Journey’s fans proved that they won’t stop believing this Tuesday night at the Molson Amphitheatre in Toronto, Ontario. The San Francisco-born rock group’s current lineup features Neal Schon on guitar, Ross Valory on bass, Jonathan Cain on keyboards and guitar (mostly), Deen Castronova on drums, and Arnel Pineda on lead vocals. The Amphitheatre’s 16.000-person stadium was packed to capacity to see opening acts Night Ranger and Foreigner before Journey hit the stage.
When the band’s members began to stride out onto the stage, the audience looked like thousands of Jack-in-the-boxes, springing to their feet to welcome the band, who started the show with “Separate Ways.” After the initial euphoria wore off, the audience began to settle down (I was actually asked to sit because the woman behind me couldn’t see!). That’s not to say energy wasn’t high in the theatre; Pineda didn’t stop moving once during the entire show, and Schon frequently moved around the stage as well. Pineda spent the entire show either jumping around centre stage or running from side to side to high-five audience members — or, at one point, leaving the stage entirely to run a lap of the covered section of the Amphitheatre. He was a bundle of energy, ricocheting off every corner of the stadium, clearly feeding off of the crowd’s energy.
The band showcased a range of songs, focusing on the fan favourites because of the short set length. Big hits were “Wheel in the Sky” and “Faithfully,” both of which had the audience singing along and cheering. They also played “City of Hope,” a track off of their new album, Eclipse, written for the city of San Francisco, but in this case dedicated to Toronto. Pineda’s vocals packed a powerful punch, making the songs hit just a little bit harder.
The only problem with the show was the technical work — the guitar was far too loud, and Pineda’s voice was amplified so much that the song lyrics were nearly impossible to make out. The folks at the Amphitheatre do have to be commended, though, for their efficiency and ability — despite the massive crowds, there was very little congestion on the way into and out of the stadium, and parking areas were relatively smooth-moving.
In the end, Journey put on a fantastic show, proving that selecting Pineda as lead singer (in 2007) was the right choice. Journey showed their fans they could have it Any Way You Want it!
Set List:
Separate Ways
Ask the Lonely
City of Hope
Only the Young
Edge of the Moment
Lights
Who’s Crying Now
Wheel in the Sky
Open Arms
Be Good to Yourself
Faithfully
Don’t Stop Believin’
Encore:
Any Way you Want it
Lovin’ Touchin’, Squeezin’
correction: City of Hope was written for Arnel's home Manila…during the band's concert date in Manila in March 2009