May 22, 2003: Last Minute Madness

Sacramento, CA
Arco Arena

Okay, I lied, but can I help it when a floor ticket pops up on Ticketmaster two days before the concert??? Yep, a fairly last minute decision to make the two hour drive to Sacramento for last night's show. Unfortunately, the drive actually took THREE hours since there is no good way to get from the SF Peninsula to Sacramento with out having to go through Oakland and the traffic disaster that is the East Bay. So despite leaving work at 4:00 I was a tad late for the show. Not too late though -- I pulled into Arco's parking lot a couple of minutes before the 7:00 show time, and by the time I parked, picked up my ticket at will call, and got inside I found I had only missed one and half songs arriving in the middle of "Keep Pushin'" (Gonna have to admit here I'm glad REO hasn't changed their set list yet -- didn't have to worry about notes for their set!)

REO was really on last night, though the bass was overpowering. My poor ears were REALLY ringing when they finished their set and that's the first time that's happened this tour! Perhaps it had to do with the venue or that there was a speaker suspended directly over my head, but my bones were rattling through their whole set! Kevin's mic sounded a little distorted too (though that may be a factor of "Echo Arena"), but overall it was an enjoyable set. And Kevin's talking was more amusing last night than before -- it's the same shtick, but it was livelier and I actually laughed at the Playboy mansion story!

Styx came on second, and I've gotta tell ya, the more I see these guys the more I enjoy them. (Thank goodness they're touring with Journey or I might wind up going broke trying to travel to Styx shows too!) They switched their set list up a bit and got me all confused! JY usually spends a little time chatting with the audience before "Kiss Your Ass Goodbye" to give Glen Burtnik time to get out in to the audience, so when he started talking after "Lady" I jotted down "Kiss Your Ass" in my notebook and started looking around to see where Glen would pop up. Imagine my amazement when I notice Glen was still on stage and JY launches in to "These Are Times"! (Yikes... scratch out the notebook...) This was followed up by "Blue Collar Man" and about mid-way through the song I notice someone doing the "duck run" out from back stage and I think "oh man someone's having equipment problems, here comes the roadie!" The "roadie" stands up and it's Kevin Cronin joining in on vocals. The crowd went NUTS -- people who had been sitting down (yes hard to believe) were on their feet and going wild. Got me wondering if anyone would show up later during Journey's set. (No such luck.)

Journey of course was next and they hit the stage right on time (they had me a little worried after San Jose!) and opened with the Red 13 Intro then went in to "Separate Ways." Deen was just slamming on the drums during the intro -- amazing power there! I gotta say that the opening was a little disjointed to me, though "Separate Ways" got a much better response than "State of Grace" usually does. Still, keep "State of Grace" if the Red 13 Intro is being used -- it just sounds weird otherwise! Like the show in LA, the set list has changed from the first shows of the tour. Gone are "Precious Time" (waaaaaaaaaaahhhh!!!) and the medley of "La Do Da/Dixie Highway/Line of Fire" (waaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhh!!!) And in their place are "Chain Reaction" and "Higher Place" (okay that's cool) The reaction of the crowd to "Chain Reaction" and "Higher Place" isn't that much different than "Precious Time" or the medley though. I was the only person in my row (or the row in front of me) standing for "Higher Place" and a some of the die hard Nor Cal crew in the same row a section over were the only ones standing in THEIR row! I think I mentioned in the San Jose report that Jonathan's solo before "Open Arms" has changed -- another beautiful piece of work.

The show closed off in an energized fashion and when Jonathan pulled out the harmonica for "Lovin', Touchin', Squeezin'" I was amazed. The fun part of watching him on the harmonica is the look in his eyes -- he is really concentrating on what he's doing! That was a very nice treat to add to an old favorite.

During the set I was amused by the little things that ran through my mind. It's funny what you notice after so many shows -- Neal making a face and cursing during "Don't Stop Believin'," Jonathan with an "oops" look on his face at another point, Ross standing with his neck askew looking like a deer in the headlights.... It's interesting noticing these subtleties. The show ended about 11:30 (which also threw me off since the shows I've been to so far all started at 7:30 and ended around midnight!) and it was time for the 2 hour drive home (accomplished in about 90 minutes due to some violations of the local speed limits!) For the ride home I popped Escape into the CD player and it hit me that there's one song that hasn't been played in AGES that needs to be rotated into the set list -- can anyone remember the last time "Who's Crying Now" was played??? My best recollection is the 1998 tour! That is really just too long!

Okay, this is really it for a while, though odds are there will be another show squeezed in between now and Chicago (I just can't seem to stay away....)


Set Lists:

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

STYX:

Too Much Time on My Hands
Grand Illusion
Waiting for Our Time to Come (new)
Lady
These Are the Times (new)
Blue Collar Man
Kiss Your Ass Goodbye (new)
Fooling Yourself
Miss America
Come Sail Away

Encore:
Renegade

JOURNEY:

Red 13 Intro
Separate Ways
Stone in Love
Wheel in the Sky
Star Spangled Banner
Chain Reaction
Lights
-- Jonathan's solo --
Open Arms
Higher Place
Don't Stop Believin'
Ask the Lonely
Escape
Be Good to Yourself
Any Way You Want It

Encore:
Lovin', Touchin', Squeezin'
Faithfully