Original Journey keyboardist and lead singer Gregg Rolie, who performed with the band from 1973 to 1980, joined his former cohort onstage on Wednesday throughout their present in Austin, Tex.
You can see the total set checklist under.
“We have an extra special set tonight,” guitarist Neal Schon instructed the gang early within the evening. “So when we go offstage at the end of the show, don’t leave.”
Schon stored his phrase, welcoming Rolie to the stage when Journey emerged for his or her encore. The guitarist credited his former bandmate for taking him beneath his wing and choosing him up from highschool when he was 15 years previous, “’cause I wasn’t going to school anyway.”
The band then tore via a number of Rolie-era cuts: “Just the Same Way” off 1979’s Evolution, “Of a Lifetime” off 1975’s Journey and “Feeling That Way” and “Anytime” off 1978’s Infinity. Rolie and Schon additionally revisited their shared Santana roots by overlaying “Black Magic Woman” with assist from tourmate and Toto guitarist Steve Lukather. They completed out their set with the time-honored hit “Any Way You Want It.”
“I just wanna say: Fifty years?” Rolie marveled to the crowd about his former bandmates. “Fifty years of one band going through changes, but it’s like a runaway freight train that just keeps going with no brakes.” He additionally thanked previous and current Journey members and, above all, the viewers. “Without you guys, this place is empty,” he mentioned.
Watch Gregg Rolie Sound Check With Journey
Schon teased Rolie’s look earlier this month when he tweeted that there could be a “special surprise” on the band’s Austin present. While some Twitter customers hoped in useless for an look from ex-frontman Steve Perry, many accurately predicted a cameo from Rolie, who lives close to the capital metropolis.
Rolie co-founded Journey with Schon in 1973 and dealt with lead vocals on the band’s first three albums. He ceded vocal duties to Perry on Infinity and continued enjoying keyboards with them till 1980, showing on that yr’s aptly titled Departure and the soundtrack album Dream, After Dream. He then yielded his place to former Babys keyboardist Jonathan Cain.
Journey is at present within the midst of their Fiftieth-anniversary tour, which has gone off and not using a hitch regardless of the continuing litigation between Schon and Cain. Schon filed swimsuit in opposition to Cain final November, claiming the keyboardist had “improperly restricted” his entry to monetary paperwork associated to the band’s joint American Express card. Cain countersued Schon in January, accusing the guitarist of racking up greater than $1 million in private bills to the cardboard.
As the band members traded barbs and lawsuits publicly forward of their tour kickoff, Schon additionally hinted at a lineup change. He tweeted a photograph of himself and Rolie again in November with the caption, “2 original founding members. I think my brother Gregg Rolie should join us for 2023 tour. What do you think, friends? He will spice it up and we will have a great variety of songs to choose from. What would you like to hear for the 50th-anniversary tour?”
The guitarist later modified his tune, although, telling another Twitter consumer that Rolie would be part of the band “not at this moment. Both Gregg and I intend to shed some real light on the subject matter very soon.” When that quote started to flow into, Schon responded by tweeting, “This is going out to all media of all your postings today that Gregg Rolie is out. FALSE – where would you get this information? Ex managers? PR stunt again.”
Journey’s Fiftieth-anniversary tour is at present scheduled to run via May. The band will revisit the Lone Star State in April to play at San Antonio’s AT&T Center. Schon suggested on Twitter that Rolie would additionally make an look there.
Journey, 2/22/23, Moody Center, Austin
“Only the Young”
Neal Schon guitar solo
“Stone in Love”
“Don’t Stop Believin'”
“Lights”
“Send Her My Love”
“Escape”
“Who’s Crying Now”
“Let it Rain”
“Lovin’, Touchin’, Squeezin'”
Jonathan Cain piano solo
“Open Arms”
“Faithfully”
“Girl Can’t Help It”
“Just the Same Way” (with Gregg Rolie)
“Of a Lifetime” (with Gregg Rolie)
“Feeling That Way” (with Gregg Rolie)
“Anytime” (with Gregg Rolie)
“Black Magic Woman” (with Gregg Rolie and Steve Lukather)
“Any Way You Want It” (with Gregg Rolie)
Journey Albums Ranked
Some Journey lineups had been revered however low-selling, whereas others had been bestsellers who acquired critically ignored. But which one was finest?
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