Drove all the way up to Clearlake to see Journey on Saturday, and while we weren't really all that impressed with Konocti as a venue, the concert was freaking amazing.
It will never cease to floor me how perfect a fit Steve Augeri's voice is. It sounded like he might be getting over a cold or something, but damn, the man has got some pipes.
Neal Schon's rendition of the Star-Spangled Banner...well, let's just say they need to play that at Sharks games, instead of some of the other people they have come sing--I just wish people'd remember to take their damn hats off! :)
I had no idea that Deen Castronovo could sing, but he does, and wow, he sounds great. And I just love a drummer who plays so hard that he makes the drum kit shake, and drops jaws at some of the fills he hits. It's amazing, I could watch him the entire night.
The show was really fantastic--they have a new CD coming out, which they gave a copy of to everyone who attended...which you can't get anywhere else right now, woo. They played a lot of the new stuff, and some of the *really* old, pre-Steve Perry tunes, which was fantastic.
And then came the intermission. And *then* came the last two hours of the show--some new stuff, but mostly all the old hits, where you could hear the crowd singing every word right along with them, which is always such a cool part of concerts, for me. We only got one song for an encore, but they were running up against a curfew, and they'd already played so much, I can't imagine what else they would've done.
All in all, it was an amazing birthday gift. I don't think we'll go see a concert there again--too much work, the drive is too long, the venue is not very good, the accommodations aren't the best, but for this one night, this one event...there's nowhere else I'd have wanted to be.
Come to me
Run to me
Do and be done with me
(Cold Cold Cold)
Don't I exist for you
Don't I still live for you
(Cold cold cold)
Everything I possess
Given with tenderness
Wrapped in a ribbon of glass
Time it may take us but God only knows
How I've paid for those things in the past
Dying is easy it's living that scares me to death
I could be so content hearing the sound of your breath
Cold is the color of crystal the snowlight
That falls from the heavenly skies
Catch me and let me dive under under
For I want to swim in the pools of your eyes
I want to be with you baby
Slip me inside of your heart
Don't I belong to you baby
Don't you know that nothing can tear us apart
Come on now come on now come on now
Telling you that
I loved you right from the start...
But the more I want you the less I get
Ain't that just the way things are...
Winter has frozen us
Let love take hold of us
(Cold cold cold)
Now we are shivering
Blue ice is glittering
(Cold cold cold)
Cold is the colour of crystal the snowlight
That falls from the heavenly skies
Catch me and let me dive under
For I want to swim in the pools of your eyes
-- 'Cold,' Annie Lennox, from the Diva CD.
Some songs just speak to me, and I don't even know why.
And this song is absolutely phenomenal in concert.
One of the things I love most about Napster is the flexibility factor. Between that and the ease of swapping from artist to artist, song to song, and my love of music, is it any wonder I pay the subscription fee to get unlimited monthly downloads?
Occasionally, I'll listen exclusively to one artist, but since I've only got a couple of full albums downloaded, that doesn't happen with any sort of frequency. Most often, I'll do what I'm doing tonight--I'll look over the playlist, pick whatever strikes my fancy at that point in time, and move along to the next once all's said and done.
Tonight, for some reason, I feel compelled to share--not the songs themselves, but a list, with some lyrics, and the reason why it struck my fancy. Don't ask, I don't know, really. Like I said, compelled. I give up understanding. :)
Stays In Mexico - Toby Keith
One more's never enough--
Don't bite off more than you can chew
There's things down here the devil himself wouldn't do
Just remember when you let it all go
What happens down in Mexico
Stays in Mexico
I just love this one. Doesn't hurt that Toby himself is dead sexy, but really, the song itself is just fun. Strange subject to consider fun, perhaps, but the chorus is catchy, and...well, yeah. I just love it.
Dog And Butterfly - Heart
She rode back down to the warm soft ground
Laughing up to the sky, up to the sky
Dog and butterfly
This song is just all about Mom for me. Heart has always been one of her favorites, and this song is probably my absolute favorite of theirs. I hadn't ever really listened to the lyrics before tonight, I just remember this one from when I was a kid, I remember the chorus and the melody. Lots of positive associations.
Where've You Been - Kathy Mattea
Where've you been?
I've looked for you forever and a day.
Where've you been?
I'm just not myself when you're away.
I vaguely recall writing about this song, somewhere on Livejournal. The first time I heard it, I cried for a good long time--it still makes me tear up. Go read the full lyrics for the song, but don't blame me if it makes you sniffly. This one fills my mind with thoughts of Brett, since the first time I heard it was around the time I realized how serious I was about him.
(Just as well he just got home, otherwise I'd probably be tempted to indulge in lengthy amount of time listening to songs that'll make me cry on purpose.)
Naima - Steve Lukather
(Instrumental)
Steve Lukather is the guitarist for Toto, this is off a Windham Hill release called Sounds Of Wood & Steel 2. The man has so much talent, and can make such incredible sounds from a guitar that it is, frankly, amazing.
Caribbean Blue - Neal Schon
(Instrumental)
Not a cover of the Enya song, though he's done instrumental covers of popular songs in the past (ref: album called Voice). Guitarist for Journey, and another one who's immensely talented. Skill to be envied, all that good stuff.
Highway - The Moody Blues
Who sees the world in a grain of sand?
Who holds the future in the palm of their hand?
No one else can see things like I do.
My first favorite band. This song was originally released (to my knowledge) with the Time Traveller box set. As I said, first favorite band, no way to describe how much I love this music. Uplifting song, sad song, intense song, song about sex, whatever, I always feel better after I listen to anything they sing.
Breathe - Melissa Etheridge
Home is a feeling I buried in you--
I'm alright, I'm alright,
It only hurts when I breathe.
Not the first woman I ever had a crush on, but probably the one with the voice I loved the most. I've never seen her live, but I've always wanted to, between the power and intensity she exhibits on an album, I can only imagine what she's like on stage. Such raw emotions.
Sweet Southern Comfort - Buddy Jewell
From Carolina down to Georgia,
Smell the jasmine and magnolia,
Sleepy sweet home Alabama,
Roll tide roll.
What can I say, this one reminds me of home. It's funny, that I consider both North Carolina and Utah to be my home--even though I only ever spent seven years in the south and only ever went back in the summer to visit, even though I don't feel any particular attachment to my family there now that my grandparents are gone...something about it still speaks to me of home, which the post I made a few days ago should probably indicate.
To the Moon and Back - Savage Garden
And now she's waiting for the right kind of pilot to come
And she'll say to him,
I will fly you to the moon and back
if you'll be
if you'll be my baby.
I can't explain it, but I have MUSH characters that this song really reminds me very strongly of, one current, one former. This was one of the two songs that I really liked from this album, and haven't really paid much attention to them so much since. I feel sort of bad about that, for some reason. But yeah...makes me think about characters, and about their lives, and...makes me more contemplative than I should be, almost.
Damn I Wish I Was Your Lover - Sophie B Hawkins
Damn, I wish I was your lover,
I'd rock you til the daylight comes
Make sure you are smiling and warm.
I saw this one on my library list, and just couldn't *not* play it. It's no secret that Indigo Girls and Clannad make me think of my best friend Matt, but this song does it, too. The ultimate wistful/teasing/just let me dream of it just this once song.
Here With Me - Dido
Oh I am what I am
I'll do what I want
But I can't hide
And I won't go
I won't sleep
I can't breathe
Until you're resting here with me.
The theme song to Roswell, which I got interested in quite a bit after the fact. My interest waned, though--I've seen all of the first season and part of the second, but I've read the scripts for all three seasons, so it's not an urgent need to finish the series. The song, though...another one that reminds me of MUSH characters, especially recently, no matter how much it makes me shake my head or make faces. Alas.
Everything You Want - Vertical Horizon
I am everything you want
I am everything you need
I am everything inside of you that you wish you could be
I say all the right things
At exactly the right time
But I mean nothing to you and I don't know why.
I was hooked on this song after hearing it once, and as cliched as it sounds, it was really important to me in my life around then. The lyrics really meant something to me then.
Song and Emotion - Tesla
Broken, humbled by the cold reality
Life at the top ain't always what it seems
Oh, better run for cover
Cause it looks like rain again
You'd best be careful.
Tesla wrote this song about Def Leppard guitarist Steve Clark, after his death, and from all I know about him, it fits so well. Watching old interviews, looking at old pictures, there's always so much pain there, sometimes hidden by a smile, sometimes not. And, being the soppy person that I am, I cried when I heard about his death. I only hope he's happier wherever he ended up. Human beings were not meant to hold so much hurt.
Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic - Sting & The Police
Everytime that I come near her
I just lose my nerve as I've done from the start.
Everyone who's seen Moonie's solo, non-Faire show that uses this song is now shaking their head and smiling, seeing the routine in their heads, I'm sure. If you haven't seen it, there's just no way I can describe it, even if I wish I could.
All I Wanna Do Is Make Love To You - Heart
We made magic that night
Oh he did everything right.
"That means he gave her lots of orgasms." I don't remember who said that to me, probably my friend Alie, who was also visiting her mom the summer I spent in Seattle. A couple of sixteen year olds singing about orgasms and making love all night, isn't life great? This one always reminds me of that summer, though--of my first kiss...and trouble I almost got into and *did* get into. The first of my two wild summers in a row, even though my 'wild' phase only lasted for a couple of weeks each time.
---
And this concludes my playlist for the evening. No, like I said, not really sure why I felt compelled to share, but...enjoy? :)
haul the sheet in as we ride on the wind
that our forefathers harnessed before us
hear the bells ring as the tide rigging sings
it's a son of a gun of a chorus
- Son Of A Son Of A Sailor
If there was ever an artist who could make me feel like I lived on the beach without a care in the world while still making me wistfully wish for that very same thing, it's Jimmy Buffett. His music has been an ever-present part of my life, and I've introduced countless people to it, to boot--people I was stunned to find hadn't heard of him before.
Lakes below the mountain
flow into the sea
like oils applied to canvas
they permeate through me
- One Particular Harbour
It's hard to put a label on his music, hard to find a 'class' to put him into. They play his music on KFOX, the local classic rock station. They play his music, especially his more recent stuff, on KRTY and KZBR, the local country stations. They play it on the Caribbean music channels on satellite radio. It's universal appeal, I think--it's about fun, it's about dreams, it's about not taking yourself too seriously, it's about life. Trace Adkins sings a song called 'Songs About Me' which could just as easily be applied to Jimmy's stuff: "They're songs about me, and who I am."
independence day
and all I remember
was a midnight rainbow
that fell from the sky
as I stand on the beach
I slowly surrender
to the child in me
who can't say goodbye
- (That Was) The Night I Painted The Sky
Last night, we watched a 60 Minutes special on CMT all about Jimmy. They showed a couple of clips from concerts at the Shark Tank, where they haul out Air Shark (the radio-controlled, inflated shark that drops 'prize balls' during hockey games) for the song Fins. It took years before I finally got to see him in concert, now I try to make a point of seeing him every time he's here. It's an amazing show, and if you like him at all, I highly recommend it. He'll be here next month--and, of course, we have tickets.
ground, she movin' under me
tidal waves out on the sea
sulphur smoke up in the sky
pretty soon we learn to fly
(In the live version, that last line is usually changed to 'I think some people in this crowd got high.)
- Volcano
The 60 Minutes special was really cool to watch--it talked some about his early career, right up through his latest album, a large portion of which is collaborations with various country artists. Through it all, he remained as down-to-earth as I'd always imagined him, as I knew he was from his concerts. Down-to-earth, and profoundly grateful, amazed that he's been able to lead the life he has. I've been to concerts where the artists treat them like a job, where it seems almost like they've lost the love of their music or of their fans, and it really detracts from the performance. I have never seen this happen at a Buffett concert, and I'm sure I never will.
the weather is here I wish you were beautiful
the skies are too clear, life is easy today
the beer is too cold, the daquiri's too fruitiful
there's no place like home when it's this far away
I need time for to play
- The Weather Is Here, Wish You Were Beautiful
Anyway, it's hard to say which appeals to me more, the ballads (He Went To Paris), the light-hearted (Love And Luck), or the just plain fun (Why Don't We Get Drunk And Screw). I think, in the end, it's everything. Songs about me...even if it's wishful thinking, and I have to put the reality cap back on at the end of the CD or the concert.
he said, "I ate the last mango in Paris
took the last plane out of Saigon
took the first fast boat to China
"and Jimmy, there's still so much to be done."
- Last Mango In Paris
But, lucky me, all I have to do find it again is just listen.
The internet is an amazing thing.
Many many years ago...well, hell, I'm not even sure how to relate this story. Suffice it to say that, when I was 19 years old, I finally had myself a first boyfriend. It ended messily, as those things tend to do, but one of the things that first got us talking was a mutual love for U2.
Achtung Baby had come out not long before, and Mysterious Ways became "our song" because that's the video that was playing on MTV the night we had our first kiss (his *very* first--god, don't even get me started on that). Amusingly, though we both wanted to see the video, well, kissing sort of took priority at that point, and we missed it entirely. Sadly, we never ended up seeing it at all, even though we tried for a few months to *find* it somewhere.
Today, thanks to the magic of Yahoo! Launch, I finally got to see the damn video.
....
And I was disappointed. Heh.
I hated admitting this when I was younger, and was still uncomfortable with it in a lot of company for many years later, but...
I took eight years of accordion lessons as a kid. Yeah, shut up. :) I was really damn good at it, actually, and as much as I might have resented the choice of instruments at first, I really grew to love it. It wasn't cool, and when I was fifteen or so, I was told that I could stop taking accordion, but I *had* to be taking lessons of some sort, so I started playing the guitar. As it turned out, and hardly a surprise, I'm sure...I was a really crappy guitar player. :)
I figure most people probably think of polkas and Weird Al when they think about accordions--or they think about one of Pepsi's latest commercials, wherein a young Jimi Hendrix is deciding between Coke and Pepsi. He ends up choosing Pepsi, naturally, and happens to catch sight of a guitar above the machine. Across the street by the Coke machine is an accordion store. And there's always the ever-amusing 'Play an accordion, go to jail' stickers that I've seen here and there.
Thing is...it's an incredibly versatile instrument, and there's much more that can be done with it than just polka-type music. Sure, maybe it's *good* for that, but...okay. When I took lessons, I had both individual and band lessons, and the band was GOOD. They travelled to Disneyland every year for competition. They played the 1812 Overture as a performance piece in every recital they had, and it was just fucking amazing.
The best part, for me, was knowing a piece so well that I could rest my head on the case, close my eyes, and just *play*. I'm sure that every person has had moments like that, when you're just in the zone, whether it's as a writer, as an artist, as a comedian, as a musician, whatever. You just *play*, the notes come off your fingers like gossamer, there's never a wrong note, and every bit of who you are is in that one piece. One of my favorite pieces to play was always Sunrise, Sunset from Fiddler on the Roof.
Sometimes, and it's happening more frequently lately, my hands just *itch* with wanting to play again, even if I had to start over with a new instrument. I know there's no way I could immediately pick right up where I left off and be able to get moments like that again right away, but I just...wow. It hits me hard, sometimes.
Subtitled: I am old, and I know it.
Trans-Siberian Orchestra recently (this year) released a CD called Beethoven's Last Night. They do rock opera-style stuff--this is about Beethoven selling his soul to Mephistopheles. There's a whole backstory in the liner notes, and a lot of the music has lyrics, and...it's really good, I really like it so far. Requiem (The Fifth) is just freaking amazing.
But anyway. One of the songs on the CD is Fur Elise. Rather than doing it with electric guitars, it's simply an instrumental piano. Very cool.
However.
Does anyone else remember that McDonalds commercial? By now, if you really remember it, you're already shouting "YES" and cursing my name. :) But it was the one with the girl who had to play Fur Elise at a piano recital, and her dad tells her that they'll go to McDonalds when they're done. So, she's playing, and in her head, she's singing along.
Oh, I wish I were already there
instead of here
playing this song
I would have a cheeseburger
a shake and also fries
and I would eat the fries myself
and not give any
to my dumb brother.
Oh how I wish I was already there
instead of here
playing this song
I'm sure the lyrics are wrong, but that's the gist of it. ARRRRRRRG.
Fur Elise is ruined for me.
And I am old. :)
Just by happenstance, today while we were at Borders looking for something for my mom and my brother, we found the Return of the King soundtrack. Oh yes, she is mine. Mine! :)
On it was a name that I didn't expect: Annie Lennox. She sings a song called Into The West, the last song on the CD, and...oh my god. The woman has got one of the most amazing voices I've ever heard, and the song is just hauntingly beautiful.
When this movie comes out, I am going to need a box of kleenex, because I'm going to be just weeping the entire time.
There are a whole host of reasons why I like Indigo Girls as much as I do. Someone bought a CD of theirs once, on my recommendation, and said, "I expected much more than just two throaty-voiced women strumming guitars and singing, for all that you rave about them."
I said, "Mark. Did you *listen* at all? Not just to the music and the harmony (ed: and god, but the harmony can just be so soul-achingly beautiful sometimes), but to the lyrics? If not, then you're missing the point."
He was a convert, after that.
But, examples:
The paws of fear upon your chest, only love can soothe that beast. And my words are paper tigers, no match for the predator of pain inside her. 'Love Will Come To You'
Welcome me to the city of angels, devil prophets still hold my hand. I walked your stillborn streets for hours, ethnic echoes spitting out their trials. 'Welcome Me'
But the question drowns in its futility, even I have got to laugh at me. No one gets to miss the storm of what will be just holding on for the ride. 'The Wood Song'
You have spent nights, thinking of me, Missing my arms, but you needed to leave. Leaving my cuts, leaving my burns, Hoping I'd learn. 'Blood and Fire'
Really, the best way to experience any of these is to hear them--only reading the lyrics probably doesn't get the full effect.
I also admit that it doesn't have the same effect on everyone that it does on me. I've always been one of those people that finds meaning in song lyrics, though, so this particular field is ripe for the plucking...so to speak.
Plus, as mentioned, there's just the plain and simple fact that their voices meld together in such an achingly beautiful way. It's hard to describe, and it's even better live.
It's even better than *that* when you can go to a concert with one of your best friends on this earth, both of you singing to your hearts content (as you always did, when listening to this duo, with you taking the high parts and him taking the low)...and getting compliments from the people around you because of it.
Live music is always one of my best experiences. It just so happens that these ladies consistently put on one of the best shows that I've ever seen.
And now that I've rambled about *that*... I'll simply say that the concert was fucking amazing, and that just being there with Matt, just like old times, was probably one of the sweetest, most pleasurable moments of my life. Talk about being blessed by friendship. I don't know what I'd do without him.
Many of you have probably already seen this already, my apologies for the duplication, but I couldn't resist.
Over the weekend, while also obtaining the latest (and last) Centennial Bear from Build A Bear workshop, we took a quick swing by Sam Goody to get music. Not the wisest of choices, I guess--wow, they're really expensive. But, Brett wanted the Pirates of the Caribbean soundtrack (which is excellent, by the way), and on the way out, I picked up the latest Kiss Alive CD (Alive IV), from Melbourne, Australia--yay, impulse buy.
It's a two CD set, split up into three acts. The first CD has Act 1, just the band by themselves, and act 2, the band with the Melbourne Symphony Ensemble. Act 3 is with the entire Melbourne Symphony.
So, this morning, I picked the CD up and popped it in the car on the way to work. I have a pretty short commute, even when I stop at the grocery store first, so I only got to listen to three songs: Lick It Up, Psycho Circus, and Beth.
(Here's the part where my friend Steve calls me a heathen! Read on.)
I noticed it first, sort of, when I was listening to Lick It Up, then it became glaringly apparent during Psycho Circus--or shall I say Pthyco Thircuth? Holy shit, I thought, Paul Stanley sings like a fag who's got a serious problem with lots of steam escaping. I couldn't even appreciate the song, the lisp was just so...so OUT THERE.
I mean, really. I don't even think I can listen to the rest of it, it was just so...wow. I stopped concentrating on how the music sounded, and just waited for the next time he hit an 'S' sound. Bad. Bad me. :) I'm still shaking my head over it, though. I'll have to talk to Steve, see whether he noticed it. Course, if he didn't, I may well ruin it for him...heh. Poor guy. :)
Beth was the only song of the three that I heard any symphony accompaniment to. It sounds really cool that way, unsurprisingly, but again, I have a complaint with the voice. I've always known that Peter Criss doesn't have the voice that Stanley or Gene Simmons does, but it's really apparent when he tries to sing this very heartfelt power ballad and sounds...um. Squeaky? I mean, really, I know he wrote it and all, but if you're going to sing a love song...
I'll withhold judgment until I get to hear the rest, I suppose, but I just had to point this out. :)
The Moody Blues have been a favorite of mine for ages. Decades, seriously. My stepdad once used one of their albums as an incentive for me during a softball game, but I don't even remember what the deal was, I just remember that I got it. I couldn't ever explain why I liked them so much, it's just that the music sounded good to me. That's so true of so many of the bands I like.
They were also the first band that I saw in concert, the first one I can remember. I'm told that my *real* first concert was Christopher Cross, at the age of four, but my mom was the one to tell me about that/remind me of it. I was thirteen, the first time I saw them in Salt Lake. I wanted to make sure that we got good seats, so my stepdad woke up early on Saturday to take me to the Smith's grocery store where I could wait in line to buy tickets. There were a few people there in front of me, but I didn't really care too much. The important part was that I was *there*.
I still remember a lot about that concert. It was still the five of them: Justin Hayward, John Lodge, Graeme Edge, Ray Thomas, and Patrick Moraz (who replaced original keyboardist Mike Pinder), and it was so cool. One of my friends was paid to babysit my brother (sooo weird for that, because it was usually my job), and my mom, my stepdad, and I all went. It was awesome--beyond words. I saw them again several times throughout the years, and more recently, have *missed* a lot of dates they've played nearby, here and at Lake Tahoe.
When I saw that they were going to be at the Mountain Winery in Saratoga, then, I bought a ticket as soon as I had the opportunity. No one local really wanted to go, and I didn't mind going by myself--I'd done so before a few times.
On Mountain Winery's page, they bill it as something like the world's most beautiful concert venue. Well, I'm not sure about *that*, but it is pretty damn spectacular. The drive to get up there is freaking scary, it's up in the mountains (er, thus the name, of course--sorry), and it's a twisty-turny road once you get up to the gates themselves. I almost drove off the road once, because there's a break at which you can see down into the valley, and...wow. Wow. Seriously wow.
So, yeah. Beautiful venue. The place is gorgeous, and there's no way I could do it justice. It smells nice up there in a lot of places--earth, you know. Growing things--the vines are *right there*. I walked around a little once they took my ticket, and eventually made my way down to my seat. Okay. Here's where I have one small gripe. The seats? They're tiny. Teeny tiny. The girl who sat next to me? About the size of a toothpick, and she filled up the seat. So, here's me, and...yeah. Needless to say, it was an uncomfortable first half of the concert, but once the music started...
The back-up musicians walked out first--the two keyboardists (one female), another woman carrying a guitar, and the second (and really primary) drummer. Then Justin, John, and Graeme walked out--and my first surprise: no Ray Thomas, the flutist. Weird.
They opened with Lovely To See You, which is a *great* opening number, I think: 'Lovely to see you again, my friend / Walk along with me to the next bend.' Next was Gemini Dream, another good touring number, and something I don't think I'd heard live before.
Two songs, and I'd forgotten about the skinny woman sitting next to me who got all sniffy and snarky when I sat down, forgot about the woman on my other side, whose hip was pressed up against mine, I was already gone.
Tuesday Afternoon, which is probably one of the two or three most popular, most widely known Moody Blues songs ever, and it sounded just amazing out there with the sun starting to go down.
Other high points:
Lean On Me (Tonight) from the Keys of the Kingdom CD, I wasn't expecting them to play anything from that one at all, so it's nice to see that album get face time.
The Actor. Oh my god, I thought I was going to melt into a little pile of goo hearing that song. It's my favorite off the In Search of the Lost Chord album, and I could never explain why. I had *never* heard this one live before, so...wow. Bliss.
Story In Your Eyes is always just amazing live, lots and lots of energy.
I'm Just A Singer (In A Rock and Roll Band) is one that everyone loves, and I can see why.
They played the other well-known hits, of course: Your Wildest Dreams (and its followup, I Know You're Out There Somewhere--interestingly, the second one was in the first half, and the first was in the second), Nights In White Satin (which most people can probalby recognize), along with Question and Ride My See Saw.
Other surprises: Higher And Higher, Stepping In A Slide Zone, and Are You Sitting Comfortably.
The music sounded just amazing, very tight--which it should, some of these guys have been playing together for a long time, and they've also been on tour for awhile this time around.
I was really surprised to see that Ray Thomas wasn't there, and sad that they didn't play a few of *his* songs, probably because of his absence. Turns out that he's decided not to tour anymore, though I don't have any more details than that. I missed seeing him up there...the man is just an amazing talent.
Justin was, as always, brilliant. He was much more animated than I've ever seen him--in the shows in Salt Lake, he was always pretty restrained, and I wonder how much of that was just the altitude. Thursday night, though, he was all smiles, waving to the audience, and dancing around on stage.
John...well. He wore those leather pants, which always cracks me up, because I can't see why a guy his age would still be wearing those things, but his prerogative! He can still hit the high notes, too, and wow...he's always just so personable up there, you know? The kind of guy you look at and think that you'd like to buy him a beer sometime.
There were two drummers, of course--every time I've seen them after the first, they've had that. I'm not sure why it is, but it's interesting--the guy who mans the kit and who does most of the primary drumming is really good, very energetic. Graeme kept waving at the kids sitting up in the box to his right, and he was wearing a denim shirt that, when he turned around, revealed a hula girl with a skirt that moved when he wiggled. Made me laugh. :) They were tossing sticks between the kits during Your Wildest Dreams, which was the first song of the second half.
The woman who's playing the flute in place of Ray Thomas is really good. I was all prepared not to like anything she played because it wasn't *him*, but...wow. Extremely talented, and I hope that she keeps on touring with them, if his decision is a permanent one.
The evening would've been perfect, but for the woman sitting across the aisle and one row behind, who kept screaming random crap out in the middle of the softest parts of songs. 'Today's my birthday, boys, how bout some lovin!' And stuff like that. Sigh. :)
On the whole, though, it was a truly magical night for me, and I am SO glad I went. Can't wait til they come around again.
The first time I saw Journey in concert was in December '98, with my friend Steve, the guitarist-bus driver-singer turned guitarist-singer-merch roadie. He's the one that went on tour with Aerosmith last summer to sell merchandise, and the one who may go out on tour with Aerosmith/Kiss this summer.
ANYway. It was their first tour with Steve Augeri and Deen Castronovo, the singer who took Steve Perry's place and the drummer who took Steve Smith's place respectively. If there's anyone who thought Journey wouldn't be Journey without Steve Perry at the helm, well...they started making people into believers after that night. It was, and still is, absolutely *uncanny* how much Augeri sounds like him. I mean, close your eyes and it sounds JUST LIKE HIM. Freaky.
After that, it became sort of an obsession--must see Journey whenever they're in town. I've had other ones like that, but most have faded over the years...or I haven't had money or time to go see them when they're here. Journey's still a must not miss, though, so when we got the announcement from the arena that they'd be here (with Styx and REO Speedwagon) and we had early buying rights as season ticket holders...well, the rest should be obvious. :)
The show was last night...Styx opened for REO, who opened for Journey--the order seemed weird to me, and wow, Styx was a really tough act for REO to follow, but it worked well. Want more..?
Styx
The show was last night, and after some technical difficulties, we got there right at about 7:30. Styx had just come on stage when we got there, and launched right into Grand Illusion. I, for one, am really impressed--I know they've got at least one new member (one of the singers), but I honestly can't tell which one of them it was, because they sounded just amazing. At first, we thought that Deen (the Journey drummer) was playing for them--looked just like him, and *sounded* a lot like him, too. Drummers in general just tend to awe me, especially if they're like these guys who hit these incredibly complex fills and make it look and sound as easy as breathing.
At one point, Tommy Shaw, one of the singers, said, "Have you noticed that, about ten years ago, people stopped referring to Styx as a rock band? Have you noticed that now we're a *classic* rock band? Well, how 'bout we play one of those *classic* rock tunes for ya?"
They played a collection of the hits (Lady, Fooling Yourself, Sailing Away, Blue Collar Man, Miss America, Renegade, etc), and three from their new CD--yep, they've got a new one, and I ended up buying it last night. It's got a great big carrot on the cover...which I didn't get, until Brett told me: the carrot and the sticks, duh. Duh, indeed. :)
For one of the new songs, the bassist (who looks rather...*normal* in the photo on the CD, but had his hair all bleach blond and was wearing weird plaid pants that didn't quite reach his ankles--made him look like he would fit in better with someone like Green Day than with Styx, it was amusing) played and sang out in the audience. He had a platform out on one side of the floor, then went running up into the stands in the section across the arena from ours, and THEN came running up into the stands in our section. We were the third and fourth seat from the aisle, so we had a really good view of him, and could even hear his un-amplified voice (if we listened closely). I'm still just in awe of the energy he had, and it was really cool that he came out into the audience and played.
All in all, they played for about an hour, and really did a great job warming the place up. I don't get all the women throwing panties, but whatever. :) Great set, the new CD sounds like it'll be cool (haven't listened yet, but I'll probably write something up when I do), and the sound...wow. Excellent mix, all that. I'd go see them again, if they were in concert.
REO
REO holds a special place in my heart, always has. I spent a large part of this set missing my mom rather acutely, because (here I had to break to call her, even) we had this old Corolla once that they installed an after-market tape player in, and at one point, the eject button stopped working, and the tape that was stuck inside was REO Speedwagon, The Hits, so. :)
They opened with Ridin The Storm Out, which was always one of her favorites--and Brett's.
And, you know, I've known all along that REO's got some stuff that really does qualify as *rock*, but I never really thought of them that way, even though some of those rock songs are on The Hits, and on Hi Infidelity, which is their most popular album ever. Seriously, though, they played hard, and it was just awesome.
Some of the stuff they played: Keep Pushin (which took on a WHOOOOLE new meaning after last night), Roll With The Changes, the whole first side of Hi Infidelity, Can't Fight This Feeling, Time For Me To Fly, and an amazing acoustic rendition of In My Dreams.
There were a few songs they didn't play that I wish I had, like Here With Me, but I got to sing along with just about everything, and really enjoyed the whole experience.
Between sets
After REO's set, we dashed up to take a pee break, then stopped by the merch booth--ostensibly just to look. Journey has a fucking cool hockey jersey type shirt that's got the traditional scarab logo on the front, with 'Journey 03 The Main Event' on the back that we were both sort of lusting after. :) I'd intended to walk away and not buy anything, but then I saw the autographed REO CD...had originally intended to *keep* walking, but Brett said, "You could get that for your mom!" So, of course, what did I do? I bought the autographed CD for Mom, and the new Styx CD for myself. That was the point at which we got the Ducks score (referenced in the previous post). Go Ducks!
Journey
Journey's set started a bit later than everyone was hoping, I think. I was pretty stunned in the first place that it was 10:30 when we walked back in after buying our stuff. The lights finaly went down about 15 minutes later...
They started off the set with a track from the newest release, the Red XIII EP called State of Grace. I'd only heard it a few times, but wow. It sounds just incredible live...like, kick your ass and take names incredible.
Separate Ways was next, which is always one of my favorites, and...my god. Throughout the whole show, I was just in awe of Steve Augeri, as I always am. The guy gives me chills when he sings, it's just amazing how much power and passion is in his voice. He's just so...so *there* and into what he's doing, and *loves* what he's doing...wow. So, yeah. I love that song, especially live.
Next was Stone in Love, which was a total surprise, and a really pleasant one. That opening riff is so distinctive (but then, what about Neal Schon's guitar work *isn't* distinctive), and wow. I'd been hoping to hear that one live for awhile, got my wish, woohoo!
Wheel in the Sky is always fucking amazing when it's played live. It's much quicker than the album version, and again, Augeri's vocals just soar.
After that was a blazing, scorch your ass, balls to the wall guitar solo from Neal Schon--Star Spangled Banner. All I have to say about this is...oh...my god. Oh my god. Wow.
Got to hear Line of Fire, which Steve's band plays, which was a nice change of pace. And, of course, there was Lights, which is ALWAYS a favorite around here--go figure. :)
Jonathan Cain, the keyboardist, played a solo, then there was one of the all time great ballads, Open Arms. More of the hits: Don't Stop Believin', Ask The Lonely, Be Good To Yourself, and Any Way You Want It ended the set. For the encore, we got Lovin' Touchin' Squeezin', which...holy shit, talk about an amazing song live.. :) They closed with Faithfully, of course, and Steve, the singer, had the audience sing them off the stage with the end of the song (woah-oh-oh-oh looks so silly in type), and that was just fucking cool.
The set was a lot shorter than in the previous two concerts I'd seen, but then, since they had two openers, I guess that stands to reason. At first, I thought they'd had to cut it short because they started late, but after reading some of the reviews of the first couple of shows on their chat board...that's just the way it is.
I have to admit to being a little disappointed that they didn't play *anything* from Arrival, which is their last full length CD. The last time we saw them, they played a couple, and I was hoping for at least Higher Place, which STILL gives me chills every time I hear it.
They sounded amazingly good, though. Steve Augeri...I just can't say enough about him, he's just fucking amazing. Neal Schon was his normal god-like self, the things that man can do with a guitar just awe me. Jonathan Cain played harmonica one of the songs, something I'd never seen, but was really cool! Ross Valory was his normal, weird self, but that big grin he's always got on his face is cool, and wow, what a talented bassist. And, of course, Deen Castronovo, the drummer. I always spend a song or two just watching him, because drummers amaze me, always have. He's another one who plays with just an incredible amount of energy...like, shaking the drum kit with each hit, you know? Never missed a beat, and the fills he can do...holy crap.
Great show, though. I wish we were able to catch them at the end, rather than at the beginning--all those shows at the end of tours are usually the best, because they've got months of feedback from fans and stuff...but wow. Definitely not one I'd have missed. A great night.
If this sort of music is your thing, and they've got a date scheduled nearby, I definitely recommend that you check it out. I hope they come back this way at the end of the tour, so I can go see them again! :)
Right now, I just have one thing to say.
Neal Schon (Journey, Bad English, Hardline) is a guitar GOD.
More later.