May 16, 2003: The Main Event Comes to Nor Cal

San Jose, CA
HP Pavilion

Well the second of my 3 shows for the summer has come and gone. (Heavy sigh) I must say after having the boys play "at home" towards the end of their tour every year for the last 5 years, I'm a little disoriented by this first week -- Home Town gig!

The show started right on time with Styx in the opening slot, which is an interesting switch from having REO open. Personally, the order of REO-Styx-Journey works better just because the excitement level increases (though anyone following Styx has a tough task -- they are just so blazingly energetic.) As was the case in Vegas, the auditorium was only about half filled when Styx took the stage with people trickling in throughout. The set list was exactly the same as it was in Vegas, and once again, having Glen Burtnik out in the audience for "Kiss Your Ass Goodbye" was a brilliant move. These guys know that new material isn't going to get the same response as "classic" material, so finding a way to get the audience in to it is vital. After their set I nearly got hit in the head with a flying drumstick that some guy 3 seats over dived on and trotted off with. (Hey, I'm the one that nearly got killed....)

Time for the 20 minute change over (so a mad dash to find some water and visit with people -- it's getting ridiculous, every Journey show I go to feels like a high school reunion!) and we made it back to our seats with about 2 minutes to spare. (Boy, that timer sure comes in handy!)

REO took the stage and proceeded to perform the same set list as Las Vegas (with the same stories...) I thought they were a little tighter this time through, but I was able to recite Kevin's Playboy mansion story almost word for word with him -- after having only heard it once before! ACK! Their set is a bit more mellow than Styx, which is due to the different styles of the bands. I realized that I am forever going to get a lump in my throat during "Keep on Loving You." The last time I saw REO (prior to this tour) was during the "Volunteers for America" show in October 2001, and they did an acoustic version of "Keep on Loving You" that they dedicated to the wife and new born child of a member of the road crew for the Backstreet Boys (I think) who was killed in one of the airplanes on 9/11. I sobbed my way through that song that night, and that is the first thing that pops into my head now every time I hear it.

REO closed their set out (a minute early!) and on came the road crew for the next 20 minute change over. I went off to find my cousin somewhere in the crowd and spent most of the intermission chatting with her. When I figured there was about 3-4 minutes left, I headed back to my seat to have some water and sit down for a few minutes before another 80 minutes of standing. Took a look at the timer, and it read 5 minutes and counting. So I waited... and waited.... and waited... Yep, our boys were late! We noticed some members of the crew hovering on stage near The Whale and guessed there was some kind of technical problem with the keyboards.

Journey finally took the stage about 5 minutes late (which during a 4.5 hour show that started at 7:30 can be a big deal -- it was nearly 11:00 by that point!) A couple of songs in Steve apologized for being late though, which I thought was pretty cool. The set list was switched around a little from Las Vegas (including trading out "Rubicon" for "Ask the Lonely" -- as much as I like "Ask the Lonely" I wish "Rubicon" had stayed...) The crowd was definitely packed in for Journey -- seats near me that had been vacant for either Styx or REO were filled for Journey. As always "Lights" got a great response from the home town crowd -- there really is nothing like Journey singing that song in the Bay Area!

The 80 minutes flew by and there we were singing "Oh-Oh-Oh-OH" at the end of "Faithfully" as the guys left the stage (a la the 2001 DVD) and everyone wanting more. With nearly the entire Journey Past and Present committee was at the show together (we really missed ya Mary Ann!) we were able to get to visit with the guys for a little while after the show and finally have a chance to TALK to them a little about the Bammies Walk of Fame weekend. (We were all so busy that day we barely even got to say hello to them!)

JPP Committee & Journey
Back Row: Steve Augeri, Cheryl Simien, Neal Schon, Emerson Dong, Leslie Forsythe, Deen Castronovo
Michelle Murray.
Front Row: Ross Valory, Todd Forysthe, Darla Ellis, random dude who hopped in [Need to photoshop in Mary Ann!]

It was a pretty small group in the after-show, and we were about half of it so lots of time to visit, and we managed to get the ONE thing we wanted from the Walk of Fame weekend -- a picture of all us with the guys. Not totally complete since Mary Ann was missing and Jon ducked out on us [guess we'll just have to add them digitally!] but mission accomplished!

A quick fashion report (since it's been requested): Steve -- white leather pants, chocolate colored silk shirt; Neal -- Journey hockey jersey (very nice, must save money and purchase!) with a bandana tied around his head (a little weird); Jon -- tan suede (?) jacket (that was removed early) black and white shirt, black pants; Ross -- orange shirt over a black shirt with shoes to match; Deen -- red hockey jersey and an interesting pair of long black shorts that appeared to have buckles all over them!

Other notes -- The lobsters are multiplying around Deen's kit already -- including a huge one that was sitting between the bass drums. The arena was probably at about 75% capacity with only about half of the upper level being filled. Disappointing, but I would have been more surprised if it had been sold out -- an unfortunate reality I suppose.

Set Lists (in order of appearance):

STYX:

Too Much Time on My Hands
Grand Illusion
Waiting for Our Time (new)
Lady
Blue Collar Man
-- Lawrence Gowan solo --
Fields of the Brave (new)
Kiss Your Ass Goodbye (new)
Fooling Yourself
Miss America
Come Sail Away

Encore:
--bluesy intro
Renegade

REO:

Riding the Storm Out
Keep Pushing
I Can't Fight This Feeling
Don't Let Him Go
Keep on Lovin' You
In Your Letter
Take it on the Run
In My Dreams (acoustic)
Time for Me to Fly
Back on the Road Again
Roll With the Changes

Encore:
157 Riverside Avenue

JOURNEY:

State of Grace
Separate Ways
Stone in Love
Wheel in the Sky
Star Spangled Banner
La Do Da/Dixie Highway/Line of Fire medley
Lights
 -- Jon's solo (sounded a little different!) --
Open Arms
Precious Time
Don't Stop Believin'
Ask the Lonely
Escape
Be Good to Yourself
Any Way You Want It


Encore:
Lovin', Touchin', Squeezin'
Faithfully

That's it for me until Chicago in July, so can't wait to hear from everyone else how the rest of the tour progresses!