June 13, 2004: Wedding and Work Stress Relief

Del Mar, CA
Del Mar Fairgrounds

A little note about this report before the actual entry. In 2004 my office was moving from it's long standing location to a newer, larger space and as such I was a critical member of the move team. Our move was slated for July, one month after my younger brother's wedding in which I was a bridesmaid. Helping my brother and sister in law with wedding details along with the office move had me totally stressed out and also meant for the first time since Journey went back out on tour I would be missing the opening show of their tour. I hadn't planned on attending any of the first weekend's shows, but as you will see below, I changed my mind and took advantage of the time I had planned to take off for the wedding. I got home from the wedding around 3 a.m. and had to make a decision do I spend 20 minutes getting the layers of make up off or 20 minutes taking down the up-do. I opted to clean off the make up and go to bed with my hair still pinned up and deal with it in the morning. When I got up, the up-do had held up overnight so I decided to leave it alone and hopped on the plane and didn't take it down until after the concert! Returning home, I ran into a co-worker at the airport who was surprised to see me as I was supposed to be home recovering from my brother's wedding!

Okay, so I lied. Work induced stress resulted in me being terribly irresponsible and thus purchase a ticket to the show last night in Del Mar. It meant hopping on a plane the day after my brother's wedding in a state equivalent to having attended three concerts back to back to back, but man, I gotta tell ya it was SOOOOOOOOOOOO worth the effort.

Last night's show has to be one of the best opening week shows I've ever seen. There were absolutely NO kinks and LOTS of surprises. Since I've been hip deep in wedding stuff this week, I told all the gang in Del Mar not to tell me what the show was like because I wanted to be surprised. Wow... wow wow wow....

First a few atmospheric notes before diving in to the whole show. Leslie F. and I originally had seats on the far side of the stage on Neal's side. Decent seats, but not great. Due to ticketing snafus, a couple of Back Talkers wound up getting their seats moved and we took over their seats one section over, same spot. A significant improvement. This really allowed me to see what I have been referring to as the "vomit ball" that was running behind the stage. It was some kind of ride that dropped people up and down like a yo-yo. ACK! We eventually wound up in even better seats thanks to a couple more very cool people.

One of the few things I knew going in was that Deen was slated to sing 4-5 songs. All I can say is OH... MY... GOD... I've known the boy can sing for a long time, but every time he got a turn on lead my jaw just hit the floor. To heck with "Steve Perry with a perm" it's Steve Perry on DRUMS! Besides "Mother, Father" which Deen has been singing for a while (and once again gave me Jell-O legs) he got a chance to sing "Suzanne," "Happy To Give," and "Keep on Running." When Deen hit that high note in "Keep on Running" and held it, my jaw just dropped wide open. Deen wasn't the only one who took a turn on lead. Neal took center stage with "Voodoo Chile" and Jonathan got in with "Just the Same Way."

The two-hour and 25 minute show can best be described as classic cuts meets greatest hits. There were tunes that hadn't been played in ages along with the tried and true fan favorites. Bonus, we got two Arrival tunes. (Full set list to follow.)

There were a few fun moments during the show that reminded me why I so enjoy hitting the road every summer. During "Wheel in the Sky" Deen threw in a drum fill towards the end that caught me by surprise and was very cool. Neal's performance of the "Star Spangled Banner" was treated to a few fans waving flags, and some classic moments from Ross and Deen. Ross was facing the back of the stage and noticed the "vomit ball" and kept tilting his head up and down watching it while Neal played. At the end, Deen did the "we're not worthy" bow which is just one of those things that I love to catch in the band interactions on stage. Neal's solo at the end of "Happy to Give" is something that was sorely missing from the original recording. Jon's omigod blues harmonica and improv vocals during "Voodoo Chile" was memorable. And his new solo this year led not in to "Open Arms" but "Send Her My Love." (Which, I was later told, replaced "Who's Crying Now" from earlier shows.)

I was dead on my feet when the show started. A long day before with the wedding (much of it on my feet, including 6 hours in 3 1/2 inch heels, how crazy am I?) coupled with very little sleep meant I arrived at the show totally spent. The minute the opening notes of the intro hit though, the adrenaline kicked in and I was no longer tired. I was having a great time listening to a great band with great friends. Life can seldom get much better than that.

On to the set list....

DVD Intro
Be Good to Yourself
Only the Young
Star Spangled Banner (Neal solo)
Stone in Love
Wheel in the Sky
Higher Place
Suzanne (Deen vox)
Lights
Kiss Me Softly
Happy to Give (Deen vox)
Chain Reaction
Voodoo Chile (Neal vox)
Keep on Runnin' (Deen vox ****)
-- Jon solo --
Send Her My Love
Open Arms
Mother, Father (Deen vox)
Opened the Door
Rubicon
Edge of the Blade
Just the Same Way (Jon vox)
Escape
Faithfully
Don't Stop Believin'
Separate Ways
Any Way You Want It

Encore:
Lovin', Touchin', Squeezin' (with Jon on harmonica to intro)
The Party's Over

Before I go, a couple of notes on the set list... Deen took part of the choruses for "Edge of the Blade" and "The Party's Over." Leslie and I agreed that Deen should take "Edge of the Blade" as it is quite suited to him. And finally....

When the heck is Ross gonna get a chance to sing lead!

Now I wait until Turlock... enjoy the tour gang, you're in for a GREAT time.

August 8-18: Michelle's Aventures in Journeyland (The Finale!)

Yet another trip to Denny’s, this time for a pre-show lunch with still more Journey Forum folks I hadn’t met (well, at least most I hadn’t met). Cat met us there, and had brought an old friend of hers who watched in amazement as 30 adults yammered on and on for an hour about Journey past, present and future. It wasn’t until we were leaving the restaurant that I learned one of our late arrivals sitting at a different table was Matt, the fellow who had done the interview with Herbie Herbert! I managed to catch him later in the night to congratulate him on his coup and ask when the next bit would be going up. The best news was that he planned to keep it up indefinitely unless he heard from some lawyers!

We get to the show and I pick up my fan club seat, but sadly no after-show pass. Oh well, some other time. Once inside, Rose and I found Cat and sat and chatted with our fellow fans. At a lull in the conversation, Cat leaned over and said “come with me”, and we went off to the side of the seats. Cat said that since I had been to so many shows this summer and hadn't gotten back stage once, she was giving me her extra after-show pass! Happy dance for me!! After 13 shows in 5 states, I finally get a chance to say thanks to the guys for a great summer! What a way to end the night.

The concert came and went much too quickly, and I had a huge lump in my throat at several different points—my summer was coming to an end, and after all the fun I had had, it was a serious let down. During the encore when everyone was singing the “na na” part of “Lovin’ Touchin’ Squeezin’”, Steve pointed out in the audience and said “Hi Mark!”—yes, “our” Mark, who was sitting two rows behind me, center stage. What a great guy!

After the show ended, I found Cat and Rose and headed over to the after show line. Cat left us for a bit to say good bye to her friend, and I made sure Rose stuck close to me since she didn’t have a pass. When Cat returned, she grabbed us out of line and took us over to where the “official” people were waiting—Michael and his wife and friends, Miles and his wife. Cat said Rose would be her guest, and with that, we were the first batch in for the meet and greet.

When we got inside we saw a long table set up, and only Ross was ready and waiting. We knew that Neal wouldn’t be making it, but where were the rest of the guys?? The group of us bantered with Ross for a bit until Steve, Deen and Jon arrived, then the line kicked in gear. While we were waiting we tried to figure out how to get the pictures we needed...alas, due to the rushing of the guards, that proved to be difficult! Rose went ahead of me, and I managed to snap a picture of her and Steve before I was pretty much forced to take my turn in line! No more pictures!

I introduced myself to Steve and handed him my Arrival liner notes—thank goodness I’d been toting the darned thing around all week. All I needed was his signature and Deen’s and I’d have all 5! I was able to thank him on behalf of the JPP gang once again for all they had done for us. At this point, Ross looked up at me and said “I know you!” I laughed and said, “Yeah, I’m sure you do.” (Hanging outside of radio stations in the freezing cold does pay off sometimes!) I had handed Ross my ticket stub to sign, and in one of the most obvious cases of habit, Ross grabbed my Arrival notes and signed away. I laughed and pointed out to him that he’d already signed it! He saw that he had and said “Well, okay, I signed for Jon!” He laughed again when I said “Jon’s done too!”

Deen was next and said “Hey! You made it!” and proceeded to introduce me to his wife Julie as he signed my ticket stub and the liner notes. I said “See, I told you that I show up, even if you don’t always see me.” He then looked around and asked me where Cheryl and Ana Marie were. I told them that they were back home, and I would be joining them tomorrow, which was extremely disappointing. At this point Jon leaned over and said “So, do you want to go to Lubbock Texas for me then?” I laughed and said no thanks, one trip to Texas this summer was enough for me! He then grabbed my Arrival notes, which were closed by this point, and signed the back! Great...now I’ve got both Ross and Jon’s signatures twice on the same set of notes!

Rose and I were rushed out at this point, and had to wait a few minutes for Cat to finish her turn through the line. When she came out, she was in tears. I told her she had to stop or I’D start crying...It had been such a great summer, and now it was over! Waaaaahhhh!!!

The three of us headed back to the hotel and had a wonderfully nutritious dinner of Diet Pepsi, pretzels and Cheez-Its. None of us wanted to go to sleep since we knew in the morning it would really be over as we all went our separate ways and headed back home. Cat tried to talk me into changing my flight the next day and going with her to see Gregg Rolie up in Orange County where he was doing an in-store appearance. I was sorely tempted, but knew I couldn’t, so Sunday morning came and I headed out for my flight home.

I arrived home safe and sound, if somewhat down. What an incredible summer it had been. So many friends and places, such good times...I was sorry to see it all end. But as the song says...

On my heart it’s written, we will meet again....

August 18, 2001: The End of the Road

San Diego, CA
Coors Amphitheater

Waaaaahhhhh... the last show of the tour... the last of my summer Journey across the United States... Dang... what a summer it's been... and tonight....

And oh my... what a show... I'd have to say this was the BEST show I've been to in the whole tour! Maybe because it was the last night of the tour. Maybe it's because I was surprised with an after show pass... 13 shows... it's about damn time! LOL!
 
I'm just going to bypass Waite and Frampton, because, well after 13 shows, what's left to say?? I'll buy Waite's new CD... and that's about it there...

So on to the show...

The guys were really loose tonight. The running joke was, of course, the red leather pants! (woo hoo!) When Jon introduced Steve early on in the show, he said "On red leather pants and lead vocals, please welcome Mr. Steve Augeri!" Steve blushed the color of his pants as the crowd (mostly women) roared. When Neal introduced "Nothing Comes Close" he said "And here's the one about the red leather pants." I think the die hard fans were highly amused as Steve looked like a little kid kicking dirt.

The set list was very cool tonight... The crowd went bonkers for "Open Arms" and surprisingly no "Livin' to Do" tonight.

The after show went waaaaaaay too quickly, but I did get to say hi to Steve, Ross, Deen and Jon. Alas, no Neal tonight. Deen remembered me from lunch earlier in the week and Ross recalled meeting me earlier this year. VERY cool...

Set List:

Anyway You Want It
Only the Young
-- Neal solo (Amazing Grace) --
Stone in Love
Ask the Lonely
Kiss Me Softly (woo hoo! a first for me!)
Lights
-- Jon solo --
Open Arms
Feeling That Way
Anytime
Higher Place
Chain Reaction
Don't Stop Believin'
Faithfully
Nothing Comes Close
Escape
-- mini-drum solo --
-- Neal solo --
Wheel in the Sky
-- mini-drum solo 2 --
Be Good to Yourself

Encore:
Separate Ways
Lovin', Touchin', Squeezin'

At the end of the road... (boo hoo) 

We will meet again...

Caryn "JourneyCat" Sinagra, Rose Johnson, & me waiting for the meet & greet
(not sure if this was from my camera or Cat's.)