Thanks to Gigi of AP's site.
Journey -- 35 years, still going strong
http://brevard.metromix.com/music/blog_ ... 75/content
The details
Who: Journey
When: 8 p.m. Wednesday
Where: Amway Arena, 600 W. Amelia St., Orlando
Admission: $24 to $125
Information: Call 407-849-2020
On the Web:
http://www.journeymusic.com
With a catalog of music that stretches more than 35 years and with over 75 million albums sold worldwide, Journey has cemented its place in music history. Now, with a recent CD release ("Revelation") and a world tour that has already seen over 700,000 fans attend, Journey brings its powerhouse show to the Amway Arena, 600 Amelia St., Orlando, on Wednesday with special guests -- the iconic 80s rock band Night Ranger.
Journey's current lineup consists of original members Neal Schon (lead guitar/rhythm guitars/vocals), and Ross Valory(bass/keyboards/recorder/vocals) with longtime member Jonathan Cain (keyboard/guitar/vocals). Rounding out the band is Deen Castronovo (drum (bass/keyboards/recorder/vocals) and longtime member s/vocals) and exciting newcomer Arnel Pineda (lead vocals). Plucked from obscurity, Arnel was discovered by founding member Schon on, of all places, the Internet. While searching for a new frontman, Schon stumbled across a YouTube clip of the Filipino singer singing with his highly successful cover band the Zoo. "I knew instantly he was our man. There was so much about his performance, his range and his stage presence that we had to have him," Schon says.
I spoke with Schon about their new lead singer, the tour and their future. So let’s “Shake, Rattle & Know”: Journey.
SRK: What is it like to be out on the road again?
Schon: It's been fun. It's funny because people act like we haven't been touring, but the truth is we took a short break but have been touring for the last nine years. It's not like this tour just happened and we're back on the road again. It's fun, though, because we have played for months in Europe and Asia, and our audiences now span nearly four generations.
SRK: The way you found your new lead singer (Arnel Pineda) sounds like something off a movie script. How unlikely was it you would find someone so fitting the way you did?
Schon: It was very unlikely. I did not want to do the traditional auditioning thing where people are flying in, sending in demo CDs, mailing resumes and having agents call us. With studios these days you can make just about anyone sound good, so I wanted to hear someone play live and completely unaltered. I wanted it to be a case of "what you see is what you get." I was surfing the Net looking for a lead singer and was about to give up when I came across Arnel. He was doing some Survivor song with his cover band and singing everything from Aerosmith and the Police to everything in between. He was unbelievable, so it was a no-brainer. I knew he was the guy; and not just the guy to sing just our old hits, but to move forward with new songs. We have had great success with our last CD "Revelation," and when this tour is over we are going to take a short breather, then go right into the studio to record a new CD.
SRK: Has having a young foreign lead singer exposed Journey to a broader fan base?
Schon: Absolutely. We have become known more worldwide than before with Arnel. It's brought us to new markets, and people have been very open-minded. We have always wanted worldwide appeal and I think we have that now. Before now, we pretty much stuck to the States, but now are expanding past that.
SRK: Why do you think Journey's music has withstood the test of time so well?
Schon: The music speaks for itself. We have always tried to make uplifting inspirational music that isn't dark or the dirty side of rock 'n' roll. We can hang in there with the best of them and people still want to have fun with us.
SRK: With such an impressive resume to your name already, what is your personal motivation to keep making music?
Schon: This is what I was born to do. My dad was a professional jazz musician, and I grew up listening to the classic jazz musicians like Duke Ellington and Count Bassie. I was really into jazz guitar before I found my own niche. Growing up in a musical family influenced me and is a part of who I am. I certainly don't do this for the money or the traveling. The traveling gets old after a while so much that even a single day off rejuvenates you. The road can become tiring and exhausting at times. We just did the Oprah show for a "Don't Stop Believing" Day and then flew straight to a show that night in West Virginia. That kind of schedule is both exciting and tiring all at the same time.
SRK: How much has the music business changed since you first started Journey in 1973?
Schon: It has completely changed. It's not even remotely close to what it used to be. There aren't as many record labels as there used to be.
SRK: What can fans expect out of Journey in the near future?
Schon: Good music and a new CD. I'm feeling like we are very tight now that we have had a few months with Arnel, and it will be interesting to see what comes out of writing new music together. We want to make a conceptual rock record about real life and the things going on in the world today.
Posted by Mike Nunez on Friday, September 18, 2009 at 12:00 AM |
http://www.myspace.com/shakerattleandknow or
SRKmusic@cfl.rr.com
I kept thinking Deen looked just a teensy bit uncomfy behind that kit too, not being his kit, lol. I thought compared to his it looked like he could stand up and stomp on that one 
What type of camera did you use? 
As much as I say Open Arms gets old, who wants to hear it, Neal started his haunting guitar solo intro and Arnel's really clear, soaring vocals began and I was sucked right back in and enjoyed every sappy minute of the song with the crowd. 
