Q&A: Steve Augeri headlines free Tuesday concert in Erie

[tater1977]

Q&A: Steve Augeri headlines free Tuesday concert in Erie

By Lindsey Poisson

Posted Jun 22, 2017

http://www.goerie.com/entertainmentlife ... rt-in-erie

The former Journey lead singer and his band will perform a special free concert during Tuesday’s dedication for the new Highmark Amphitheater in Liberty Park.

By the time Journey arrived in Erie for an anticipated 1998 show, the band had taken some unexpected turns.

Original lead singer Steve Perry — who helped shape Journey’s defining sound in hits such as “Don’t Stop Believin’,” “Any Way You Want It” and “Faithfully” — left the band after some solo success and health issues. And although the band had a brief reunion surrounding the release “Trial By Fire” in 1996, Journey had pretty much been on hiatus for a few years.

Then came along Steve Augeri, a founding member of the band Tall Stories who joined Journey not long before that Erie concert. A near-perfect Perry sound-alike, he stunned fans and critics alike when the band got back on the road, and provided the vocals for two Journey albums — 2001′s “Arrival” and 2005′s “Generations” — before leaving the group in 2006.

“What’s so weird is, these guys have similar voices, even when he’s talking,” Journey guitarist Neal Schon said in a Showcase preview of Erie’s 1998 Journey concert. “So when he goes to sing the older material, you can’t tell it’s not Perry.”

Granted, that was about 20 years ago. But fans will still get that Journey experience when Augeri — now backed by the five-piece Steve Augeri Band — performs a free concert on Tuesday celebrating the new Highmark Amphitheater in Liberty Park. Expect some of classic Journey songs — “Don’t Stop Believin’,” “Lovin’, Touchin″ Squeezin’,” “Separate Ways,” “Wheel in the Sky” and “Open Arms” — as well as a few surprises, teased Augeri during a recent phone interview.

And that’s not all. The 58-year-old singer discussed more about the upcoming show in Erie, his new band and the staying power of Journey’s music.

Can you give us a little background on The Steve Augeri Band (featuring guitarist Adam Holland, bass player Gerard Zappa, keyboardist Craig Pullman and drummer Tobias Ralph)?

“They themselves come from a band by the name of (Valentine). They’re wonderful veterans of the New York City music scene. I have a few ringers in the band, so the musicianship is top-notch. It was just fate that brought us together, and we were an instant band the moment we met. They were a band without a singer, and I was a singer without a band.”

Can Erie fans expect some Steve Augeri Band originals along with Journey hits?

“I think for this particular show, I have one or two substitutes, and when that happens ... most of the time, we stick to the Journey repertoire. Our main objective is to come to town and play Journey’s greatest hits, because that’s what the folks really expect. And if there’s one thing I’ve learned in this business, it’s to give the people what they want, and keep them satisfied and happy. But there will be a couple of surprises, which makes the job more fun.”

Thinking back on it now, are you surprised you got the chance to join Journey?

“It’s like a needle-in-a-haystack moment in your life, because you could have been passed over. There are a great many talented singers out there, and somewhere, somehow, I was at the right place at the right time and was prepared for it. I’m just glad it happened. It doesn’t happen to everybody, and I count my blessings and I say ‘thank you’ every day that I get to do what I enjoy doing.”

When you joined, Journey had been out of circulation for a while. What was it like helping Journey tour again?

“It was a daunting task to go out and try to convert fans who were absolute devotees of Steve Perry — and rightly so. It was an upward battle, an upward climb, and it took a number of years to get that acceptance. Year after year, we plugged at it. There was a lot of heavy lifting involved, but it paid off.”

What has kept Journey music popular all these years?

“It’s really a simple answer. It comes down to songs. If there’s a song that’s been written, and it tugs at your heartstrings or just connects with an emotional sentiment, then you’re off to the races. Certainly the first song that you will think of when you say Journey is ‘Don’t Stop Believin’,′ and that’s something everybody can get behind. No matter the subject matter, we all need something to believe in in life, and that song just connects to your heart. It’s not complicated at all.”

HEAR IT

The Steve Augeri Band performs Tuesday, 8 p.m., at the new Highmark Amphitheater in Liberty Park, located off the West Bayfront Parkway. Opener Money Shot 2.0 performs at 6:30 p.m. Free admission. Free shuttle service will be available; check http://www.porterie.org for updates. For more on The Steve Augeri Band, visit http://www.steveaugeri.com or find it on Facebook.

[The_Noble_Cause]

Love Steve. Yes, Arnel had stronger pipes, but Augeri had soul and passion. Instead of building on SA's legacy, the band pretended it never happened. Pathetic. Steve was the man and Arrival remains probably their strongest post-Perry release.

[lparn]

Love Steve. Yes, Arnel had stronger pipes, but Augeri had soul and passion. Instead of building on SA's legacy, the band pretended it never happened. Pathetic. Steve was the man and Arrival remains probably their strongest post-Perry release.

Agree 100%

[Jana]

Love Steve. Yes, Arnel had stronger pipes, but Augeri had soul and passion. Instead of building on SA's legacy, the band pretended it never happened. Pathetic. Steve was the man and Arrival remains probably their strongest post-Perry release.

I still love Arrival, and I agree, he is a very soulful singer.

[ScarabGator]

Love Steve. Yes, Arnel had stronger pipes, but Augeri had soul and passion. Instead of building on SA's legacy, the band pretended it never happened. Pathetic. Steve was the man and Arrival remains probably their strongest post-Perry release.

Yes.

[Moonglow]

Love Steve. Yes, Arnel had stronger pipes, but Augeri had soul and passion. Instead of building on SA's legacy, the band pretended it never happened. Pathetic. Steve was the man and Arrival remains probably their strongest post-Perry release.

+1

My favorite post-Perry singer, both in terms of vocals and a stage presence that best fit the band. Briefly met him before a Chicago Cubs game at Wrigley Field, where Jonathan and Neal did the Star Spangled Banner and the three of them sang "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" during the seventh inning stretch. He was very gracious, a class act.

[Greg]

Steve actually sent me a message on Facebook thanking me for coming out to his concert a year ago. Very gracious, very humble guy who appreciates his fans and appreciates what he does.

I remember when I first heard "Remember Me". I was so bummed when Perry left the band, but was curious to see how this new singer was going to sound. I had never heard of Tall Stories before. When I first heard RM, it blew me away! I thought to myself, "Journey is going to be alright man!"

Arrival was a fantastic album. It's still an album that holds up well with me. I think it was just released during a very difficult time for 80's melodic rock bands to have commercial success. You still had a lot of 90's music played on the radio in 2001, and a great deal of these 80's rock bands were playing very small venues. Had Arrival came out in 2008, I think there would have been a different outcome. By that point, the nostalgia of these bands were hitting on all cylinders and these bands were playing arenas again, instead of state fairs. There was enough time to have missed these bands that everything old became new again.

I just think Arrival was released at the wrong time. There is nothing about that album that disappoints.

[Journey/Survivor]

Steve actually sent me a message on Facebook thanking me for coming out to his concert a year ago. Very gracious, very humble guy who appreciates his fans and appreciates what he does.

I remember when I first heard "Remember Me". I was so bummed when Perry left the band, but was curious to see how this new singer was going to sound. I had never heard of Tall Stories before. When I first heard RM, it blew me away! I thought to myself, "Journey is going to be alright man!"

Arrival was a fantastic album. It's still an album that holds up well with me. I think it was just released during a very difficult time for 80's melodic rock bands to have commercial success. You still had a lot of 90's music played on the radio in 2001, and a great deal of these 80's rock bands were playing very small venues. Had Arrival came out in 2008, I think there would have been a different outcome. By that point, the nostalgia of these bands were hitting on all cylinders and these bands were playing arenas again, instead of state fairs. There was enough time to have missed these bands that everything old became new again.

I just think Arrival was released at the wrong time. There is nothing about that album that disappoints.

Plus, from what I've heard, the Arrival album was leaked to the internet before its official release, and a lot of people just downloaded it for free as opposed to buying it.