October 15, 2011: Long Time No Journey

Mountain View, CA
Shoreline Amphitheater

Better late than never right?

This past Saturday I took in my one and only Journey show of the year. So different from the way things were a few years ago when my minimum Journey concerts per year was 4. But things change and we move on and I took in just my third show since Arnel joined the band.

In all honesty, I think I was looking more forward to seeing Night Ranger and Foreigner than I was to Journey. The new album has failed to capture me at all. The songs aren't bad, but there's nothing that jumped out at me and made me say "wow, I love this!" which has almost always been a normal response for me. So, both albums featuring Arnel sit on the shelf (Revelation more for too many bad memories associated with it than for the tunes, some of which I do like.)

The thing that I've missed most since I cut back my Journey touring is seeing the many friends I made over the 8 years I spent dashing from one end of the country to another (and even a couple of other countries!) So I was glad to spend some time before the show began with friends for dinner. I met up with Frank, Cheryl, Karyn and Joe, and Jebber (Jim) in all the way from the UK, plus a few of Frank's friends whose names I've forgotten and hung out over some tasty sandwiches and chatted before heading out to the show. Once arriving we met up with Emerson, Leslie, Debbie, and Scott and then found Hope when we got inside. It was great to see Debbie and Scott at the show -- they were two of the first folks I met way back in '98 when this whole crazy scene began and it was so nice to catch up a little bit. (Now if Kevin had joined us then it would have been a total '98 reunion!) Debbie brought her son along and the last time I'd seen him he was in elementary school and stood about waist high to me -- he's 20 now and much taller! Where did the time go?

I was actually sitting with Scott and we got really good seats about 7 rows from the stage near the center aisle. Debbie, Leslie, Cheryl, and Emerson had all bought 4-star seats for a nice amount more than we paid and were more or less in the same spot we were, just more center stage. I forgot to ask just what they got for that extra $$$!!! We made it inside with a few minutes to spare before Night Ranger hit the stage about 10 minutes early. A fun but too short set followed. I really wished they'd played longer.

Set change and Foreigner took the stage. Or I should say the best Foreigner tribute band I've ever seen took the stage. I knew going in that Mick Jones was the only original member left in the band, but not even he was there Saturday night! They were good, but still, no original band members??!! I wondered how many folks there knew what they were seeing. Kelly Hansen, the new singer, was quite good and climbed out in to the audience a couple of times -- once stopping almost dead in front of Leslie and Cheryl. I know Leslie enjoyed that!

On to the Journey set. I loved the stage set up -- very slick and headline material. Was surprised to see Arnel had cut his hair (you can tell how much I've been following the band lately that I hadn't noticed that on the CD sleeve!) He definitely looked more "rock star" than the previous two times I've seen him. I would have had a great view of the stage all night if not for the guy in front of me who felt that every moment of the show was a Kodak moment and had his camera up for large chunks of the show. I like that you no longer have to come up with creative ways to smuggle a camera in to shows these days, but when you had to be discreet about photography you didn't have to deal with obstructed views. Anyway, this meant I didn't see much of Arnel between the combination of his shortness and MY shortness and CameraMan. Saw a lot of Ross and Deen. Ross looked much better than the last couple of times I've seen him, so that was good. Still hate Deen's hair. Jon and Neal were mostly obscured by either my seat angle (Neal) or CameraMan (Jon.) Kinda defeats the point of having a "good" seat doesn't it?

The set list was mostly the "dirty dozen" with only one new tune thrown in. Cheryl told me they had done more earlier in the tour. I know that story well, but honestly, unlike years past I wasn't too disappointed. There were no huge highlights for me, though when they played "Escape," with the eponymous album cover flashing on the screens behind the stage, I couldn't help but think how much I love that album, even 30 years later. A lot of the magic of a Journey show has gone out of it for me, but there is always the music I've known and loved for the better part of my life and it will never go away. So Saturday I reflected more about all the joy and friendships I have made since that fateful day 15 years ago when Trial By Fire was released (yes Journey fans, can you believe it we are just days away from the 15th anniversary of the failed reunion that started it all?) and I discovered the amazing online community of fellow Journey freaks. Wouldn't trade that for anything.

OH! How could I forget! There was a "highlight" of sorts. I knew from friends reports that Neal had taken to giving away guitars at some shows. Saturday was no different. Though instead of the guitar going to a kid as has been the case most nights, this guitar went to someone entirely different. I didn't actually notice when Neal went up the wings during one of his solos (and I honestly can't remember which song -- "Wheel in the Sky" maybe?) until Scott nudged me to look over. There, eagerly awaiting Neal, was his new girlfriend. For those of you buried under a rock, Michaele Salahi, notorious White House crasher/reality show "star" has run off from her husband and hooked up with Neal. So there she stood and Neal hands her the guitar and we got to witness an overly enthusiastic PDA. YUCK! Can't unsee that no matter how much I'd like to. Oh the foolishness.

As always, the night ended much too soon and we all said our goodbyes and headed home. Until the next time...

October 23, 2010: Hit Men All-Stars and NLCS Game 6

Lake Tahoe, NV
Harrah's South Shore Room

Saturday was a long day. It was fabulous, it was exciting, it was very memorable, but it was a long day.

Getting ready Friday night to head up to Tahoe and see Steve Augeri perform with a group of veteran session musicians, I discovered I had left my cell phone at work. Great. That meant getting up at 6:15 so I could leave the house by 7, drive to work, get my phone, and bring my car in for an oil change by 8. The 45-minute oil-change, turned into a three and a half hour brake job, thus wiping out any chance of taking care of a couple of errands before heading to a birthday party for one of my closest and oldest friend's 5-year old daughter not to mention not being able to make an appearance at the party at all. Guilt trip galore.

Once the car is ready to go, I have just enough time to fill the gas tank and grab some water and trail mix at the gas station so I have SOME kind of food in me before making the 4 hour drive to South Shore. I picked up Leslie around 12:30 and we were on the road. I had expected that on the drive up we'd be listening to my beloved Giants playing the Phillies in the National League Championship Series. The game was supposed to be at 12:30 local time, but because there was no American League game the start got pushed back to 5:00. Great. Won't be able to listen to it, won't be able to watch much of it. Sigh.

Leslie and I made pretty decent time up to Tahoe, only hitting traffic in Davis, and arrived shortly before first pitch... uh about a quarter to five. We quickly checked in, freshened up and headed up to Darryl and Jenny's room to meet up with folks and some pre-dinner cocktails. It was fantastic to see Lorraine in from KC with her sister Karyn along with some of the local Nor Cal gang. It was also fantastic to see the TV was on and I could catch the first couple of innings. I warned the Journey buddies that I was not the greatest of company when my Giants are in the playoffs, so my frequent distraction and minor panic attacks weren't going to alarm anyone during the course of the night. (Conversely, it turns out, hanging with the Journey buddies prevented me from having the several major panic attacks, two strokes, and heart attack I would have had if I'd watched the game as I normally would have.)

Teresa and Jenn joined us and we all headed down to Cabo Wabo for dinner. We were met by Matt and his girlfriend, but unfortunately we weren't able to reach Debbie, Krystal, and Renee before dinner so had to wait until show time to see them. We were waiting to be seated at Cabo Wabo long enough for me to catch another half inning of the game and see the Jonathan Sanchez meltdown and subsequent tough-guy posturing by both teams. Not long enough though for me to see how the inning turned out (from all reports, it was epic!) You see, our group was too large for the main restaurant area where the TVs were clearly visible, so we were seated in the larger group area where there were NO TVs. Argh. Fortunately, I wasn't the only one at the table who was interested in the game (though I suspect I was the most crazed about it) and by peeking through the glass wall I could at least see some of what was happening on one of the TVs. Couldn't tell the score, couldn't tell the inning, but got a sense of who was up and, since the whole casino was packed with Giants fans, could tell if anything critical happened by the response coming from the bars. It also helped that Chris's husband Charles went out once and a while and got updates and that Matt had his iPhone and could check updates. The game was tied at 2-2 when we arrived for dinner, and remained so throughout.

Showtime was 7:30, so we headed up to the showroom around 7. Everyone got separated a bit as some folks had to go grab their tickets or freshen up, and I found myself alone at the big projection screen TV outside the South Shore Room with enough time to watch the bottom of the 6th inning. Minor panic attack, but my Giants got through it, game still tied.

Inside the venue, the whole gang was seated in the first 6 rows on the same side of the stage, and it was like you would expect at any Journey show pre-2006. Hugs and laughs and picture taking and just a grand ole time. When we asked a fellow sitting near by to take the group picture he asked "What is this, a family reunion?" We said yes. I turned my mind off baseball (mostly) and focused on the gig.

Now, when the line up of the show was finally posted, I looked at it and thought "who?" Aside from Steve, the only guy on the bill whose name I recognized was Mark Slaughter, but the resumes of each member was impressive. Between the 7 or 8 guys they had played with almost everyone in rock and roll. I had no idea what the show was going to be like other than a bunch of guys covering classic songs -- should be fun, and I get to see Steve perform for the first time in 5 years (something that shocked me when I realized it.)

The band came out and everyone but Steve was on stage as they launched in to Dire Straits' "Money For Nothing." The Journey gang was up on their feet with applause while the other 250 or so people sat quietly. Yeah, looked like we were going to be the rowdy part of the crowd. As the band went into "Walk This Way," it was clear that each guy would be the featured singer covering songs from bands they had played with. Our little group was up and down singing and dancing along. As there were some vacant seats near the stage, people shifted around and just started having a grand ole time. We could see Steve sitting on a stool off to the right side of the stage waiting patiently for his turn to come out. Jenn, Teresa and Leslie, being in the front row could see the set list and gave those of us a few rows back a heads up when Steve was due out. Just before he was due out, Matt turned around and showed me his iPhone. Giants lead 3-2 in the 8th inning, Tim Lincecum on to pitch. Oh. My. God!

Steve came out about half way through the show and the Journey gang not already in the front row headed up to the stage screaming wildly. Matt showed me his phone again. Bottom of the 9th. One out. Giants still lead 3-2. AIEEEE! Steve and the guys launched in to "Separate Ways" and I started my series of concert calls to friends who couldn't make it. It was great to hear him sing again and our little group was joined by people further back in the crowd and we got the joint rocking. They followed up with "Lights" (good pick since Tahoe this time of year is filled with mostly folks from Nor Cal getting away for the weekend) and then finished his 3-song set with "Don't Stop Believin'." I made my way back to my seat in the 4th row and as "Sultans of Swing" began a guy in the front row and Matt both turned around and said "Giants win!" I responded by screaming wildly and completely out of context with what was happening on stage. Who cares -- joy and enthusiasm are great any time any where!

I did have to smile to myself at how fitting that DSB was the song I heard right before the Giants win. For those of you who haven't seen or heard, DSB has become a little of an anthem for the Giants. True, the White Sox used it first in 2005. True, the dreaded Dodgers play it in the 8th inning of every home game. But Journey is a San Francisco band and Steve Perry is a Giants fan and has led the crowd in DSB a few times in the last couple of weeks. Which has led to a GREAT DSB parody. It was great to hear it at such an appropriate moment.

The band rocked on, as did we, and more excellent covers were performed. These guys aren't big money rock stars, but they were rock solid musicians and did an amazing job covering everything. Steve came out again for the finale ("Any Way You Want It") which had everyone going nuts. A quick one song encore, and the show was over a little after 9. An early night to be sure. One of the guys (Mark Slaughter maybe?) said the band would be at Cabo Wabo after the show, so our little gang gathered together and headed back downstairs to the Cabo Wabo bar where we were periodically greeted with people randomly starting a "Let's Go GI-ANTS" chant. I made the appropriate hand clapping response every time.

We hung around the bar for a couple of hours and listened to the house band -- a fairly adequate group of guys and fine for what it was. One by one the "All Stars" made their way to the bar where they were greeted by a handful of folks (mostly our little group) for quick autographs and photos. The only fellow who didn't have a lead vocal during their show arrived just as the house band was starting a Tom Petty tune. He walked over to where we were sitting by a half wall behind the band, leaned over and said to the band "Lemme show you how it's done" and took on the first verse of the song. Steve took forever to arrive, but he finally did and most of our group got at least a quick hello. When the house band took a break, some of the "All Stars" took the stage and played a few songs. It was loud and goofy, but lots of fun.

When the house band came back, it was close to midnight, so we all headed back up to Darryl and Jenny's room for some more conversation. The party broke up around 2 and we made plans to meet for breakfast at 8:30 as Leslie and I had to hit the road by 10. Sunday morning came all too fast and it was nice to relive the night before heading for home. It was a wet ride and Leslie and I were pooped, but it was worth the trip. Steve Augeri and the Giants win the pennant all in one night. Yup, well worth it.

Set List:

Money for Nothing
Walk This Way
More Than a Feeling
Go Your Own Way
Amanda
Don't Tell Me You Love Me
Sister Christian
Separate Ways
Lights
Don't Stop Believin' (The Giants win the pennant!)
Sultans of Swing
Fly to the Angels
Tear It Up
Don't Stop
Sweet Emotion
Love in an Elevator
Any Way You Want It

Encore:
Smokin'

August 15, 2010: Amazing Acoustic Show!

Saratoga, CA
Mountain Winery

Okay, so I'm a week behind, but it's been a crazy week and finally have some relaxing downtime. Last Sunday I headed out to Saratoga and the beautiful venue that is the Mountain Winery. It's a bit of a hassle to get to nestled as it is in the hills, but it's a gorgeous venue with a view that's worth the drive. I met up with Leslie and Emerson for dinner and we carpooled up to the show.

I've seen Matchbox 20 a couple of times and this would be my third Rob Thomas solo show, so I thought I had a pretty good idea what to expect. Neither Leslie nor Emerson had seen him (and, weirdly, informed me they didn't like Matchbox 20 but liked the solo stuff) so they were a little surprised when the first thing I did was head to the merch booth to purchase a USB wristband. You see, all of Rob Thomas's and MB20s shows are available on a flash drive immediately after the concert. Having passed on this opportunity last time, when Carlos Santana showed up for the encore, well, let's just say I wasn't going to miss out again.

It was the first time either Leslie or Emerson had been to the Mountain Winery since the remodel in 2008, so they were impressed with the changes. It was always a fairly intimate venue, but the sight lines and the bowl seating left something to be desired. The wholesale remodel improved the sight lines and the capacity while still maintaining the intimacy. Pretty neat trick. Thus even our seats mid-way up the General Admission bleachers didn't feel too far removed from the stage.

When we got to our seats and saw the stage we were a bit puzzled. There were a couple of chairs, a couple of guitars, and a grand piano. Huh? Where's the rest of the gear? There's usually a huge band, what's going on? Maybe they'll bring more stuff out after the opener?

Well, after suffering through a mildly humorous comedian, Rob took the stage with just two backing musicians. Turns out the whole tour is a stripped down (mostly) acoustic show! WOW! The songs just at their bare bones with Rob singing. Since my favorite songs of his are mostly the ballads, this was going to be a dream gig for me. And it was pretty magical.

The set list was a mixture of solo and Matchbox tunes with a handful of covers thrown in. He hit all my favorite tunes including "Now Comes the Night" which he hasn't done in previous solo shows and did a fantastic job on "Crazy" -- a timeless classic. That alone was worth the price of admission, but hearing some of the rockier songs slowed down and made quieter was fantastic. Sometimes keeping things simple just makes it all that much better. Combine it with the feel of the Mountain Winery and it was just a soothing and joyful show.

Rob's voice was just amazing through out the show and his on stage anecdotes were told with a great sense of humor and humanity. Going to as many shows as I do, I'm sure much of the patter is the same night to night, but there is a huge difference between telling stories that feel rehearsed and repetitive (hello, Kevin Cronin) and ones that feel genuine and Rob's tales felt like it was the first time they were being told. It's a skill.

The show lasted about 2 hours but with no surprise special guests (and in this type of show it would have been really weird to all of the sudden plug in with Carlos Santana anyway.) And best of all, is I've been enjoying all of it over and over again every day this week which has been great keeping my stress level under control this past week.

On to the easiest set list ever compiled!:

Mockingbird
Sleep Til the War Is Over
When the Heartache Ends
Ever the Same
Bent
Dear Joan
3 A.M.
Crazy
Getting Late
Streetcorner Symphony
Now Comes the Night
Lonely No More
Her Diamonds
Someday
Disease
Unwell
You Won't Be Mine
Time After Time
Smooth
This Is How a Heart Breaks
Bright Lights

July 10, 2010: Sir Paul in San Francisco!

San Francisco, CA
AT&T Park

I've been trying to recall just how many times I've seen Sir Paul over the last 20 years. I know the first show was 20 years ago at Memorial Stadium in Berkeley and that was the one and only time in my life I camped out for tickets. All I can say now is thank god for the internet and credit card pre-sales!

In any case, this was at least the 5th time I've seen the former Beatle. And this time it was in San Francisco proper -- the first time he's played inside the city limits since the last Beatles concert at dear old dreary Candlestick. (AT&T was a cold and a bit foggy, but still a far cry from the 'Stick!) The combination of a stadium show and seriously expensive tickets meant I was headed to the show by myself this time. I'm not a huge fan of stadium shows, but there are definite exceptions. This was one and to heck with the cost!

Granted, that meant paying way too much for a seat too far back to see the stage over the heads of the folks in front of me, but it also meant a seat on the lawn in front of the sound board. Couldn't see the stage much, but the sound was GREAT!

I got to the park a bit early, but got in easily since I didn't have to go in through the Willie Mays gate, but through the Marina gate -- no lines! Alas, not so lucky grabbing some food -- slowest moving lines I've ever encountered at the park. Quite obviously I was in line behind people who'd never ordered a hot dog before! Sigh. I did get a kick out of the two girls behind me in line who were so excited to be at the show. One was wearing the t-shirt from that Memorial Stadium show and I said "hey I have that shirt!" She replied -- "Yeah it's my mom's. I was born two years after this show." Ouch. Still, there's hope for the next generation.

I settled in and waited for the show to start and visited with folks sitting around me including a 60-ish couple who were seeing Paul for the first time. A "bucket list" item the husband told me. He was a bit surprised that I had seen so many shows.

We watched the stadium fill and by the stated start time of 7:30 it looked like everyone was in their seats. I didn't expect the show to start at 7:30 (really, who does?) so when 8:00 hit and the video screens on each side of the stage came on I figured here we go. Well, no. 25 minutes of scrolling video to remixes of various Beatles/Wings/solo material. Not particularly stimulating, but hey you just go with it. Paul will take the stage when he's ready to take the stage and not a second earlier.

8:30 the lights on the stage start going, people are on their feet, and Paul and the band finally take the stage. ROAR. And the show opens up with "Venus and Mars/Rockshow" a pretty decent opening, but I've seen him open better. "Jet" came next and got a better response.

The opening few tunes were a mix of very old, old, obscure, and new. A little tepid I thought. Not that the crowd didn't eat them up, but you could feel people wanting to really sing along and the choppy mix made it hard to sustain the energy.

But still, this is a Beatle. Solid musicianship and excellent production are a requirement and as always I was not disappointed. Macca's band is fantastic -- he's been touring with the same 5 guys for a while now and they can nail the harmonies and are just fabulous musicians.

The show really got rolling about 10 songs in with a solid set of known tunes. As he did the last time I saw him, he played "Here Today" - his tribute to John. That song made me cry the first time I heard it in 1982 and every single time I've heard it since. Saturday night was no exception especially as the older I get the more I understand the feeling behind it. One of three teary-eyed moments of the night -- the others being "The Long and Winding Road" (the first song I ever burst into tears upon hearing live back in 1990 shocking myself even more than my cousin Denise) and "Something" (Paul's tribute to George of course.)

From time to time, Paul would stop and talk to the crowd and strut on stage and every time I couldn't help but think "Wow, it's like my dad trying to be cool." It was unintentionally humorous to me. Of course then I thought "Well, he's just an old hippie and doing things that were cool when hippies were cool." Still at 68, he may be almost as old as my dad, but definitely way cooler! (Sorry Dad!)

The show went on for three hours with no intermission and not a lot of down time between songs. THREE HOURS! He's SIXTY EIGHT!

Amazing.

One of the neat things about having my seat somewhere in the vicinity of second base meant that there were thousands of people sitting behind me and when people started singing along you could feel the wave of voices coming from behind. It was pretty incredible. People were singing along all night though some tunes were more vocal than others. When he spun from "A Day in the Life" to "Give Peace a Chance" the crowd was incredible. And of course the closing song "Hey Jude" and 40,000 voices singing along. Fantastic.

An upside of a stadium show -- more fireworks! Paul always sets off fireworks for "Live and Let Die," but of the indoor variety -- great, but tame. Outdoors -- a whole different show! Fireworks on the stage (which I could barely see.) Fireworks off the top of the rigging (which all of San Francisco could see!) And the added bonus of that fireworks smell.

Two encores and 11:30 arrived and the show came to an end. Walking back to my car (yes, I drove -- train takes too long to get home!) everyone was humming a different tune and commenting on what a great show it was. If anyone left disappointed it wasn't because of the performance.

Who knows if/when Paul will come through town again, but he's always on my "don't miss" list.

Set list*
(courtesy of PaulMcCartney.com)

1. Venus and Mars/Rockshow
2. Jet
3. All My Loving
4. Letting Go
5. Got To Get You Into My Life
6. Highway
7. Let Me Roll It
8. The Long And Winding Road
9. Nineteen Hundred and Eighty Five
10. Let ‘Em In
11. My Love
12. I’m Looking Through You
13. Two Of Us
14. Blackbird
15. Here Today
16. Dance Tonight
17. Mrs Vandebilt
18. Eleanor Rigby
19. Something
20. Sing The Changes
21. Band On The Run
22. Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da
23. Back In The USSR
24. I’ve Got A Feeling
25. Paperback Writer
26. A Day In The Life / Give Peace A Chance
27. Let It Be
28. Live And Let Die
29. Hey Jude

Encore:
30. Day Tripper
31. Lady Madonna
32. Get Back

Second Encore:
33. Yesterday
34. Helter Skelter
35. Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band / The End

*Set List addendum: San Francisco Bay Blues was played somewhere early on, but not included in the official set list posted. Paul's comment was "we had to throw that one in." Pretty nifty while sitting on the shores of McCovey Cove.