On Journey

This is how we spent our Wednesday night.



And what an incredible way to spend it. Bubble Boy and I joined my sisters, Uncle D and others in the HORRIBLE HEAT for a triple play from Classic Rock Heaven. Before I go into the details of the show I have to give the weather the proper respect it deserves.

It was hot.

Really, really, REALLY raging hot. People were dropping all around us from heatstroke.

Seriously. It was freakishly hot.This photo of the sea of humanity doesn't really demonstrate the heat. But see that girl in the white, sleeveless shirt toward the middle/bottom of the photo? She was on the ground on the verge of something bad about 15 minutes after this photo taken. And two other people within 20 feet of us had to have emergency medical intervention. Did I say it was warm?

Maybe this one is more descriptive.

And I can't let the opportunity for a little quality crowd watching pass me by without a comment to this.

But as much as this photo seems to be BEGGING for commentary I can't help but feel that perhaps it stands well enough on its own.

Cheap Trick opened the festivities as the 6 o'clock sun blazed down, then after we were sufficiently warmed up, the dual force of Anne and Nancy Wilson of HEART came on stage to wow us with their unbelievable talents (that voice is crazy good and Nancy's a guitar goddess). And then. THEN!

Journey.



Of course I knew that Steve Perry hadn't been with the band in many, many years but I hadn't really followed their search for a front man. I don't think I was alone in my surprise when the show started. "That guy looks Asian" my sister and I said in unison. "Filipino", Uncle D informed us. Halfway through the first song it could've been Steve Perry for all I could tell. He sounded just like him but was probably a lot more energetic and enthusiastic than we'd get out of a 50-something Steve Perry.

Since then I've been obsessed with finding out more about the quest Journey band members had undertaken to find a new front man. It's been a long "journey"....(Extra Points for Puns!!!) I may have been delirious with heat exhaustion from waiting in line since 3:30 in the 103 degree scorching sun but it was a truly fabulous show.

The nostalgic value of those songs is not just in the songs themselves. Not only do they call to mind 'those days' but it reminds me of how much music meant to me then. I rarely have time or inclination to keep up with music these days. Either the kids have their requests, it's too loud to hear myself think (let alone do I want to add yet another stimuli into the mix), I feel like I should listen to the news so I can be at least minimally informed on current events, or the desire for a few moments of peace and quiet when they can be snatched overwhelms any thoughts of listening to new music.

In those days I would sit poised by my double tape deck, hour after hour, tape queued up and ready to dub my favorite song when it came on the radio and I'd curse the DJ when they'd talk all over the intro to the song (or start blabbing away before the song was over). In the world pre-iTunes, we shared tapes with friends and had to buy the whole tape to get the hot new single. And I sat and read the cassette inserts from cover to cover, memorizing every word, all the dedications, studying the insert photos down to the finest detail.

A true purist would insist that no one could replace Steve Perry. Give the youtube videos a listen and see what you think. While I'm not proposing that Arnel Pineda has necessarily replaced him, he is a freakin' great alternative. Me and the other 10,000 people singing and dancing in the melting heat thought so anyway. If nothing else it'll bring back a few memories.