December 30, 2000: DVD Filming

Las Vegas, NV

Mandalay Bay Event Center

Vegas, Bay-beeee!

Three hours of sleep is barely enough for any human being, so this is gonna be a short, quick fyi about last night's show... more, perhaps, when I'm actually awake...

Despite all the hype, there were actually very few surprises in last night's show. The biggest would be the HUGE video screen that was behind the stage all night. Besides showing AWESOME shots of the guys (due to all the cameras that were there -- I could identify at least four) there were some pretty cool graphics going on. Hopefully this is something they're gonna keep, but if not, makes for a very cool video!

In all, I'd have to honestly say the show I saw in Reno last month was better. The energy of the guys was fed by the crowd, and the crowd last night was mediocre. By the time the show ended (about midnight) half the crowd had LEFT! What was really awful is that I had a GREAT seat, and nearly the ENTIRE ROW in front of me was EMPTY ALL NIGHT!!! I know there were people there who would have LOVED those seats too and the security wasn't letting anyone move. 

A quick rundown of the set list which contained exactly ONE surprise...

Separate Ways
Ask the Lonely
Stone in Love
Only the Young
Higher Place
Send Her My Love
Lights
Who’s Crying Now
--JC solo--
Open Arms
Fillmore Boogie
Message of Love (SURPRISE!!!)
All the Way
Escape
La Raza del Sol
Live and Breathe—intro version
Wheel in the Sky
Be Good to Yourself
Anyway You Want It

Encore:

Don’t Stop Believin’
Lovin’, Touchin’, Squeezin’
Faithfully 
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I had a 2 pm flight from SFO to Vegas, so I went over to Mom and Dad’s about 12:45 to catch a ride to the airport and thus save on parking costs. Alas and alack, the plane I was to take to Vegas was coming from New York, so was delayed. I didn’t board until 2:30, and it was 3 by the time we were in the air. So when I landed in Vegas at 4 (30 minutes after I was expecting to) I quickly deplaned and headed for the taxi stand. 

Got to Mandalay Bay in no time, despite the traffic from hell, and went straight from the cab to the Rock Lobster where I was to meet my pals. When I got there, a few folks had already arrived, so we visited briefly while waiting for the others to join us. People slowly but surely trickled in between 5 and 6 while we had dinner. I had met about half of them before and the other half were complete strangers.

About 7 we all headed over to the Event Center for the show. Cheryl needed to pick up her ticket at will call, so I went to the box office with her and then headed back to the arena. We got in and discovered, much to our pleasant surprise, they were selling NEW gear! Woo hoo! So I picked up a white Arrival t-shirt for myself, and we headed off to our various and sundry seats. I had a really nice seat on the side of the arena. One row up from the floor and about 2 sections away from the stage. Jon’s side, aww darn.

photo courtesy of Leslie Forsythe

The row in front of me was empty, and before the show started, my friend Leslie and her 6 year old son came over and sat down to chat. They wound up staying there the whole show since the owners of the seats never showed up. REO Speedwagon hit the stage a little after 8 and played for about an hour and 20 minutes. They were great. It’s been years since I’ve heard them and I really could only remember the BIG hits though there were a few other songs that sounded familiar, but they were quite good. Kevin Cronin is rather amusing, but I can’t figure out quite WHY.

There was about a 30 minute break while the road crew changed the stage, and our boys hit the stage about 10. The cameras that had been sitting at rest during REO got a work out and I was pleased to see that they weren’t going to interfere with my view of the stage. The house lights went down, and behind the stage was a video of an exploding ball that popped up at random locations on the screen while the intro music played. Then the scarab came up and the band took the stage and the place went nuts. They launched into “Separate Ways” and off they went. The screen had all sorts of things going on during the show, mostly band shots, but some cool other footage (e.g.  shots of sunlight reflecting on water during Lights—no guarantees it was sun on San Francisco Bay.) The camera crew did an AWESOME job though…the video screen behind the stage had some very cool shots of the performance. In particular ones of the camera flying in over Jon’s head and looking down on the keyboards as he played. Very cool.

During the show, there was also a roaming camera man walking through the crowd. During “Higher Place”, when much of the crowd was sitting, he came by where I was sitting and got a great shot of Leslie’s little boy dancing in the aisle. He then turned and stuck the camera in MY face. I did my best to ignore him, but not easy to do. We’ll have to see if I end up on the cutting room floor or not. (I haven’t really decided how I feel about it yet. On one hand, it would be so cool to be on the tape, but on the other, it’s a little freaky!)* In any case, this will in some aspects make up for missing that ROR show. 

*Once the DVD was released, there were lots of familiar faces in the crowd, including mine. Not from having the camera stuck in my face, but I show up in a crowd shot during "All the Way."

photo courtesy of Leslie Forsythe

After the show, much of the crowd that met up for dinner wandered back together to chat for a bit, but we soon dispersed into the hotel. Eventually, Cheryl, Rose and I caught up with Caryn (aka JourneyCat) and her husband Tony who were meeting Les (Neal’s stepdad) and Mike (aka Skylord, the webmaster for Journeymusic.com) for drinks. Cheryl and Rose managed to scam some backstage passes, so they took off for a bit. While they were off meeting the guys, Caryn, Tony and I found Les and chatted with him for a while. 

We all broke up around 2 or so and I headed back with Cheryl and Rose to Rose’s hotel room where I took a 3 hour snooze before hightailing back to the airport where I was able to get myself on the 7:40 flight rather than waiting until 9. Was home in my apartment by 9:45 and in bed for some real sleep.

Overall, the vibe of the show was less than the one in Reno in November, which I can attribute to any number of reasons. The energy of the guys is fed by the crowd, and the crowd last night was mediocre. By the time the show ended (about midnight) half the crowd had LEFT! The crowd was definitely not the Journey die-hards that were in Reno, and, as I learned later, the guys had been going non stop for 3 weeks or so with VH1 shooting Behind the Music and rehearsals and the whole DirecTV/DVD thing. They did an entire show on the 29th for the DirecTV cameras so they can have close-ups to cut into the actual show.

November 11, 2000: Same Show, Different Take

Reno, Nevada
Silver Legacy City Center Pavilion 

While combing through my archived files, I found this alternate review of the November 11, 2000 show in Reno. It looks like I wrote it as a separate piece for the Journey Digest website. Since this pre-dates the first of the "official" Rockin' Road Reports, I suspect I had told Dan Stacy, the list/website owner, that I would work up an article for the site. This was obviously written a couple of days after the show rather than in the immediate aftermath as the previous account was.

As any Journey fan knows, this is a band that puts on one fantastic show, so I was looking forward to the first public Journey performance since November 12, 1999, in San Francisco. I couldn’t believe it had been a full year since the last show. More importantly, it was the first show since the new material had been recorded. The big questions of the night were “How many new songs will they play?” and “Which ones do you think they’ll do?”

As Journey fans from around the world descended upon Reno on a cold, snowy weekend, there was a sense of anticipation that became an electrical charge hours before the show started. As has become customary for me at a Journey show, I found myself having dinner at a pre-show gathering of fans held at Brews Brothers in the El Dorado Hotel (which is attached to the Silver Legacy.) With 30 or so people gathered, the excitement grew exponentially as each new person arrived. I recommend this experience to every fan! About half way through our gathering, we were pleasantly surprised to have a visit from Neal’s mom and stepfather – what a great treat!

The trek from the restaurant to the concert hall was short, but chilly as most people had been meandering through the three attached hotels with out having to step out into the 20 degree temperatures. It was about thirty minutes before show time and there were fans gathered around chatting with each other and checking out the swag table. Alas, it was all gear from the 1999 summer tour.

The various fans scattered off to their seats around the hall, but about 20 of us had wound up in the same two rows, so it was a rowdy bunch in section C rows 13 & 14 – rows 1-12 were filled with comped tickets, so when the band hit the stage and we leapt to our feet, no one in front of us was standing. As in previous shows, the guys kicked off with "Separate Ways." A great opener I’ll admit, but one I am getting tired of hearing. I am definitely looking forward to a new set list on the 2001 summer tour.

The crowd got into the show right away – the electricity that had been crackling below the surface before the show, erupted into a wave of energy that hit everyone. Early in the show, Steve introduced "Higher Place," and those of us familiar with the song (from having played the imported copy of Arrival non-stop in the two weeks or so prior) cheered loudly. The reaction of the band was immediate, and I think they instantly revised their opinion of Napster when the audience was singing along with the entire song.

About 15-20 minutes into the set the security guards down in front waved their arms indicating fans could come up to the stage, so away we went – straight up to the barricade. So those of us who were up close and personal with the band, got a good look at poor Neal in his cast and boot – he apparently fell on some stairs a few days before the show and tore some ligaments in his ankle. He was all over that stage when he really should have just sat on a stool.

The excitement in the crowd fed the band, and the energy went back and forth all night. About half way through the show, they launched into "All the Way," and the reaction from the crowd was instantaneous. From my vantage point at the barricade in front of Ross and Steve, I could see the reaction as we were singing along – complete amazement. When I could take a peek at the crowd behind me, I could see that the folks who had no clue about the new songs were cheering loudly also.

Other highlights of the show included the surprising inclusion of "La Raza del Sol." This is just a fantastic song live, and I have got to learn the words – it’s the only song in the set list I was mumbling! The show ended in a truly amazing fashion, as the guys have done a little tweak to Faithfully that is an absolutely fantastic way to close the show.

The guys were very appreciative to all the fans who had done a lot of traveling to get to the show. Steve mentioned specifically the folks who had flown in from overseas, which I think was very classy. And I’m pretty sure most of those folks got after show passes.

The energy from this show spilled over into the days that followed, and as I talked with other fans, they all agreed that there was magic in the air that night. None of us could exactly put our finger on it, but it stayed with us for a while. 

The set list:

Separate Ways, Ask the Lonely, Stone in Love, Only the Young, Higher Place, Send Her My Love, Lights, Who’s Crying Now, Open Arms, Fillmore Boogie, Just the Same Way, All The Way, Escape, La Raza del Sol, Wheel in the Sky, Be Good To Yourself, Anyway You Want It
(First encore) Remember Me, Don’t Stop Believin’
(Second encore) Lovin’ Touchin’ Squeezin’, Faithfully

November 11, 2000: Arrival Debuts!

Reno, NV
City Center Pavilion

 

I learned there ARE advantages to getting stuck in the snow for 4 hours and turning a 4 hour drive into a 9 hour drive.

I arrived safe and sound in Reno about 9:00 last night, and once settled in, Toni, Cheryl, Ana Marie and I went to scrounge up some dinner. We headed over to the Silver Legacy and ran into Mary Ann, and while we were saying hello, who should happen to walk by, but Jonathan Cain!

We managed to corner him for a few minutes and got the scoop on the set list, which would include some new songs and “La Raza Del Sol” (BIG TREAT HERE. Apparently it got a good reaction in Central America so they added it to the set.)

We told Jon that getting stuck in the snow let us listen to Arrival for 9 hours and when he asked “How’d you get it, that Napster thing?” we said no, we’ve got the CD. We gave our two cents worth about what our favorite songs were (which, since there were 5 of us, was pretty much everything!) and then he volunteered some interesting information!

Seems like they just got out of the studio, where they recorded 2 NEW tracks to put on the US version of the CD... we’re gonna get 15 tracks total!!!! WOOO HOOOO!!!! And, yes, at least ONE of the songs was co-written by Jack Blades.*

After we let Mary Ann go check in, Toni, Cheryl, Ana Marie and I found a restaurant for dinner. Ana Marie and Toni went back to Circus Circus to look for Kate, who should have arrived by this time, and Cheryl and I waited for the table. While we were waiting,who should we see dashing past the restaurant but Ross Valory. Alas, by the time we noticed him, he was well down the hallway and out of chatting range.

*I got in trouble for this post after the concert. The new songs for "Arrival" were supposed to be a secret. While checking out of the hotel, some friends and I ran in to Rindell Ivers, Journey's then road manager, and Mike, Journey's then webmaster. Mike was a fan who had gotten "promoted" to official status, so was also a member of the Journey Digest where I had posted this. We were talking about the show and various comments when Rindell said "Yeah, somebody's already posted about the new songs on the Internet. Someone's in trouble." We chatted about why that was for a moment when Mike suddenly looked at me and burst out "It was YOU!" I claimed innocence -- Jon had told us about the new songs and hadn't said anything about it being a secret! (The rumor about the recording had already been out for a while at this point any how.) Relieved that the leak was due to a member of the band talking to fans, Rindell and Mike chatted with us on other topics for a bit before heading out with the band. Only later did I learn that my post on the Journey Digest had been picked up by a couple of other sites where I was referred to as an "unconfirmed source." A claim to fame!
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I’m still on an adrenaline high from last night. What a GREAT GREAT show. It’s been exactly a year since I saw the boys last and I really needed this show!

We had about 30 or so people gather before the show for dinner and what a great time that was!! Lots of excited chatter among Journey fans (including a few at their first Journey show ever) and speculation on which new songs they would be playing. After dinner, the whole group of us traveled en masse across the street to the venue, posed for a picture in front of the marquee and dashed inside out of the 20 degree temps (brrrrrrr!!!)

The various fans scattered off to their seats around the hall, but about 20 of us had wound up in the same two rows, so it was a rowdy bunch in section C rows 13 and 14–rows 1-12 were filled with comped tickets, so when the band hit the stage and we lept to our feet, no one in front of us was standing.

One of the early songs was “Higher Place.” Man this song is just terrific. And since many of us have copies of the CD and have had at least a few hours to learn the lyrics, we were singing it as loud as we could and cheering like crazy.  I was told later that the guys were amazed at the crowd singing along.

About 15-20 minutes into the set the security guards down in front waved their arms and away we went—charged up to the barricade. So we were up close and personal with the band and got a good look at poor Neal in his cast and boot—he apparently fell on some stairs on Monday and tore some ligaments in his ankle, but he was all over that stage when he REALLY should have just sat on a stool.

The band was obviously very excited to be playing and the reaction of the audience was great. Even the folks who had no clue about the new songs were cheering loudly for them.

The set list wasn’t HUGELY different from most of the shows they’ve done the last couple of years, but you'll find it listed below for your enjoyment.

I’m not gonna spoil it for other people who will be going to a show soon, but I will say what they did to end the show was VERY cool.

The guys were very appreciative to all the fans who had done a LOT of traveling to get to the show. Steve mentioned specifically the folks who had flown in from overseas, which I think was VERY classy. And I’m pretty sure most of those folks got after show passes.

Okay, now this is a little more for the ladies, but I’ve got to give a hair and fashion report. There’s some interesting new looks goin’ on. Neal—I can’t even describe it accurately, but it was generally agreed that he was looking like Bruce Springsteen—circa 1974! His sideburns are down to his jaw line, his hair is grown out longer and shaggy, and he’s got some kind of weird beard on his chin. It’s a look that actually works in a weird way, and makes him look younger. Looks like he’s lost a little weight too. He was absolutely having a blast last night.

Jon and Steve came out in leather pants (looks to me like the exact same ones from the promo picture on their website) which was quite nice. Jon’s got an Escape-ish ‘do and Steve’s hair keeps getting longer and longer. And Steve has finally lost those two-tone shoes!

Ross has added some highlights to his hair, which makes him look younger. Alas, Deen is hard to see behind his drum kit, so I don’t remember noticing anything there.

See y’all in VEGAS!!! Woo hoo!

Set List:

Separate Ways
Ask the Lonely
Stone in Love
Only the Young
Higher Place
Send her My Love
Lights
Who’s Crying Now
Open Arms
Fillmore Boogie
Just the Same Way
All The Way (the look on the guys faces when we were singing this one said it all!)
Escape
La Raza del Sol
Wheel in the Sky
Be Good To Yourself
Anyway You Want It

First encore:

Remember Me
Don’t Stop Believin'

Second encore:

Lovin’, Touchin’, Squeezin’
Faithfully

November 9, 2000 -- Arrival First Impressions

April 13, 2018: While working on the 2018 reformat of this blog, I dove once again into the Journey Digest archives and stumbled upon my response about the original Japanese release of Arrival. I was replying to a review from Kevin, another member of the list who had graciously copied his CD of Arrival for me while I waited for my import copy to arrive (having not had the foresight to pre-order it.) I thought I'd add it to this collection of commentary also. (I've edited it a bit so as to not read too much like "internet speak".) I used some of this as the basis for my album review for JourneyDigest.com a few weeks later (linked article is the updated version after the US release of Arrival in April 2001.) Text in italics are Kevin's original comments.

 

Thanks to the great generosity of a fellow fan who ever so kindly made me a tape of Arrival to tie me over until my copy (belatedly ordered) arrives from Japan, I am now VERY excited about the show Saturday night! While sitting in the parking lot at work this morning waiting for "To Be Alive Again" to end (no way I get out of the car until the last note is played) it crossed my mind that I wouldn't mind in the least if the boys scrapped the "best of" songs entirely and just played the new stuff. Since I realize that is unlikely, I am VERY curious about which songs they will include in their set.

I've done a fairly good job of avoiding reading/listening to other peoples comments about the new stuff until I had an opportunity to hear it all for myself -- particularly since after taking 5 hours to get 3-4 songs from Napster, I figured I'd just get more frustrated! So, if you're of the same mind, stop now 'cause I'm about to expound! ;) (Borrowing some comments from Kevin): 

1. Higher Place~ It's a Blades/Schon collaboration and it rocks!!!!!

Absolutely! I love the energy. A very strong lead into the CD. 

2. All the Way~ MY GOD!! I thought SP had rejoined the group....Augeri's vocals are awesome!!

The first listen, as I usually do with most new stuff, I put the tape in and went about doing other things so that the feel would sink in and the surprises pop up. I had to put the newspaper down and rewind – I could have sworn Augeri was channeling Perry! Feels very "When You Love a Woman"-ish to me.

3. Signs of Life~ Again it's the lyrics...

I'm still working on the lyrics... I'm a word person and getting a little frustrated trying to learn them! LOL! But actually since I don't have the words handy, I'm paying more attention to the
instruments.... oh so sweet.

4. All the Things~ This song is a blues-tinted rocker with heavy guitars and drums.

I love this one. It is different, and may take a few some time to get used to, but it is a stellar job.

5. Loved By You~ The piano and Steve's voice!! Perfectly complementing each other. A ballad that I like....It's the lyrics that are grabbing me with these ballads....

Okay, this is the song I've been waiting nearly three years to be released. I heard Jon perform it solo in March'98 and instantly fell in love with it. It was getting this song that was the motivating factor for hitting Napster for me. To quote my cousin when I told her this song was on the new CD "Jon is such a mush sometimes... I love it!" Having the full band on it just makes it all that much stronger.

6. Livin' To Do~ This, believe it or not, is my least favorite song. The guitar at the beginning is too mellow, too drawn out. Once it riffs into the bluesy notes and Steve starts singing, though, it's listenable.

I think it's more than listenable. I really enjoy it. I like the mournful feel it's got. It's definitely a deep song, and I think it's the grab-me-in-the-gut that I find so appealing.

7. I Got A Reason~ Okay, here's a rocker. This one just makes my feet move.

Dancin' in the streets! I DARE anyone to sit still for this song.

8. With Your Love~ THE ballad. THE wedding song. The perfect love song.

I've been to 7 weddings in the last 12 months and NOW I get to hear this song?? This surely would have made one or two of the more tedious ones bearable!

9. Lifetime of Dreams~ A little mellow. Another Infinity-esque ballad. It picks up nicely though and if they don't play this one, I'll be shocked. It's "Open Arms'" replacement.

Jury is still out on this one for me. It may be the sequence that has me with holding judgement -- the tempo slows down too much for me.

10. Live and Breathe~ Haunting....this is the song that was the intro to "Wheel in the Sky"...all fleshed out. Brings out those same emotions....takes me right back to the concerts... has a great bass beat through out. Ross must've reworked this one and it's the better for it.

Absolutely! It's a real song now rather than an extension of "Wheel." The new sound took me by surprise at first, but as I got into it I really enjoyed it. Now I'm trying to figure out where they'll stick it in concert...

11. Kiss Me Softly~ Another mid-tempo ballad that's easy on the ears. I actually like it.

I definitely enjoy this ballad except for one little quibble that really shouldn't matter, but it just picks up one of my pet peeves and thus is driving me a little nuts. I have a thing about the proper use of adverbs, and alas there is a line in the song that doesn't properly modify the verb. (Yes, I know, I'm a freak.) It probably wouldn't bother me quite as much if I didn't ALSO think it would just SOUND better. The line? "Hold me closer, love me tender..." ACK! it should be tenderLY. Yes, I know, Elvis, "Love Me Tender," I get it. It's still wrong! The Elvis song doesn't bug me as much because it sounds right. This bugs me because the line feels unfinished.

Okay, enough of my freak need for grammar...

12. I'm Not That Way~ Okay, now this is just a sappy love song, but, again, it picks up in the chorus and makes it listenable. 

UGH! It's the chorus that makes me think "Where are the Backstreet Boys? NSync?" This is definitely my least favorite song. While not inherently bad, it's just weak and a little bubble gum, and I'm usually a sucker for sappy love songs!

13. We Will Meet Again~ Yeah!! Another heavy drum song....almost a rocker. Lyrics remind me of loves lost but otherwise a great tune.

I LOVE the intro to this song. Deen is definitely wailin'. And yes, there is that "one who got away" sentiment... it's an interesting dynamic.

14. To Be Alive Again~ This is the bonus track. Another gem. I LOVE the piano....this is the one that I really thought reminded me most of Steve Perry. Yet, Steve Augeri owns this song. I can't wait to hear it in concert....I can't believe that this song couldn't be on the US version. We need to bombard Sony. This is a song EVERY Journey fan needs to hear. It's just cool!!!

AMEN! I have little to add to this assessment. This song is FANTASTIC. Had me boppin' down the hall on the way into my office (after aforementioned sitting in the parking lot listening to it.)

While listening to the tape, I thought to myself "do I like this simply because it's Journey or because it's good?" I realize that is a strong possibility because I just enjoy what these guys do so much. Fortunately I also said to myself, "you didn't like Bad English..." So I know I don't automatically love everything touched by the boys in Journey-land -- just most of it!

Two more days until Reno and I am PSYCHED!

November 2000: An Open Letter to the Band

Originally posted on Back Talk, Journey's Official Fan Forum upon the release of Arrival

When I heard that a new album was in the works, I got a little nervous. Not for the reasons some would think -- I was supremely confident that Steve and Deen would make a wonderful addition to my favorite band. No, I was concerned because historically (since 1981 at least) when a new Journey album has come out, my life has been at a very low point and I would find myself immersed in the new album as solace.

When I realized this pattern, I initially thought, well, Escape, Frontiers, Raised on Radio… I was thirteen, fifteen, and eighteen, respectively, when they came out, a teenager, and going through all those teenaged traumas (and some "grown up" ones as well) - I figured it was just a part of growing up. But then, 10 years after I'd left those dark days behind, Trial By Fire came out -- immediately following a year spent attending more funerals than I could imagine and when my career seemed headed into the trash heap. So once again I put on the music and shut out the world and let my soul do some much needed healing, and looked for the strength to move forward again.

A little over two years ago, my thirtieth birthday arrived, and I decided that I was going to celebrate in a big way and take charge of my life instead of letting my life take charge of me. So, in a move of impulse that shocked most of my friends and family, I boarded a plane and flew all night from San Francisco to Detroit to finally, after eighteen years of missed opportunities, finally see my favorite band perform live. It was a great birthday present - made better by a new friend who had some after show passes and invited me along. Best birthday present I ever gave myself!

Since that time, lots of things in my life have gone in a very positive direction, and the last two years have been the happiest ones of my life. Things have just been going right in so many ways. I've rediscovered a part of my soul that had been missing in action for close to twenty years. I have no intention of losing it again. So, you can see, the association of bad times and a new Journey album had me a little nervous!

I received my copy of Arrival the other day, and discovered that once again I have an album I can't turn off. Only this time, instead of helping me heal my wounds, it is helping me celebrate all that is right. I have often found my life reflected in music of Journey. [Nearly] twenty years ago it was "Mother, Father" that sang of my life and helped me hold on. Now it's "To Be Alive Again" that has found all that is right and shares my joy.

So thank you for helping me through the hard times, and now, even more, thank you for helping me celebrate the good ones!