Journey

I attended the Journey concert at the Minnesota State Fair on Labor Day 2014. It was supposed to rain that night, but the weather gods must also be Journey fans as it was a perfect evening for a concert. It is funny that a group with members in their 60s and the youngest member being Arnel Pineda at 46 had far more energy than the warm-up band with most members being in their 20s or 30s. I have been a Journey fan for a good 7 years now, and I discovered them by accident while browsing through records at a bookstore. As such, Journey to me means Steve Perry and the first time I saw them in concert last year was with Arnel Pineda and hearing him sing the songs that Perry largely wrote and performed was disorienting. I really enjoy the new album Eclipse, and it wasn’t hard for me to enjoy Pineda as these are his songs to sing and his voice is incredible. This year, I was more accustomed to Pineda and was determined to enjoy myself, and did I ever! The band has a great amount of energy and the crowd responded in kind, singing along to the songs and cheering like crazy. You’ll hear the classics for sure (Don’t Stop Believin’ was really special as the crowd really got loud when singing along to that) and that was really fun to hear, but there were some unexpected surprises as well. Firstly, it was nice to hear some of their new songs like "Ritual" from Eclipse and "Faith in the Heartland" from Generations, all the more so as the economy is not very good and many times the Midwest is considered flyover country by the coastal states. As good as Journey's classics are, I appreciated that they played their new songs too. Let's pray that "City of Hope" and "Tantra" will get stage time next year.
In an age where most “artists” can’t sing a lick without the aid of Autotune, every one of the band members can sing in addition to playing instruments. The drummer, Dean Castronovo (a newcomer to the band in 2001) sang the lead vocals for “Mother, Father” while playing drums at the same time. This song is very difficult as the key is very high and requires a great amount of power and range to express the powerful lyrics. He nailed it! I was not expecting the drummer to sing, but it was an unexpected surprise. Jonathan Cain is a very talented man, as he is not only a great piano player, but can play the guitar and provide vocals as well. He was very impressive singing “Anytime” and his piano portions in “Faithfully” were stunning as always. Ross Valory is the bass man, but can sing backing vocals as well.
Neil Schon is also amazing as his guitar work is legendary. From his “here comes the train” sequence in “Don’t Stop Belevin’” to his more intimate moments in “Who’s Crying Now” or “Open Arms”, he can also sing quite well and you are also treated to his rendition of the national anthem as well as a psychedelic guitar piece that has a bit of Indian sitar mixed in. It was really a trip, and shame on the people who were talking during these moments as they were great to listen to. Arnel Pineda is made for Journey. I must admit that I would love to hear Perry sing these songs, but that’s not going to happen and Pineda is the only other person I can think of that can fill Perry’s shoes. He has a tremendous amount of energy, range, and is very kind and humble and still looks amazed that he is leading a band like Journey. He was homeless for many years in his youth and spent a lifetime covering Journey songs and is now leading them. He appreciated how much the crowd got into the songs and promised to return to the Twin Cities. I’ll be there!

The Journey show is Syracuse NY on August 28 was absolutely fantastic. I had seen them earlier this year and there was some minor sound issues. Not this time. The band hit the stage and rocked the house for about 90 minutes. Their sound was as crisp as their recordings. Neil was incredible as any fan would expect. Dean is a monster on the drums, Jonathan is just so smooth, Ross was as his usual entertaining the crowd with his facial Expressions and Arnel has certainly found a comfort zone and without question is a focal point of the band. When anyone goes to a Journey concert there are high expectations and this concert started fast paced and continued through the night. The band truly rocked the house. They went as far back playing anytime and La Do Da to current release Ritual. The stadium was close to sold out. When 'Don't Stop Believing' started you could hardly hear the back due to the crowd signing along. That's what should happen at one of their shows. The band also expressed their appreciation of the fans. They did not take the crowd for granted. All of the bands members thanked the fans for coming out and Arnel specifically thanked the fans numerous times. The band is not only rocking today like they did 35 years ago, they truly show that they still enjoy it. If you don't have tickets to an up coming show or if you have already seen one of their shows, you should get tickets NOW. This was my second show this year and I would travel again to see them. There was nothing to criticize the band for. They just Came out and nailed it. Great job. Now quit reading reviews and go find where you can enjoy the experience

Not going to lie, I went to a Journey, Steve Miller Band, Tower of Power concert somewhat dreading to see Journey. Like the rest of this world and probably a few more, I have that love hate relationship with Journey's mega hit, sing alongs, and was not too excited to be going to see them. But, a couple of my friends were going and concerts at Shoreline tend to be a good time, so I went along with it. Needless to say, how pleaseanty surprised I was to find myself up dancing and belting the lyrics to songs I had never heard before (you can be sure that when Don't Stop and Anyway You Want It came on I was the loudest one there).
All this coming from the kid who thought it was going to be a real snoozefest. I would categorize this concert as a show to see for the fun and the experience over the music itself. Unless, in some bizarre turn of events, you are in fact a Journey fan, in which case buy your tickets now and throw on that tour t-shirt from the last time they came to town. The lead singer, a short Filipino fellow who apparently they found on tour in South East Asia, will have you wondering if he has been in the band all along with his streaming energy and spot on voice. All in all, a good show to go see with friends. Make sure to get there early and get a good spot to set up shop!

I can't think of anyone who won't have heard the classic hit 'Don't Stop Believin'', and I must say, this was the only track that I was familiar with before seeing Journey live. It wasn't a gig that I had planned on going to, but the experience was just phenomenal. The energy of their performance was just out of this world, especially considering they've been performing for the last 40 years! Each member of the band took a solo which was a really cool moment to give everyone the credit that they deserved, and it was great to be able to applaud each member individually. Even if you don't know the back catalogue of their music, the great 80s vibe is perfect for dancing alone, and the catchy hooks have you singing along before too long, which is what I found myself doing! The balance of the band and vocals complimented eachother well, with neither overpowering the other, making for a great sound in the massive venue, which had great acoustics. Great vocals, band, performance, and tracks. Such a fun night, I would definitely go again, and can say from experience that it really doesn't matter whether you know the music well or not to have a blast!

Arnel Pineda is an amazing addition to Journey. His stage presence is fantastic and he really knows how to interact with the audience. During the first few songs it seemed his voice was drowned out by the music, but the remainder of the concert you could hear him better. The rest of the band is equally talented in each of their respective areas as witnessed by their solo performances. The entire show was fantastic. The only draw back was drunk people in the audience. There was a handicapped women sitting next to us who was unable to stand and the people in front of us refused to sit after multiple times of asking them. A fight started between another audience member due to their lack of consideration. The staff quickly interceded, but didn't have the couple sit down. I think the show should be enjoyed by everyone who purchases a ticket and not by the few who think they are having a private concert just for them. After all, the ticket you purchase is for the seat. You should sit in it, especially if it is interfering with other people's view. Unfortunately this experience overshadowed the otherwise fantastic concert.

I thought nothing could be more exciting than sneaking through a basement window of a university auditorium to see one of the premiere classic rock bands of all-time. It hadn't been 30 seconds after we figured out where there were two open seats when Journey opened their set with "Anyway You Want It" to the roar of the 3,000+ fans in attendance. Guitarist Neal Schon sealed the deal for me with his precise, piercing riffs as the band rocked the crowd with intense energy that the crowd responded to all night. The synchronized lighting system that rhythmically danced with the music for almost every beat contributed to those on the main floor dancing, singing and waving their arms for the entire show while even spectators like us on the risers couldn't help but be out of our seats grooving all night long. Journey is one of those bands that has such polished musically talent that they make the experience of attending a live concert unforgettable. Taking into account the hundreds of concerts I've attended - for pay - this Journey concert will go down in the books as one of the top three...even if it would not have been for free.

Wow, what a tour-de-force of Rock & Roll power...
The Journey, Doobies and Dave Mason show was better than I'd hoped or expected...

I'm a music TV producer and have friends who have played in all of these bands over the years so have seen each group a number of times. I'm loving these super-group mash-ups of recent years and this one did not disappoint me.

I do want to commend the sound crew for the "Journey" set because it was one of the most expert and satisfying live mixes and exhibited real genius in the EQ, and overall artistic treatment.

In recent years I've noticed ( to my disappointment ) more events with inept live sound due to the apparent lack of talent or concern amongst our live-sound mixing communities. Nothing can ruin a great performance easier than a slacker at the board and I'm very happy to report, Journey's sound crew are at the top of their game...

I attended my very first Journey concert last night. Journey with Steve Perry was the very first rock band I truly was enamored with. Sure, the others soon followed, like Def Leppard, Motley Crue, Whitesnake, Guns 'n Roses, Bon Jovi, just to name a few, but none really truly rivaled Journey.

I've always stayed faithful to Journey. The lyrics resonate, the music simply thrills. I'll forever equate "The Voice" with Journey, but I don't mind saying Arnel.... DAMN, you rock! (Neal, glad to see you can still hold your own ;) )

In short, if you are, or have ever been a Journey fan, they will not disappoint.

Saw them in Calgary in 2012 and Arnel had a flu and wasn't even close to top form and the rest of the band had to give him breaks because he was so sick. This time everyone was at their best and it was truly a great show. Very few vocalists sound as good live as they do in a studio, Arnel Pineda is one of them. Neal Schon's solo project wasn't a bad opener, but it didn't exactly get the audience excited either. Overall it was a spectacular show though, I'd see them again without question because of it.

This band just doesn't quit!! Have been going to see them since the70's and they are still o e of the best shows going these days. My daughter is now a big fan. The show last night in Louisville was as good as ever. These guys work hard and it shows in the quality of the show.
Now it's even more fun to watch knowing they are in the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame!!!
If they come anywhere around do not miss the show!! I came to this KY show from FL....