Journey Singer JSS' Demeanor

[Red13JoePa]

What do we as Journey fans make of it?
I happen to enjoy it. We have a bandmember who is accessible online and actually BOTHERS to take time to say hello to and interact with both the band's fans, his own fans and Soul Sirkus fans. I find his communications to be informative, amusing, cordial, and welcoming of all viewpoints, even dissenting and disapproving.
To those fence-sitters or opposed I find that he will engage in informed debate and back his points with mechanical know-how that comes from being a successful professional singer. This has rubbed certain factions sideways. He's been portrayed as talking down to people because of this. I couldn't disagree more with that. He admits missing notes or having off moments even though from the concerts I've listened to thus far those moments appear few and far between.
I find him to be positive and optimistic with his hopes of winning over current Journey fans, and adding new ones. I find his postings to be refreshingly candid and realistic regards to the fact that while he hopes to maintain all fans he realizes that there are certain people who cannot accept him, in fact resent the hell out him being in the band under the circumstances he was brought aboard (or any circumstance). He realizes that there's no pleasing those individuals and when attacked he makes every reasonable effort to engage in civil debate.
At a certain point he will reply in kind.
This I applaud, but others use his heart-on-the-sleeve style of interaction as a means through which to attack him. My hope is that he does not stray from being the down-to-earth guy he is because of this propoganda. My hope is that he does not grow to regret vehemently defending himself at times JUST BECAUSE some call it wrong. My hope is that in addition to continuing as our singer, that he keeps talking to us even though he will doubtless continue to be pegged as too rude and disrespectful by a thin-skinned but vocal minority who deconstruct his every posted word and then selectively reconstruct it.


I'm just concerned because I think we've been seeing less of him since a backlash was manufactured over a few exchanges he was involved in. I could be wrong about that.

What do you say about it, and PLEASE try to do us proud with your answers? Let's rise above our collective nitwit-level IQ here in this dump and post more intelligently on the subject than we intellectually inferior fans otherwise might be capable of.

[Scarab Pilot]

I like Jeffs involvement with the forums and I sense he feels its his duty to communicate with the fans. He's a fan, his been a fan of other bands and I sense he understands the open comminucation is a good thing. Even when its rough. He knows what he's gotten into and I think its great that he doesn't shy away from tough subjects.

I don't think it will wear him down. He's got a thick skin and can handle the the cranks just fine. I also think his world doesn't revolve around the net. His time around the boards will probably continue to reduce as he and the band work on the next album, prep for the Euro tour and work on building the Journey momentum.

But I think he enjoys the interraction. He is one cool dude.

[larryfromnextdoor]

he really seems to be the only communication from the band anyone has ever had,, yesterday he stated what songs from the SA era that they may try.. how can you beat that ??

[CatEyes]

As was mentioned above, JSS is the only one communicating at all right now.

I think he has grown a lot ..... and I think we as fans can do the same thing.

Cat

[Carlitto H@kk]

Jeff's style of communication, to me, is just basically a guy telling you straight-up how he feels.
He has been baited. He has been questioned for comments that really were'nt nearly as
bad as they've been made out to be...
One comment he made was about the idea of Dueting with Perry.
Jeff made a funny little comment about "figuring out who would get to hit the high notes".
Some people took that as an open slam on Perry, like Jeff was claiming to be better than Perry.
Please. It sounded like a Journey fan that is really excited to sing all these songs he's
loved for years.
Jeff tries to compare his voice to Perry's because he was "asked what about the differences".
He explains how both there styles are similar but that they have different tones, I think he said
Perry's was alittle 'thinner'? Again, some took that as Jeff showing disrespect to Perry and his fans.
Please.
For some folks, no matter what Jeff says, his words will be dissected over and over
until a negative message can be found in them and have them thrown back in his face.
Like my favorite...
"For every one Journey fan that leaves, 10 more will take your place" or something close to that.
Again, construed as disrespect to loyal fans and total arrogance.
No it wasn't. It was a comment from a guy that is excited about the future
and believes in himself and this band. And he also knows, as ALL Journey fans should,
that with every single album or member change, Journey has gained and lossed fans.
You win some, you lose some. You can't please everyone.

[Red13JoePa]

Right on the noise, fucking Carl.

Spoke directly to the point of deconstructing his posts and ferreting percieved slights at any number of people out them.

[ohsherrie]

What do you say about it, and PLEASE try not to do us proud with your answers? Let's rise above our collective nitwit-level IQ here in this dump and post more intelligently on the subject than we intellectually inferior fans otherwise might.

I'll try my best RedJoe not to embarrass anyone with my deficiency of vocabulary and literary skill.

I like Jeff just the way he is. I hope he realizes that most of us want him to be like "one of our own" and not some phony "paragon of virtue". He's a rock star not an evangelistic cult leader. Most of this fanbase is supposed to be adults who've outgrown the need to turn our favorite band members into idols that we put on a pedestal to worship.

[NealIsGod]

I think that his presence on forums throws a monkey wrench into the plans of people who like to criticize him with no real reason, other than that he is not Perry. JSS understands he can't please everybody, but he is a pro at sniffing out the people with an agenda.

[Red13JoePa]

Jesus, my post reads melodramatic as hell.

But I will not edit it.

[ohsherrie]

Jesus, my post reads melodramatic as hell.

But I will not edit it.

Don't touch it. It's a masterpiece. May be the most I've read from you in one post in all these years.

[Deb]

Most of this fanbase is supposed to be adults who've outgrown the need to turn our favorite band members into idols that we put on a pedestal to worship.

Really? Does that mean I have to take him down?

[ohsherrie]

Most of this fanbase is supposed to be adults who've outgrown the need to turn our favorite band members into idols that we put on a pedestal to worship.

Really? Does that mean I have to take him down?

Only when you want to play with him.

[Carlitto H@kk]

Jesus, my post reads melodramatic as hell.

But I will not edit it.

Don't touch it. It's a masterpiece. May be the most I've read from you in one post in all these years.

Yea, I love it when you can put more
than "2 sentences" together and actually
make sense. That GED came in handy

[NealIsGod]

That GED came in handy

By GED, you mean Penn State diploma, right?

[Red13JoePa]

That GED came in handy

By GED, you mean Penn State diploma, right?

*Sigh* I can't wait until September when ND rolls into Happy Valley and I will get vindication.

[Red13JoePa]

Jesus, my post reads melodramatic as hell.

But I will not edit it.

Don't touch it. It's a masterpiece. May be the most I've read from you in one post in all these years.

Yea, I love it when you can put more
than "2 sentences" together and actually
make sense. That GED came in handy

It took every IQ point I could muster out of my MR.com, slumming, slow-witted skull piece but JSS' crucifixion temporarilly inspired an expansion of my accumen.

Now I need to lie down and then go back to dense, 1-word posts and posting porn ( ) for a month to recover.

[bionic]

He has given me hope for Journey as he cares,there has been so much crap as of recent with the lipping saga from Augeri that i think he can move the band on to the future and beyond.

[ohsherrie]

Jesus, my post reads melodramatic as hell.

But I will not edit it.

Don't touch it. It's a masterpiece. May be the most I've read from you in one post in all these years.

Yea, I love it when you can put more
than "2 sentences" together and actually
make sense. That GED came in handy

It took every IQ point I could muster out of my MR.com, slumming, slow-witted skull piece but JSS' crucifixion temporarilly inspired an expansion of my accumen.

Now I need to lie down and then go back to dense, 1-word posts and posting porn ( ) for a month to recover.

A well deserved respite.

[Melissa]

I enjoy his posts, all of them, & hope he continues. I see nothing wrong at all with his posts to people who have been harsh towards him as a singer. This is his career, he's passionate about it, & he's damn good at it.

[SF-Dano]

What do we as Journey fans make of it?
I happen to enjoy it. We have a bandmember who is accessible online and actually BOTHERS to take time to say hello to and interact with both the band's fans, his own fans and Soul Sirkus fans. I find his communications to be informative, amusing, cordial, and welcoming of all viewpoints, even dissenting and disapproving.
To those fence-sitters or opposed I find that he will engage in informed debate and back his points with mechanical know-how that comes from being a successful professional singer. This has rubbed certain factions sideways. He's been portrayed as talking down to people because of this. I couldn't disagree more with that. He admits missing notes or having off moments even though from the concerts I've listened to thus far those moments appear few and far between.
I find him to be positive and optimistic with his hopes of winning over current Journey fans, and adding new ones. I find his postings to be refreshingly candid and realistic regards to the fact that while he hopes to maintain all fans he realizes that there are certain people who cannot accept him, in fact resent the hell out him being in the band under the circumstances he was brought aboard (or any circumstance). He realizes that there's no pleasing those individuals and when attacked he makes every reasonable effort to engage in civil debate.
At a certain point he will reply in kind.
This I applaud, but others use his heart-on-the-sleeve style of interaction as a means through which to attack him. My hope is that he does not stray from being the down-to-earth guy he is because of this propoganda. My hope is that he does not grow to regret vehemently defending himself at times JUST BECAUSE some call it wrong. My hope is that in addition to continuing as our singer, that he keeps talking to us even though he will doubtless continue to be pegged as too rude and disrespectful by a thin-skinned but vocal minority who deconstruct his every posted word and then selectively reconstruct it.


I'm just concerned because I think we've been seeing less of him since a backlash was manufactured over a few exchanges he was involved in. I could be wrong about that.

Carlito wrote : Jeff's style of communication, to me, is just basically a guy telling you straight-up how he feels.
He has been baited. He has been questioned for comments that really were'nt nearly as
bad as they've been made out to be...
One comment he made was about the idea of Dueting with Perry.
Jeff made a funny little comment about "figuring out who would get to hit the high notes".
Some people took that as an open slam on Perry, like Jeff was claiming to be better than Perry.
Please. It sounded like a Journey fan that is really excited to sing all these songs he's
loved for years.
Jeff tries to compare his voice to Perry's because he was "asked what about the differences".
He explains how both there styles are similar but that they have different tones, I think he said
Perry's was alittle 'thinner'? Again, some took that as Jeff showing disrespect to Perry and his fans.
Please.
For some folks, no matter what Jeff says, his words will be dissected over and over
until a negative message can be found in them and have them thrown back in his face.
Like my favorite...
"For every one Journey fan that leaves, 10 more will take your place" or something close to that.
Again, construed as disrespect to loyal fans and total arrogance.
No it wasn't. It was a comment from a guy that is excited about the future
and believes in himself and this band. And he also knows, as ALL Journey fans should,
that with every single album or member change, Journey has gained and lossed fans.
You win some, you lose some. You can't please everyone.

Amen Brothers. I hope the few who claim to be fans, but refuse to move on, will not get the best of our man JSS. It is truely an honor to have him come here and make us privy to some Journey info. Just remember how it was before JSS, or even before the internet. Had wait to catch a blurb or article in a magazine or on radio. Then it was always the company line BS. It so refreshing to have JSS's "tell it like it is" comments. We are lucky to have a person like this in the band now.

Keep hangin' with us here on MR Jeff. We're with ya here. Pay no attention to the little people behing the curtains on those other boards .

[Red13JoePa]

Time permitting I hope he stays here, AND Frank's board, AND Backtalk all. The actual FANS are spread out over all 3 places (in some pathetic cases 2 or all 3).

[ohsherrie]

Time permitting I hope he stays here, AND Frank's board, AND Backtalk all. The actual FANS are spread out over all 3 places (in some pathetic cases 2 or all 3).

You're right. If he's going to post on one board of course he has to post on all three. If he didn't the fans on the other boards would naturally feel slighted and that's not good PR for him or Journey.

[belar]

Honestly, how cool is it that he posts on this or any forum? I think Jeff was a fan first, and because of that he understands the mentality of folks here (other than the fringe who are always posting the crap JoePa was referring to). Taking part in the forums is a good way for him to give a little back to the fans who have been so supportive of him in his new role (and some fans who haven't so much) and also, just to get an idea of what the fans are thinking. To me, Jeff just seems like a regular guy who happens to have earned the position of lead singer of our favorite band. He likes music, sports, a little spirited debate, just like many of us here. Too cool. I for one hope he continues to post here for a long time to come and I hope he understands that a goodly number of us actually value his contributions to the board as opposed to just being excited to talk to a celebrity. I've met enough celebrities, many of whom were a little full of themselves. JSS doesn't seem to have an ounce of that attitude, which is refreshing.

OK, I'm done rambling now. To recap: Jeff is cool and shouldn't stop participating here because of a few weirdos.

[Carlitto H@kk]

Time permitting I hope he stays here, AND Frank's board, AND Backtalk all. The actual FANS are spread out over all 3 places (in some pathetic cases 2 or all 3).

You're right. If he's going to post on one board of course he has to post on all three. If he didn't the fans on the other boards would naturally feel slighted and that's not good PR for him or Journey.

Not to contradict you OS, but here is the "MOTHER OF ALL" reasons why Jeff
doesn't deserve some of the backlash he gets from posting..

He DOESN'T have to post on ANY of these boards.

He does it of his own freewill because he geuinely knows
how much it means to the fans to have at least a small
outlet of communication with thier favorite artists.

If Jeff wasn't this good of a singer/songwriter/performer,
he could make MILLIONS doing PR work for alot of people

[ohsherrie]

Time permitting I hope he stays here, AND Frank's board, AND Backtalk all. The actual FANS are spread out over all 3 places (in some pathetic cases 2 or all 3).

You're right. If he's going to post on one board of course he has to post on all three. If he didn't the fans on the other boards would naturally feel slighted and that's not good PR for him or Journey.

Not to contradict you OS, but here is the "MOTHER OF ALL" reasons why Jeff
doesn't deserve some of the backlash he gets from posting..

He DOESN'T have to post on ANY of these boards.

He does it of his own freewill because he geuinely knows
how much it means to the fans to have at least a small
outlet of communication with thier favorite artists.

If Jeff wasn't this good of a singer/songwriter/performer,
he could make MILLIONS doing PR work for alot of people

I know Carl, that's why I said "if he's going to post on one board". He doesn't have to, and it's great that he does.

[somethingtohide]

With each of his posts I like Jeff more and more. He seems "real" for lack of a better word and that's a quality I greatly appreciate in a person. I hope he keeps posting and doesn't get discouraged by the super-analysis of his words.

[lbeau12]

I think it is awesome that he takes the time to write something on this or any forum and appreciate that communication.

[LucyFurr]

Jeff owes us nothing....hell, I'm shell shocked that he is actually nice! Most frontmen or famous people never give the time of day to us little people. The fact that he genuinely cares enough to stop in and say hi shows his true character. I wasn't present at the chat this past weekend, but gathered that he went out of his way not to let his fans down because his internet connection at home (or where he was) was down. Who of ALL the famous people you know would go to a public Starbucks risking idiots pestering them while trying to make the fans happy? NOBODY. Not even my beloved Perry. I wish Perry or others would make half the effort Jeff does just once a year for us. I truly appreciate and respect anything Jeff does or says becasue its not bullshit. He is who he is and he does not apologize for it nor should he. Hes a stellar individual and will always have my respect as an individual first, then a musician!

[ohsherrie]

Great post Catherine. I agree with all of it.

[Red13JoePa]

Great post Catherine. I agree with all of it.

Totally.
And what he does he get for his trouble?
A handful of tubesteaks who rip him for noting more than word choice and then clap themselves on the back going, supposedly for not being hero worshipers: "I'm not gonna kiss his ass just because he's JSS" and self aggrandizing crap like that.
What rebels. Such individuality and fortitude