Journey Set List: October 21, 1998
A.J. Palumbo Center, Pittsburgh, PA
Second Encore:
Concert Review:
Not all corporate business is bad. Some big business is honest, sincere, well-managed, and serves its customers very well. Through the 1970s and 1980s, the mainstream rock critics slammed Journey and "corporate rock" as "everything bad about rock and roll." Yet the real Journey fans rightfully ignored this and remained believers for 10 years between new albums and 12 years between tours. The band’s history during that interval is well documented, and the greatest risk the band faced was delivering both a studio product and a live product that captured the interests of the faithful following, and remained a worthwhile effort for band members themselves.
The founding forces that inspired Journey to its ascent during the late 1970s are in place again in 1998. It just so happens that the front man in 1998 is an equal band member and very talented team player. This front man called Steve whose last name rhymes with Perry does not carry the burdensome baggage of the former lead singer we grew to love on the radio (and live). Yet the band polarized, and despite a wonderful album in 1996, Perry’s baggage of a bad hip and not wanting to relapse into a band-breaking lifestyle forced the best decision Schon, Cain, and Valory ever made.
Steve Augeri is for real, and Journey is back. The live band simply would not have been able to return and re-ascend with Perry. It would not have been as good of a live band in 1998. The egos would not have let it happen. The right thing to do was to make it fun for Schon, Cain, and Valory to be a live band again, and the presence of Augeri is the reason that’s possible.
Admittedly, it is amazing that Augeri so resembles Perry (less 50 pounds and 15 years), and has an amazing vocal range, stage presence, and poetry in motion in his own right. It’s as if he was born to be a lead singer of Journey. I think Augeri’s dance style and rhythmic maueuvers to the fairly undance-able Journey catalog was something Perry was never able to do with a good hip.
Much of this became apparent when, of all things, Jonathan Cain sang the Gregg Rolie vocal parts in "Just the Same Way" and "Anytime." These first two songs after the vocal intermission showed all that the music of Journey transcends the original contributors, and that Cain’s impeccable performance of the Rolie vocals made Augeri’s role play of Perry’s vocals that much more unbelievable, if not perfect.
What finally locked the verdict (that Journey is back) were the smooth transitions in the show endearing the band, especially Augeri and new drummer Deen Castronovo, to the audience. Castronovo started the show with a Pittsburgh Steelers jersey, obviously showing the band knows that Pittsburgh is into its football. The bigger surprise was when Cain and Augeri also donned Steelers jerseys for the first encore. Augeri’s first spoken words to the audience were during the first encore, describing his understanding of the Journey fan base as very faithful. The audience welcomed the new Steve into the faith without reservation.
Augeri wore the number one on his jersey. Journey has returned to the game, and with Augeri as a band member they will reascend to the top of the "Corporate Rock" market. They have provided the best customer service by producing a better live product (in 1998) than they could have been with an ailing Perry (in 1998) and his burdensome but real baggage.
We all wish Steve Perry well. But Journey is back, and they’ll be all right without him.
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