Will Steve Perry Make Journey To Reunion Tour?
March 10, 1995 | DEBORAH WILKER Pop Music Writer
A little confused about all this Journey reunion talk? Join the club.
First thing you should know is that former Journey front-man Steve Perry is absolutely set to play Sunrise on April 14 to make up his missed March 2 concert. Now here's the kicker: Cellar Door has added an April 15 concert (tickets on sale Saturday), all of which raises the obvious question: If Perry has indeed been asked by his record label and former Journey band mates to "get off the road" (to heighten demand for Journey to come), why is he now adding extra solo shows?
The Journey reunion story began last week when Perry canceled his March 2 Sunrise gig, blaming a lingering flu. According to his record label, Columbia, Perry canceled "a bunch of shows" over several weeks due to a bug he just couldn't shake.
But in an interview, former Journey band mate Neal Schon explained Perry's brief absence from touring quite differently. Schon said Journey was reuniting and Perry had been asked by record label executives to get off the road for a while to stoke Journey demand.
So is Journey really getting back together?
"Yes, we are," Schon said point-blank when asked that question in Los Angeles last week. "We're all about to have a meeting."
Schon made those comments while promoting Beyond The Thunder, his new instrumental album. Like many celebs, he was in L.A. to sell his work at several Grammy-related media events. Was he just trying to stir attention for his new record, or is there really something to this?
Schon says he and other band members feel that Perry - who's been selling out theaters the last year playing Journey's best stuff - should be doing this with the whole band for much more money, and in bigger halls. Considering the reunion fever (and cash) in rock today, who can blame them?
Perry, in fact, has been doing so well as a soloist that he's even replaying many cities. He was here in a sold-out show Nov. 26; the April 14 date is an encore. Now with the addition of April 15, those are three local concerts in less than five months - to say nothing of the huge business he's doing in other markets - while his former bandmates stew.
To accomplish the reunion, Schon said they were all going to place their old pal Steve in a rubber room and pound him until he agreed to sign.
Reps for Schon and Perry confirm a meeting took place on March 1. Said Schon's spokeswoman on Monday: "They are putting Journey back together."
15 years and waiting.

