Saratoga, CA
Mountain Winery
Mountain Winery
Welcome home guys! I realized tonight that this show was the first regular tour stop the guys have played in the Bay Area since the Arrival Tour. Yeah, there have been other shows in the SF area -- 2003 at the Warfield, this year in Oakland -- but they've not come through in the course of the regular tour. So, wow, go to a Journey show, go home and sleep in my own bed! What a concept!
But before I get to the show, I must praise Frank for the coordination of a wonderful picnic at Wildwood Park in Saratoga... what a gorgeous day and just fantastic gathering of fans from all over the dang place! I brought my sister-in-law with me (ya know, the one who screwed up my ability to see the first show of the tour last year by inconveniently marrying my brother during tour season!) and I think she's fairly well convinced that (a) I'm not the only crazy person who travels to see Journey [thanks to the UK crew for proving that!] and (b) the fans are a bunch of reasonably normal people out for a good time! Now maybe the rest of my family won't look at me strangely... To everyone who was at the picnic -- thanks for all your contributions. The food was fabulous and I sure hope Frank can do something with all the leftovers before he heads to Denver. (Alas, the leftover macaroni salad must go in the garbage since it's not gonna keep for the week I'm outta town!)
We headed up to the show about 5:30, only getting slightly lost -- hard to see the turn with the sun right in your eyes! I finally got to see the full video at Journeyville -- LOTS of familiar faces in that fan footage! Heck, I think I've got half the pictures on my computer! About 6:45 the bell rang to alert folks that the concert was soon to begin, so Stacy and I headed to our seats. We were further back than I would have liked, but the Mountain Winery is such an intimate venue (about 1,200 seats) that it wasn't awful.
Just before the band took the stage a voice came over the PA explaining the 30 years concept. I'm pretty sure it was Ross doing his "announcer" voice. Put a smile on my face right off the bat. It was the standard two part show with the older, obscure songs in the first set. I was on my feet when the show started, but other than a few other die-hard fans near me, that was it. Naturally, the ushers came and made us sit down. Siiiiiiggghhhh....
Okay, it's a winery crowd, I get that. They're usually more mellow, definitely more financially well-off (particularly in Saratoga!), but please, people... It's a rock concert... get off your butts! When the guys got to "Where Were You" I couldn't take it any more and was up on my feet and dancing. Fortunately, a chunk of the rest of the crowd recognized the song and were up and moving. I wound up having to sit again for "Feeling That Way"/"Anytime", but, thankfully, the second set was approaching and sitting was NOT going to be an option.
I really like the Mountain Winery (despite the lackluster crowds it often attracts) as it is a beautiful setting for a show. Before heading down into the concert bowl, you can look out from the hillside and see all of the South Bay -- it was simply gorgeous tonight. At intermission I was watching the last of the sunset reflect on the bay and the East Bay hills, and thought "Dang, where's "Lights" when you need it!" The concert bowl itself is beautiful under trees with a very small, low stage backed by the old wine warehouse covered with ivy. Because of the staging, we didn't have any video tonight, but we really didn't need it -- the setting was beautiful all on it's own.
Back in for the second set, and the "dirty dozen" and "some new stuff." Well, sorta. I couldn't believe it -- we only got TWO songs from Generations tonight. "Every Generation" and "Faith in the Heartland." Okay, I'm REALLY bummed about that and even MORE grateful that I got to the Irvine show. The crowd was kind of yo-yo-ing during the second set, but at least more people stayed on their feet so I wasn't forced to sit down. But what I really wanted to do was be down in the front row with Kelly who was just cheering the guys on and trying to get the crowd into it from her excellent seat. I don't think Neal minded too much that she kept getting in his spotlight!
Stacy was fascinated by Neal all night long, which I thought was just great. It's always fun seeing someone with a new perspective on things. Her comment -- "Neal is very dramatic" -- during the "Star Spangled Banner" kind of summed it all up.
Of course, the best part of any hometown show is when the guys launch in to "Lights." Okay, yes, it's one of the "dirty dozen" but they'd be strung up if they didn't play that one in the Bay Area. The crowd was singing so loud that at points they were drowning out the band. YEAH! As Dorothy said, "there's no place like home." Towards the end of the show Steve had an interesting new intro to "Faithfully" that caught my attention, but I'll have to hear again to describe.
The show ended shortly after 10, and we all said our goodbyes -- though it seems like everyone there tonight was either going to be in Vegas or Tahoe, if not both! So, guess we WILL meet again. I'm off to Denver tomorrow, so stay tuned for more from the road....
Set List:
People & Places intro [I still want to hear the WHOLE song!]
Kohoutek
Of a Lifetime [Jon]
I'm Gonna Leave You [Jon]
Nickel & Dime
Mystery Mountain [Jon]
Patiently [Deen]
Where Were You [Deen]
Feeling That Way [Jon/Steve]
Anytime [Jon/Steve]
Any Way You Want It
-- Intermission --
DVD intro
Be Good to Yourself
Only the Young
Faith in the Heartland
Star Spangled Banner
Stone in Love
Higher Place
Wheel in the Sky
Voodoo Chile/Gypsy Queen [Neal]
Lights
Walks Like a Lady [Ross]
Every Generation [Jon]
Who's Crying Now
-- Jon solo --
Open Arms
Escape
Faithfully
Don't Stop Believin'
Separate Ways
Encore:
Lovin', Touchin', Squeezin'
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