Journey Fans Say – “Steve Who?”

Who is Steve Perry again?  Journey, one of the biggest rock bands in the world, came to our neck of the woods Friday, September 28th at the Bangor Waterfront Pavilion and by the end of the cold, wet night those in the 10,000 plus audience who DID stop believing...believed again.

Canadian rock staple Loverboy opened the show with a slew of tried and true classics as if to say, "Remember us?"  The band smoked it, although it seemed like a careful performance due to the slippery stage.  The crowd loved them and the show was off and running.

Next, Pat Benatar came to the stage wearing a long black coat while her husband, guitarist Neil "Spyder" Giraldo, churned out classic riffs that everyone knew.  Benatar belted out hit after hit and I know I was thrown back to a time of ripped jeans, ratty old t-shirts and colored hair, the eighties.  She also took it easy because she had sprained her foot weeks before so no stage-diving for this rocker.

The main event was the melodic rock of radio staple Journey.  There are those detractors that say Journey had sold out to the corporate world back in the eighties.  All I know is they're still selling out...all over the world.  If Friday night's performance didn't put this to rest, let's do it now.  Former lead singer Steve Perry is and was an amazing vocalist, one of rock music's greatest.  Journey has moved on.  Arnel Pineda, all 5'3" of him, owned that stage and had the crowd eating candy out of the palm of his hands.  I dare say that Pineda, at 45, could one day be considered one of the greats.  That is if he can get out of Perry's shadow.

What was your favorite show this summer?