Looking Back at 2004 and Planning JPP2005

August 18, 2014

It's hard to believe it was ten years ago already, but 2004 was a crazy year; much of it was spent planning things. The Journey Past and Present Committee had to get things prepared for the Hollywood Walk of Fame JPP convention, my office was relocating and I was a key member of the move team, and my younger brother got married -- one of five weddings among my friends and family that year (including JPP Committee members Darla Ellis and Emerson Dong!) There were also a handful of babies born that year among my family and friends. Looking back at my calendar, it's filled with parties, trips, and planning meetings on top of the routine concerts, outings with friends and family, and every day tasks. The one upside to this crazy schedule I was maintaining was that as a result of all the hard work I put in to the office move, I received a bonus which was sufficient enough to cover the cost of going on a 7-day cruise with Journey, Styx, and REO Speedwagon. A well deserved reward I felt. Little did I know how vital that would become.

Remembering that time now, I recall friends and family wanting to do things with me and I would have to answer "well, I'm booked for the next three weekends, how does April 4 look to you?" I was so booked up, I had to teleconference in to a couple of interviews for a new intern we were hiring to help me and a couple of my co-workers with our workload!

The JPP planning is a vivid memory from that year. The planning had started in general in mid 2003 after the application was approved and the star on the Walk of Fame was announced, but we really didn't get serious until early 2004. Having successfully put together three previous events, each with increases in size and activities, we were a fairly well oiled machine by the time we got into gear for JPP2005. The only wrinkle in the whole thing was that, unlike the previous three events, this one wasn't going to be in San Francisco, but Los Angeles. That made for a few challenges we hadn't experienced before. With the majority of the organizing committee living in the San Francisco Bay Area, it was pretty easy to schedule things like checking out hotels and venues. When the event is 400 miles away, it's a little bit trickier and definitely more expensive! We needed to identify locations in LA that might be well suited for our gathering, which is easy enough to do remotely, but we still had to check them out.

Leslie, Cheryl, and I flew down to Anaheim for the NAMM (National Association of Music Merchants) show in January 2004 and slotted time to make the hour-long drive up to Hollywood to check out the hotels and reception venue candidates. Our first trip was the Hollywood and Highland complex where we checked out the hotel and nightclub in the complex. These were our top candidates based on proximity to the Walk of Fame and each other -- saved on transportation issues for our attendees. Then it was off to check another couple of hotels before heading over to the House of Blues as a possibility for the reception. We really loved the venue, but it was too large for our then anticipated group of 100. We did say to each other "wouldn't it be cool if the guys played here?" Little did we know.

The band handled most of the logistics in dealing with past and current members and the Hollywood chamber of commerce for scheduling. We relied on the information from band management on scheduling dates and times. The original plan was to schedule the installation around the same time as the 2005 NAMM show and the band would work with the folks at NAMM about having a gig in conjunction with their annual trade show.

So we set about planning for January 2005, reserving blocks of hotel rooms, consulting with the night club, keeping our fellow fans and anticipated attendees posted. By the time we started booking things, we were expecting 125 or so attendees and had to figure out how to get them from the Hollywood Walk of Fame to wherever the band planned to perform in Anaheim. The logistics of bus rental wasn't a big deal -- we'd done that plenty of times for the events in San Francisco -- it was figuring out the timing. We expected the event to be on a week day, which meant getting 125 people from LA to Anaheim during rush hour. It was one of biggest concerns -- we didn't want to wind up accidentally leaving people behind and/or getting stuck in traffic and delaying the show.

Everything came to a head in November. By then our headcount had jumped to 145 people, but we still hadn't gotten a confirmed concert from the band. The event was scheduled for January and our attendees were anxious for news that there would indeed be a show. They were spending good money to attend an event that was open to the public -- with out the concert only our reception was a private event. The attendees knew the band would make an appearance at the reception, but the concert was the key item on everyone's agenda. We had also been expressly forbidden to tell them where the show was planned to be held. Right before Thanksgiving, everything blew up and we were informed that the NAMM show that we had anticipated had not actually been confirmed. A few days later, we got word from band management -- there would be no concert!

As you can imagine, this sent all of us in a tailspin. Fortunately, the day after Thanksgiving, Darla, Emerson, and I would be flying off to Miami for the Rock & Roll Holiday Escape cruise. Cat, who coordinated the fan club for Journey and was one of our key contact people, would also be on the cruise as would the band. Hopefully we could figure out what was going to happen. We put off telling the attendees until after the cruise and froze any further purchases needed for the event in case we were going to have to provide partial refunds. (Something, as the treasurer of the group, I was in a complete panic about.) Maybe we could come up with some miracle by chatting in person. We'd had potential disasters crop up for every other JPP that resulted in miracles that were better than whatever the original plan was.

Darla and I managed to find some time with Cat to see what we could expect and got some optimistic news that things could be fixed, but we would need to be on dry land and get a few more people involved before we could relax completely. One of the complications with meeting with Cat meant we would have to scuttle off away from other Journey fans on the ship -- some of whom were coming to Hollywood, including my roommate Janice. I hadn't met Janice prior to the cruise -- we had both wanted to go on the cruise but neither of us had a roommate to share the cabin. One of us (I can't remember who) posted on the Journey forum Back Talk that we were looking for a roommate for the cruise, and we paired up. I was sure Janice thought I was purposely trying to ditch her every time I would say "I've gotta meet Cat." Since she was coming to JPP, I had to keep my mouth shut about the crisis we were in. I felt hugely guilty, but promised myself I would explain it to her when I could talk about it. I may have mentioned something about "working out details" to her, but can't remember now.

When we got home from the cruise, we still didn't have a definitive answer and things fluctuated good and bad for several days. At one point it was looking so unlikely that we'd have a concert, I drafted an email to send to our attendees to let them know that what we'd hoped to have happen was probably not going to happen. With all of this around the holidays, my stress level was through the roof, despite the relaxing 7-day cruise I'd just been on to relieve the previous 11 months of stress! We were six weeks out from our event and pushing up hard against deadlines to have everything ready to go. The NorCal gang was heading up to Reno for a Journey show that weekend after we returned from the cruise. If we didn't know more by the end of the weekend, we'd have to let folks know.

It turned out, we didn't have to wait for the weekend -- a few days before the Reno show Cat sent us an email: "Show Confirmed!!!! House of Blues 9:00 p.m. JPP Attendees price $45." We had to wait until after Reno to let folks know, but a huge weight was lifted. Our biggest issues now were what to wear and how many guests the band would be inviting to the reception and whether or not we would have enough food for everyone. (There were lots of jokes about having trail mix and bologna sandwiches!)

Still, we had gotten through our biggest crisis and once the holidays were over, it was full steam ahead into January and one fantastic weekend in Hollywood!

December 11, 2004: A Road to Reno

Reno, NV
City Center Pavilion

And so concludes the 2004 touring season. As I drove up to Reno yesterday, I couldn't help but remember the other trips I'd made through the Sierra Nevadas on my way to a Journey show. The mountains are always so pretty in winter time and this trip brought back vivid memories of being stuck just short of Donner Pass back in November of 2000 while on my way to hear the first playing of tracks from Arrival. I popped Arrival in my CD player and had it blaring as I pulled in to Reno a short while later.

I arrived in Reno late yesterday morning and met up with Darla and Emerson for lunch. With nothing much going on until evening, I took a quick nap before heading over to Brew Brothers and the gathering of 70 or so Back Talkers. A fun evening of seeing friends I hadn't seen in a while (and some I'd just seen last week!) I left the gathering a little early to deal with some JPP business, and made it to my seat at the show just in time for the opening notes.

We'd heard before the show that most of the band was sick, which since they were sick last week too didn't surprise me much. Alas, this universal illness meant that the set list was cut WAY short. When "Escape" started, I looked at my watch -- it was only 9:15! Lots of songs were cut out.

But, while short, the set was strong. Better a good short show than a mediocre long show, right?? I had a pretty good seat -- 9th row center section. With the high rollers sitting in rows 1-7, it was easy to see the stage since they sat for most of the show. Unlike last week in Clearwater, however, those NOT in the high roller seats were on their feet and singing and dancing along. Other than a guy getting on stage and trying to sing with the band towards the end of the show (and immediately whisked off stage) there weren't any particular stand out moments for the evening. Alas, it was over all too soon, and it was time to turn back around for the drive home.

The end of the year's touring is always met with mixed emotions, but at least we know that the break will be short -- Hollywood is just 5 weeks away!

Set List:

Intro
Be Good to Yourself
Only the Young
Joy to the World/Star Spangled Banner
Stone in Love
Wheel in the Sky
Suzanne -- Deen vox
Lights
Walks Like a Lady -- Ross vox
Chain Reaction
Voodoo Chile/Gypsy Queen -- Neal vox
-- Jon solo --
Open Arms
Just the Same Way
Escape
Faithfully
Don't Stop Believin'
Separate Ways
Any Way You Want It

Encore:
Lovin', Touchin', Squeezin'

December 2004: Another Rockin' Roll Report

Somewhere in the Caribbean Sea
Carnival Cruise Ship Triumph

In addition to the "Rockin' Roll Report" I filed, I wrote this piece for JourneyDigest.com using my notes from the cruise diary I kept.
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Come sail away, come sail away…

Okay, Styx had the most popular song on the Rock and Roll Holiday Escape Cruise, but Journey had the biggest group of screaming fans. From the cheers when Journey’s name was mentioned at the first cocktail party, to the lines that formed hours before their show began, it was clear there were lots of Journey fans aboard the Carnival Triumph.

When I first heard about this cruise to the Western Caribbean back in June, my first thought was “What a great opportunity! How can I possibly do it?!” After having spent a considerable amount of my vacation time the past 7 years trotting around the US seeing Journey shows, I could actually go on vacation with Journey! How much better could it get – 7 days in a tropical paradise and three excellent rock bands providing the entertainment!

The Friday after Thanksgiving, I hopped a plane to Miami to meet up with my roommate Janice and a whole slew of Journey pals for a vacation I will never forget. We knew going in that the bands wouldn’t be on the ship the whole time, but a week long party with so many friends was something to enjoy. Once we set sail Saturday afternoon, the “Rock and Rollers” had a private cocktail party to meet the other fans on board. We managed to round up a bunch of Back Talkers for a group photo, despite not being able to find any of the contingent that had traveled from the UK. I felt rather sorry for the poor woman who volunteered to take our picture – she and her husband wound up with about 12 cameras, and we were all blind from the flashes.

Our cocktail party was held in the Rome Lounge – the main showroom for the ship that held about 1,400 people. It was one of the smallest places I’d seen Journey in and the idea of seeing the band perform in such an intimate environment was exciting. It was also unlike any venue I had ever seen any rock concert. Instead of individual seats bolted together, there were rows of soft couches with small cocktail tables every few feet and lots of room between the rows – suitable for waiters to walk through bringing drinks.

We cruised from Miami to Cozumel where Styx and REO Speedwagon boarded the ship on Monday. Styx was the first performer of the trip and their Question & Answer session set the tone for the ones to follow and gave the “Rock and Rollers” a sense of what the week to come would be like. Fans from around the world got the opportunity to ask questions and were greeted with warm and enthusiastic responses. This was something that would occur with each successive band, and made the trip feel like a shared conversation with old friends. This was followed later the same night with our first concert, and finding places for the 1,200 or so people to line up for the general admission seating was an interesting challenge on a cruise ship.

Styx left the ship after their show, which left fans to spot members of REO Speedwagon and Journey’s crew around the ship. Journey’s crew was a lot easier to find and so they became some of the most popular people on the ship! A day just didn’t seem complete with out a Rocko sighting or a chat with Jim (with his one red and one green shoes.) I even had the opportunity to chat with a couple members of the crew on a snorkeling excursion in Grand Cayman!

Journey finally boarded the ship when we docked in Ochos Rios, Jamaica on Thursday. We were scheduled to pull out of port at 3:30, Journey’s Question and Answer session was at 5:00, and people were in line waiting to get in before the ship pulled out of port. Not many people took part in the day-long shore excursions if they wanted to get in line!

Journey entered the Q&A session and sang “hello” as they sat down, and we were off. The questions ranged from the familiar (How do you choose the songs to play in your set list? How did Neal join Santana?) to the curious (Who were your influences? Have you ever had an embarrassing moment on stage?) to the silly (Boxers or briefs? Where did the pissing baby come from?) The guys answered all of the questions with grace and a good sense of humor – there was a lot of laughter on the stage.

When we left the Q&A session, we had to battle getting in the elevators with the crew who was bringing the band’s gear in to the Rome Lounge. It was a bit surreal seeing all of the equipment cases sitting between the elevators and trying to get to the stairs. It felt like we’d all snuck backstage!

Friday was our last day of the cruise, and, finally, Journey would be performing! When we got up Friday morning, after a late night chatting with Neal and Ross in one of the bars, Janice and I headed over to the Rome Lounge for the “debarkation” talk. We arrived in the lounge a little early – just at the end of yet another round of Bingo – and found a seat. Bingo has gotten a lot more sophisticated than the last time I played – these games were played with a computer and the called numbers were projected on a screen. Because of the need for a screen, the curtains on the stage were pulled back, and the screen was lowered most of the way down to the stage. It couldn’t quite reach the stage since there was Jon’s piano blocking its path!

Around 3:00 that afternoon, I stumbled in to the balcony of the Rome Lounge looking for a restroom only to discover that the crew was on stage running through some songs – sound check was starting! Fans were kicked out of the balcony area before the band arrived around 4:00, but there were people coming in and out, so eavesdropping on sound check wasn’t too hard.

Going down to the main floor where eavesdropping would be easier, I discovered that the “platinum package” concertgoers were already in line and waiting for the show – and had been in line since noon! The concert wouldn’t start until 10 p.m., yet there were about 15 people sitting in chairs dragged from the lobby bar waiting outside the Rome Lounge. I hadn’t seen this for Styx or REO Speedwagon – I was amazed. These folks were already the first group allowed in and had access to the seats in the first three rows before anyone else, but they were going to sit in line for hours to get in and get that perfect seat in front.

After a quick check of the line up location for the rest of the concert-goers revealed that, no, there wasn’t a line yet, we were off to enjoy the farewell cocktail party. We had finally found the UK crowd on Thursday before the Q&A session, but alas, never got a chance to re-take the photo of Back Talkers. With the cocktail party, we got a great slide show of pictures from the Styx and REO shows. Since Journey hadn’t performed yet, all we saw of them in the slide show was a group shot taken on the deck of the ship.

The cocktail party ended around 7:00, and it was time to make a decision – get in line or go to dinner?? Janice and I got in line with several of our friends and dined on pizza from the 24-hour pizza bar on the Lido deck rather than eat in the formal dining room. I’m not entirely sure why we bothered to be among the first in line, since we wound up in virtually the same seats for every show, but there’s just something about “general admission” that makes you get in line hours before you ever thought you would.

By the time the concert started, the captain also decided to crank up the speed of the ship, so in addition to rock and roll, we were rocking and rolling! Since I had been asked to take photos, I was able to move up to one of the “platinum” seats next to Caryn (Journeycat) and had a prime seat on the aisle in front of Neal. I only wish I were as good of a photographer as some of our fellow Journey fans!

The two-hour plus show went faster than I could imagine, and soon I found myself balancing on a couch on a moving ship trying to take a picture of the final bow. The show was over, and in a few hours we would be docking in Miami and heading back to reality. We left the Rome Lounge and worked our way past the equipment cases once more as the crew began the load-out. Our wonderful week long vacation was ending. After a couple of drinks at the bar – mobbed with fans chattering about the show and cornering several of the band members for a photo op – it was back to our cabin and reflecting on a wonderful week in the Caribbean.

December 5, 2004: From Sea to Shore

Clearwater, FL
Ruth Ekhard Center

Back on land for my second Journey show in three days. A tip for you all -- don't attempt to sway to "Lights," "Open Arms," or "Faithfully" after spending a week on a ship -- you WILL fall over.

But what a fun evening. The night started with a quick gathering of Back Talkers before heading over to the Ruth Ekhard Center and discovering an amazingly talented new band opening for Journey -- The Road Crew Band! Stage Manager Rocko led the motley crew with Jethro on bass, Jim on drums, Brent on keyboards, Jay and Scott on guitars, and Brian also on bass when Jay went off stage and Jethro took over guitar. Rocko was quite good in the role of lead singer and rhythm guitar. They played about four songs and closed by saying "Anyone can be a rock star. All they need is good lighting, expensive equipment, stylish clothing [laughing at the crew attire], and four chords." And then launched in to "With or Without You," which morphed into "I Want to Hold Your Hand," "Just What I Needed," and "Don't Stop Believin'" -- which was done under a minor protest of "But I'll get fired." The crowd loved every minute!

A brief intermission while the road crew got back to their real jobs, and it was time for our boys to hit the stage. The lights went out and behind the stage the word "Journey" began scrolling across a light screen as the Intro began. The crowd was on their feet as the band hit the stage, but plopped right back down less than 30 seconds in to "Be Good to Yourself"... it was going to be a long night of chair dancing.

Despite the lack of obvious enthusiasm by the crowd, they did respond well and would stand up and applaud at the end of most songs before sitting back down again. The whole crowd WAS on their feet for "The Star Spangled Banner" as a red, white, and blue pattern scrolled on the light screen behind the stage. The band put on a good show in spite of the yo-yo crowd. Nothing new in the set list, and there was much smooth sailing (hey, my body still thinks I'm on a ship...) A couple of little highlights that caught my eye included Steve giving a little girl a high five during "Chain Reaction" -- she was probably about 5 or 6 and just having a great ole time. Steve gave her one of Deen's drumsticks after the show. During "Separate Ways," Jethro (Ross's bass tech) scurried out on stage and twiddled with Ross's mic stand. A few minutes later, Ross hit the squirting baby and squirted the first five rows!

By the end of the set the crowd was finally on their feet (though sat again for "Faithfully") and rocked out the show. At last, some enthusiasm!

Another enjoyable evening with our boys and now it's back to reality for a few days before RENO!

Until then....

Road Crew Set List:

No Matter What You Do
Rocky Mountain Way
Voices??
Born Under a Bad Sign
With or With Out You medley

Journey Set List:

Intro
Be Good to Yourself
Only the Young
Joy to the World/Star Spangled Banner
Stone in Love
Wheel in the Sky
Keep on Running -- Deen vox
Higher Place
Suzanne -- Deen vox
Lights
Walks Like a Lady -- Ross vox
Chain Reaction
Voodoo Chile/Gypsy Queen -- Neal vox
-- Jon solo --
Send Her My Love
Open Arms
Mother, Father
Just the Same Way
Rubicon
Edge of the Blade
Escape
Faithfully
Don't Stop Believin'
Separate Ways
Any Way You Want It

Encore:
Lovin', Touchin', Squeezin'

See ya in Reno!