The Listening Room
What we've got in the CD players and Ipods these days. Bands to look out for. Concerts to catch.
Co-headlining bills appear to be the wave of the future.
2006 has been a rough year for Journey so far. Vocalist Steve Augeri has been suffering from vocal issues and had to leave the tour in its infancy. Replacing him is Jeff Scott Soto, lead singer for Neil Schon's side project Soul Sirkus, and Northern Colorado local hero. Soto, a personal friend of our illustrious drummer and manager Dave Klein, managed a meet and greet which a few of the band attended before the show. The whole situation is practically an outtake from "Spinal Tap". Does Journey tour with a bullpen of lead singers at their disposal? A lesser band would have called it quits and gone home, however, the stakes were raised with the co-headline bill and they brought Jeff in, on short notice, without missing a beat. In a weird stroke of luck, it may have been a blessing in disguise. This is by no means any disrespect to Steve Augeri, but Jeff Scott Soto brought a fresh perspective to Journey's classic songs. With the amphitheater near capacity, guitarist Neil Schon and Jonathan Cain took to the stage. Neil launched into a stirring version of the "Star Spangled Banner" which immediately segued into "Anyway You Want It".
This evening was short on talk and after a very brief introduction of Jeff Scott Soto, the set ran at a breakneck pace with most songs segueing one into the other. This is a band that never ceases to surprise me despite numerous obstacles to overcome. Jeff Scott Soto did not even have to finish some verses, as the near capacity crowd was there with him following along singing every last lyric. Nostalgia or not, this was a scene to behold.
Few bands can handle as many challenges or hardships as Journey, but they are survivors in the truest sense of the word. They continue to exist because of sheer determination. If you don't take them seriously, that will be your call, but never count them out. These guys are in it for the long run.
By the time Def Leppard hit the stage for their set, the crowd was ready to riot. From my vantage point in the tenth row, the band was not only proficient with their instruments but was in another realm during this show. While the song selection provided no surprises, the resolve with which each song was performed did. The band was incredibly focused at not only keeping those up front engaged but those in the back as well. Aside from drummer Rick Allen the band members do not take us residence on any part of the stage and roamed freely. Most acts find a spot on stage and stay there for the entire evening never budging. In fact, this was the most mobile I've seen any band in quite some time.
Open Fire was well represented at the show and a good time was had by all. Even the difficult weather conditions could not sway us from attending this show and it was worth every minute, even for those of us who had to make the trek all the way from Cheyenne, Wy.
One thing I know for sure is that neither band is going to burn out or fade away any time soon-they are both survivors in the truest sense of the word. - Scott "Cul Brez" Clark