 5 years, but people aren't talking about how it's the end for them. They keep on touring, release a song here and there and still do live DVDs. Eclipse sold 100,000 copies. How many did Generations sell? How many did Cyclorama sell? How many did Find Your Own Way Home sell? If Eclipse came after Generations, everyone on here would be going nuts about how well it did (Reaching #13 on the billboard top 200) I don't think Generations even cracked the top 50. Arrival peaked at #56, but look at what Journey has done since then.

Yup. And Styx's last DVD was a monster. Really really well done.