August 9, 2022: Steve Augeri in Sonoma!

Santa Rosa, CA
Sonoma County Fairgrounds

It was a Tuesday night. In Santa Rosa -- a good 75 miles/2-hour drive from home. Showtime was 7:30 p.m. I just took a week off and have a ton of work to catch up on plus several deadlines this week. Heading to Santa Rosa was going to be a LOT and I knew I'd be wiped out the next day.

But it was Steve Augeri. I haven't seen Steve since 2019 in Santa Cruz. So I bought a couple of tickets for me and Ana Marie and let the crew of Journey folks I knew were going that I'd be heading up to the show too. Emerson let me know that he and the others all had seats in Section A, so when I went online to buy my tix middle of last week, I first hit "best available" and came up with Section B, Row 1. Hmmm... no seating plan to be found, I went back and checked on what was available in Section A. Came up with Row 5. Ok, Section B must be next to Section A, not behind, so went back and grabbed those two Row 1 seats and hoped for the best.

As noted, I was off last week and have a lot on my to do list for this week, so I couldn't take off from work until after my primary manager's staff meeting that was scheduled from 1:00-2:00. That should be fine. Log out after the meeting, do a quick change of clothes and hop in the car by 2:15, should be in Santa Rosa between 4-4:15, plenty of time to meet Darryl, Jenny, Chris, Charles, Debbie, and Renee for the 4:30 pre-show dinner and drinks (drinks and dinner?) Emerson and Nicole would meet us at the show.

Well, my staff meeting ended early (at least for me) at 1:30 so I thought "great, that should give me plenty of time to send these two quick emails and log out at 2:00." Yeah, right. I finally logged out about 2:20, scrambled to get out of my WFH comfy clothes and into jeans and a top for the show. Dammit, better get gas too. Finally on the road by 2:45 and keeping my fingers crossed that traffic through San Francisco wouldn't be too awful and started driving north. 

Other than Google Maps routing me a weird way when I first hit San Francisco, traffic through the city was pretty good and it was a lovely clear afternoon to cross the Golden Gate Bridge, something I haven't done in a very long time! After going around the block a couple of times trying to find the entrance to the parking lot for the restaurant, I finally arrived about 4:35 and met folks inside. Debbie and Renee hadn't arrived yet, so we had cocktails and chatted while waiting. They were a bit more delayed than expected, so we ordered some food around 5:30 and they arrived about the same time as the food. 

Lots of fun chatting and catching up with folks I haven't seen in a while, largely due to COVID and lack of concerts. I will always, always love the get-togethers with my fellow Journey fans and all the friends I've made along the way because of that dang band!

We headed over to the fairgrounds about 6:30 and made our way in to the venue. It was just an open-air pop-up stage in the middle of the fairgrounds with a fenced off section with chairs (reserved, $20 + fees, does not include fair admission) and an open grassy area and bleachers that were free. Well, duh, guess where our seats were? The folks who'd bought their tickets earlier than me (everyone else in our group!) were all in Section A, Row 1, so it was perfect that Ana and I were in Section B, Row 1. There were two empty seats next to Ana and me, a narrow aisle and then seats 1-8 of Section A, Row 1 filled with our Journey gang. 

At dinner, Darryl had told us about chatting a bit with Steve just before he started his sound check, and told us that Steve asked that the barricades in front of the first row be moved back closer to the stage so folks could get close to the stage. Fantastic! When the show kicked off with "Separate Ways" most of us went straight to the front up against the stage. Alas, security made us go back to our seats. VERY frustrating! We stayed there, mostly seated for about the first half of the show, but absolutely jumped up when Steve went into "Higher Place" which he introduced in such a way that Ana and I thought he might be going into something from Tall Stories, presumably because he knows most folks want to hear the Perry-era stuff. (But c'mon Steve, we're here to see YOU! Sing YOUR Journey stuff!) As I said to Ana "we were there the first time he performed this live, damn if I'm sitting down for this!"

Not long after, the security guard who had made us all go back to our seats crept along the front row saying "you can go up front." Thanks to Steve signaling her about it! Well, you don't need to tell us twice... and there we all were, the long-time Journey gang all lined up at the barricade in front of the stage. I took a few pictures and a little video, but was actually TOO close to the stage for much more than that -- there would have been far too many crotch shots trying to snap more than a few pix! Heck, I nearly fell over from leaning back while live streaming Steve playing some guitar on Facebook. (That was RIGHT in front of me!)

Steve wasn't in perfect voice, which he mentioned early on. He and the band have been on the road for a few days and had some travel difficulties. But he carried on with "half a voice" and some reverb issues with his mic and put on a great show. I just kept smiling all night long. I've been a bit down on the Journey boys after the lawsuit between Neal/Jon and Ross/Smitty hit in 2020 (and to be honest, a lot of the other BS that's gone on among the band the previous few years), but I will always love their music and I will ALWAYS be a fan of Steve Augeri for all he did to bring Journey back to us almost 25 years ago now! (WHAT?!)

For the encore, Steve started off by covering Rod Stewart's version of "Forever Young" which I love. It got me a bit teary-eyed since no matter how old I am, Journey's music always sends me straight back to being a teenager in the '80s. I've been through a lot with this band, but they'll always keep me "forever young."

We didn't get a chance to chat with Steve after the show as he didn't come out, but his son Adam who is playing drums in his band did. We had a nice chat with him, but I kept shaking my head in disbelief because all I kept thinking about was meeting him backstage in Reno after a New Year's Eve show at the end of the Vacation's Over tour sitting off to the side watching as his dad is mobbed by fans and other assorted folks. He's a sweet kid. (Yeah, he's probably 30 or so now, but that's a kid to me!)

Naturally, we were all the last to leave the stage area since we just kept chatting all along, but eventually we had to hit the road for our long drives home. My drive home was faster than the drive up, but it was still 11:30 by the time I got home and it took me at least another hour to wind down enough to get to bed and go to sleep. Made for a verrrrry tough getting up at 6:30 this morning when my alarm went off, but a couple of cups of coffee (which I almost never drink) got me through the day.

I had a farewell lunch this afternoon for a co-worker, and when I hopped in the car for the short drive to the restaurant I couldn't find anything to listen to on the radio and my phone was in my purse, so I just hit the "CD" option in my car since I usually have something in the player for such occasions. Totally forgot it was Arrival, so I drove off to lunch listening to "We Will Meet Again" which just put a huge grin on my face. I think I'll keep the car stereo on CD for the next couple of days for my commute into the office.

Set List:

Separate Ways
Stone in Love
Ask the Lonely
Send Her My Love
Lights
Higher Place
Wheel in the Sky
Faithfully
Don't Stop Believin'
Lovin', Touchin', Squeezin' (w/ a bit of Rocky Mountain Way)
Any Way You Want It

-encore-

Forever Young
Who's Crying Now
Open Arms
Be Good to Yourself/Zep/Who (copied from actual set list... songs were bits of "Whole Lotta Love" and "Won't Get Fooled Again")

Postscript: This wasn't my first show of 2022, that was Paul McCartney in May which WASN'T the May concert I was referring to in my last post. More on that come May 2023!

October 23, 2021: Welcome (back) to the Hotel California

San Francisco, CA
Chase Center

 

Two years and four days. That's what I was thinking all day Saturday -- it had been exactly two years and four days since my last concert. I can't quite remember when I'd gone that long between shows, but it's probably at least 25 years ago. After having all my shows canceled last year due to the pandemic, I was hopeful that this year would go a bit better. Alas, we're still grappling with COVID-19 and what is and isn't open still in flux. 

Granted, things have been a bit more open this year than last -- especially since mid June here in California. There were a few other shows that I considered attending in recent months but either the combination of poor scheduling (e.g. a Tuesday night) or at a venue I know to be cramped as a normal process kept me from buying any tickets. Even before 2020, I never really liked club/general admission shows as I felt my personal space was too invaded most times, so avoiding those now was an easy call.

This Eagles show was originally scheduled for last year and I considered buying tickets when the shows were announced, but that was around March 2020, so I decided to wait until closer to the show date to make a call since things were shutting down and shows were getting canceled left and right. I then completely forgot about it.

Last week I was reading the newspaper and there was a mention of the upcoming Eagles concerts, so I hopped on line to see if I could snag a ticket. Two shows on Friday and Saturday nights -- perfect. I grabbed a great seat for Saturday night and breathed a sigh of relief -- I wasn't going to go another entire year with out a show.

The Chase Center is the new Golden State Warriors arena and opened in September 2019. I was able to get there once to see Elton John that month. It was still in an almost-but-not-quite ready to go state, so I was looking forward to seeing what it would be like after it had been opened for awhile (though with out people in attendance for much of it's life span thus far.) COVID protocols in place for the venue required all attendees over 12 to be fully vaccinated and masks worn indoors at all times. That was another factor in my decision to go. I've been to a few big events in recent months, so getting more accustomed to being in big crowds again, but after 18 months of caution it's still a big leap.

I took CalTrain up to the city, and since trains run on limited service on the weekends, I decided to head up early and grab something to eat near the arena. I wound up going in to the arena and grabbing a chicken sandwich there as the line at Gott's was huge and the seating limited especially as our first rain in ages started coming in and the outdoor seating was uncovered. That meant I was sitting in my seat a full hour before the show was due to start, but I killed the time enjoying the pre-show music piped in through the PA and chatting with a couple of folks sitting nearby.

This tour, the Eagles are playing their classic album Hotel California in its entirety to open the show, and it was a great production. My seat was at the side of the stage, so I couldn't really see the neon sign at the front of the stage curtain with the Hotel California album lettering, which was a little bit of a bummer. The show started with a fellow who looked like an aging butler coming up on the stage and walking across carrying a copy of the Hotel Calilfornia album. Once he got across the stage, he took the album out of its sleeve and placed it on a turntable at the front of the stage. The crowd roars. He picks up the needle to place it on the spinning album, and the crackle of vinyl sounds. Curtain drops, and the band launches in to the title track.

There's a reason Hotel California is the Eagles most iconic album. It's consistently good from track to track, so listening to the band play it in full was a huge treat. Glenn Frey's role in the band has been handed to his son Deacon and Vince Gill since his death in 2016, and both did a great job filling those shoes. Vince took the lead on "New Kid in Town" and sounded amazing. Side one of Hotel California ends with my favorite track "Wasted Time" and for this an orchestral string section came up on the risers behind the drum kit to play the key melody. Incredible and Don Henley's vocals were in prime condition and he sounded absolutely amazing. Perhaps even the best I've ever heard him.

At the end of the song, everyone on the stage paused as a young woman dressed in Mexican/Spanish style dress crossed the stage in the same manner as the "butler" in the opening. Once she arrived at the turntable, she turned the album over and the string section launched into the "Wasted Time (Reprise)" instrumental. Amazing.

The band wrapped up the album with the string section appearing again for "The Last Resort", this time joined by a choir. Another amazing moment. When they finished, Don Henley introduced these musicians as the "San Francisco Freeway Orchestra" and the choir having been from San Francisco State (my alma mater for better or worse!) All local musicians who did an amazing job.

The band took a break for "a smoke and a pancake" which allowed me time to discover Perry Pal Liz was also at the show and seated one section over from me in the same row! We managed to connect and chat briefly between the sets and it was so great to see her after who knows how many years.

Deacon Frey playing Peaceful Easy Feeling

The band came back out about half an hour later, and kicked off the set with their gorgeous harmonies on "Seven Bridges Road." Then it was hit after hit after hit. So many good songs. This was my first time seeing the band since Glenn died and wow did Vince Gill and Deacon Frey do an amazing job covering his various lead vocals. One of the highlights was Deacon singing "Peaceful Easy Feeling" and looking so much like his dad at the time Hotel California was released right down to the mustache. As the song ended a family photo of Deacon and Glenn popped up on the video screen where Deacon looked to be about 4 or 5. HUGE lump in my throat.

Glenn Frey, circa 1976

Vince Gill took most of the Glenn Frey parts though and just nailed them. I remember seeing him years ago at an ARF benefit and really enjoying his set and his great comment that he would have been a rocker "if I weren't so fat." He definitely was able to rock out -- I was especially impressed with some of his guitar playing. He and Joe Walsh went toe-to-toe during "Rocky Mountain Way" and it was great.

Throughout the show, there were moments I just teared up -- it was so good to be at a concert again and that feel of live music. I've missed it so much. The show was too consistently good to pick one single highlight, but as always the encore of "Desperado" was a favorite. It's my favorite Eagles song and as I said above, Don Henley was in great voice last night so it sounded so so good. They brought the orchestra up for that song too making it sound amazing.

I left the show grinning behind my mask (which stayed on through most of the show until the encore. I've gotten used to wearing a mask for 8-hours on days when I'm in the office, but whew, it was tough for a 3-hour concert!) The rain had gotten heavier while the show went on, so it was a bit of a clog at the exits as people pulled out their umbrellas, but I had opted to not bring one, so just put up the hood of my jacket and squeezed my way out and was able to hop on the first Muni car to the CalTrain station. Muni was packed with people, but I happened to notice a couple of young people standing next to me who had instrument cases on their backs. I tapped the shoulder of one of them and asked if she had been part of the orchestra. She said she was, and I told her how much I enjoyed their contribution to the show -- it was a really great enhancement to all the songs they played. I asked how much rehearsal they'd had for the show and she told me "None." Wow! That made the performance even more incredible. 

It was 1:00 by the time I got home with that tired and wired feeling after so many concerts, but god did I miss that feeling. Right now, I don't have any other shows on the calendar until May, but I definitely got my much needed fix and should be able to make it another seven months if needed. We'll see what else comes up between now and then.

Set list:

Hotel California
New Kid in Town
Life in the Fast Lane
Wasted Time (w/ orchestra)
Wasted Time (Reprise) (orchestra)
Victim of Love
Pretty Maids All in a Row
Try and Love Again
The Last Resort (w/ orchestra & choir)

--intermission--

Seven Bridges Road
Take It Easy
One of These Nights
Take It to the Limit (w/ orchestra)
Lyin' Eyes
Witchy Woman
In the City
I Can't Tell You Why
Peaceful Easy Feeling (Deacon Frey lead)
Tequila Sunrise (w/ orchestra)
Those Shoes
Life's Been Good
Already Gone (Deacon Frey lead)
Funk #49
Heartache Tonight

Encore:
Rocky Mountain Way
Desperado (w/ orchestra)
The Boys of Summer
Best of My Love

2020: The Year Without Concerts

October 19, 2019. That's the date of the last concert I attended. Ana Marie and I flew down to Vegas to see Journey during their residency at Caesar's Palace. It was a fun quick trip and an enjoyable show. I didn't expect I wouldn't be attending another concert for over a year.

I went to my first concert in September 1985 and this blog notes concerts I've attended since 1998. While some years between 1998 and now have had fewer concerts than others, there was always at least one or two. I imagine sometime in that 1985-1998 time frame there was a year or two I didn't go to a concert -- I was in my late teens and twenties then, I didn't always have money for concerts or someone to go to a show with (something I wasn't really comfortable with until my late 20s/early 30s.) Still, that's a long time ago now, half my lifetime. I've spent most of my adult life attending a couple of concerts a year -- it's one of my primary leisure expenses and something I'm willing to budget in other areas to afford when needed.

No concerts in over a year. 

At the start of 2020, I had tickets already lined up for three shows -- Journey and Bon Jovi here in the Bay Area and Matchbox 20 in Vegas. I actually had tickets to TWO Journey shows in the Bay Area having mistakenly purchased tickets for their scheduled show at the Concord Pavilion. I was trying to sell those tickets as I don't go to shows in Concord any longer unless it's the only choice I have (and I've traveled to LA and Vegas on a weekend rather than drive to Concord on a weeknight to see a show I want to see.) That's about the only good thing that's come out of having everything canceled due to a global pandemic -- I got that show refunded.

Hell, I got all my shows refunded. The Journey & Bon Jovi shows were scheduled for May and June, and when the shelter in place orders took effect here in the Bay Area in mid-March, I expected they'd likely be postponed at the least. Since the Journey shows were at outdoor venues, I gave them a higher chance of being canceled since postponing for say six months would mean having to find a different venue. When the shows were canceled, I wasn't surprised, but at least I still had the Matchbox 20 show to look forward to in September. Surely by September things would be back to normal.

As the months progressed it became clear that things would not be back to normal by September and that tour was rescheduled, this time with out the Vegas date, so there went the last show I had on the calendar. I don't know when I'll get to go to another one. There have been some smaller open-air venues that have had shows, and there have been "drive-in" concerts where you can go see live music in a parking lot in your car. I've not done any of those for several reasons, but the primary one being I don't feel safe doing so. I'm relatively healthy and would hopefully be OK should I catch COVID-19, but I don't want to risk exposing my parents who I try to see once a month these days. They're older and more vulnerable. I'm also on the list of employees who can go into my office. In my case, it's largely to escape an apartment that is too hot in the summer and too cold in the winter. I have co-workers who can only do their work in their labs, and having the building shut down because of a potential exposure would be harmful to their work and deadlines. So I continue to limit where I go and what I do and who I see in hopes that someday soon we can get back to a more familiar routine of work and social lives.

It's mid-November now and the pandemic is still raging with cases spiking not just in the US, but world wide. Shows that have been pushed from 2020 into 2021 are still on the calendar, but I'm doubtful many will happen before about June. There are signs a vaccine may be ready soon, which is really amazing and a tribute to the scientists working on them, but realistically getting the vaccine widely distributed is going to take time. It's going to take longer for people to get fully inoculated, and that's if everyone actually does get vaccinated. With all of the politicization that has gone on around this public health issue there will be people who will refuse to get the vaccine -- either they are part of the anti-vaccine crowd or they are distrustful of the vaccine because of their political beliefs. It makes everyone less safe, and it will just make it that much longer before there is protection from this deadly virus. Even if everything goes well with the vaccine and it's distributed wider and faster than expected, I still suspect venues will limit their capacity or have their capacity limited by local public health officials. That will make tickets harder to come by.

So, will I go? That's the next question. When will I go to a show? What is my comfort level? Right now, I don't know. I doubt I will travel outside of the Bay Area for a show anytime soon. We've had some of the strictest health orders in the country which has so far kept the virus somewhat under control and as cases start rising again the heath orders are quickly tightening up again. While it's extremely frustrating that after eight months we're still having such restrictions in place, I also find that I feel safer knowing that our local public health officials and political leaders are willing to make the tough and sometimes unpopular choices to try to protect the lives of our communities. So if local restrictions are loosened enough to allow large events by next summer, I will probably try to find an opportunity to get to a local show. I feel less confident about other areas of the country, including other parts of California. I'm not sure how comfortable I'd be getting on a plane either, so any travels would be limited to where I could get easily by car. Still, the future is uncertain and unclear, so perhaps I won't be as hesitant as I am now.

But I miss concerts.

Long time readers will note that I rarely say I didn't enjoy a show, and that's because I rarely have. Sure some concerts are better than others, but for the most part what I get out of seeing live performances is more than just the show. When I'm at a show I will often close my eyes while I'm listening to the music. This seems a bit odd I'm sure since aren't I there to SEE my favorite performers a in person?  Well, yes, but it's more than that. I'm also there to FEEL the music, to feel the beat of the drums, the roar of the guitars, the energy of the crowd, to let all of that wash over me and take me to another place. There's a passion and emotion in live music that even the best recordings can't quite capture.

Back in June or so, as I was getting more and more stir-crazy from staying home for so long, I started thinking about the shows I'd like to see once they were allowed again. The fist thing that popped into my head was "God, I need a Springsteen show." More than anyone else I've ever seen, Bruce Springsteen shows are a celebration of life. Not long afterwards, he announced that he had a new album coming out in October. I've picked it up, and while it's themes are mostly about death and loss, it's also about celebrating life. Hopefully by this time next year he and the rest of the E Street Band will be back out on the road and feeding that energy they have to thousands of people. If so, I will be there -- I'll definitely need that feeling of "god it's great to be alive" I get whenever I see one of his shows.

Until then however, we wait. We wait for the spread to slow. We wait for a vaccine to become available and approved. We wait for it to be widely distributed. We wait for health orders to be loosened and lifted. We wait for venues to reopen. We wait for the joy, the camaraderie, the energy we find in live music.

July 10, 2019: Mid-Week McCartney

San Jose, CA

SAP Center

My night out to see Paul McCartney did not start off well... I had a mediocre dinner (how someone can screw up a grilled ham and cheese sandwich is beyond me!) and then after walking the 10-15 minutes from the restaurant to the SAP Center I was greeted by a new policy that restricted bags to 5"x8" or smaller. If they were larger they needed to be clear bags or you had to check them for $5 and get a clear bag in return. I briefly considered checking my bag, but when I saw how long the line was to check bags I knew it'd be ten times worse retrieving it after the show, so I turned around and walked the 10-15 minutes back to my car to lock my purse in my trunk after taking out the essentials I'd need for the evening. I'll save my rant about the stupidity of this security theater for another day, but will just say this -- how hard is it to send an email to people who bought tickets in DECEMBER for this show to inform them of a new policy enacted on July 1?! Annoying as hell.

With the need to trek back to my car and then return to the arena, it was nearly 8:00 by the time I actually got inside. I wasn't too concerned -- I've seen Paul often enough to know that he doesn't start his show a the stated ticket time. I grabbed a bottle of water and made my way down to my seat. I knew when I bought the ticket that I'd gotten a pretty good seat, but I had rather forgotten where it was when I got to the arena. Third row up from the floor, right near the stage! Wow! Definitely the closest I've ever been for McCartney. As I worked my way down to my seat, I passed a couple of women who were in a bit of a tizzy. I assume that they, like pretty much every other woman I chatted with on my way in to the arena, were annoyed by the new bag policy. Nope, they had gotten seriously scammed on scalped tickets and had lost several thousand dollars! Yikes! It all ended well as they wound up with pretty decent seats, but also learned a really valuable lesson.

Paul took the stage about 8:25 and kicked off the show with "Hard Days Night" and everyone was on their feet singing and dancing along. Being so close to both the floor and the stage meant it was an up on my feet show most of the way through. Fine by me, though brutal for a school night, I was gonna pay the next day at work! Paul's got a new album out which I received a copy of when I purchased the concert ticket, and he played a few songs from it to an okay response from the crowd. While everyone appreciates his talent, folks are there to hear songs they've known and loved for decades. I will say, however, you know you're a rock god when you can get Meryl Streep (among many other A-list celebs) to dance around a recording studio for your music video (from an album released a few years ago.)

Still, the highlights are always the Beatles' classics, and while I didn't get "Michelle," I did get a lot of my favorite tunes. Personal highlights included "Let 'Em In" -- the first solo McCartney song I recall hearing as a kid, his tributes to John and George ("Here Today" and "Something"), and of course the finale of the show "Let It Be," "Live and Let Die," and "Hey Jude." Being so close to the stage when all the pyrotechinics went off during "Live and Let Die" was amazing. And HOT! Wow! Lots of flames (including one that didn't quite go out at the end of the song and kept burning a bit at the beginning of "Hey Jude".) While there are always songs you wish you could hear when someone has a catalog like Paul McCartney, I was a bit surprised not to hear "Yesterday" at all. Especially with the new movie out.

The show ended about 11:30 -- so a solid three hours of a well paced show, which considering Paul is 77 is impressive as hell. I hiked back to my car humming songs that are older than I am and appreciative of another opportunity to see an absolute legend at work.

Set List (courtesy of setlist.fom)

A Hard Day's Night
Junior's Farm
All My Loving
Letting Go
Who Cares
Got to Get You Into My Life
Come On to Me
Let Me Roll It  (followed by "Foxy Lady" jam)
I've Got a Feeling
Let 'Em In
My Valentine
Nineteen Hundred and Eighty-Five
Maybe I'm Amazed
I've Just Seen a Face
In Spite of All the Danger
From Me to You
Dance Tonight
Love Me Do
Blackbird
Here Today
Queenie Eye
Lady Madonna
Eleanor Rigby
Fuh You
Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!
Something
Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da
Band on the Run
Back in the U.S.S.R.
Let It Be
Live and Let Die
Hey Jude

Encore:
Birthday
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)
Helter Skelter
Golden Slumbers
Carry That Weight
The End