Journey - Any Way You Want It!
- With Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo
Loverboy
Any Way You Want It!
By: Michele Mannis
Journey
Journey has been a fixture of the music scene for decades now and show no signs of slowing down. With a wealth of smash singles, the band turned in a high-volume show at Cheyenne Frontier Days that gave fans everything they came for. The tour which kicked off this July is a true blast from the past. With opening acts Loverboy and Pat Benatar & Neil Geraldo it was a rock and roll show to stir the senses.
The show started with 80's band - Loverboy, and lead singer Mike Reno kicks off the party with an old time favorite "Queen Of The Broken Hearts". Now I've seen Loverboy perform many times and year after year they deliver a highly energetic and fun set. There’s a consistency with their enthusiasm, their performance and their delivery that still continues to thrill crowds and this night was no exception. Loverboy delivered on all their hits including; "Lovin' Every Minute Of It", "When It's Over", "Hot Girls In Love", "The Kid Is Hot Tonight", "Turn Me Loose" and the anthem still played today - "Working For The Weekend".
Pat Benatar kept the vibe going. She has not lost any of her charisma, energy, voice or style. In fact, her voice was glorious. She and hubby Neil Giraldo rocked it and kept the party going. Starting with "All Fired Up" she went through a pitch perfect set including the hits "Invincible", Promises In The Dark", We Belong", "Love Is A Battlefield", Let's Stay Together", "Heartbreaker" and a way cool rendition of "Ring Of Fire".
The party intensified when Journey hit the stage. The current lineup of Journey includes three original members; keyboardist Jonathan Cain, bassist Ross Valory and lead guitarist Neal Schon. Frontman Steve Perry, now replaced with the incredible talent of Arnel Pineda. Pineda brought charisma, action and considerable talent to show. Always in high spirits he was extremely interactive with the audience; slapping hands, fist-bumping, waving and pointing to numerous people in the crowd. His powerhouse pipes along with some of Schon's searing guitar solos kept the OMG's piling up! Pineda's good mood, ear to ear grin, boundless energy and relentless drive made for a fantastic show.
The vigor of both the band and the crowd was unstoppable. Dynamic ballads, big melodies and monster hits kept Journey on a creative roll. There wasn’t a single person in the arena who didn’t sing along like it was 1980 something! There was great atmosphere from the crowd matched by great on stage performances. Pineda never lost a beat or a high note along the way and Neal Schon's rendition of The Star Spangled Banner was spellbinding. It was certainly one of the most memorable moments of the night.
OH WHAT A SHOW!
The setlist included: "Majestic", "Never Walk Away",
Ask the Lonely", Chain Reaction", "Only the Young", "Faithfully", The Star-Spangled Banner", "Stone in Love", Lights", "City of Hope', "Wheel in the Sky", "Escape", "Open Arms", "Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)", "Be Good to Yourself" and"Lovin', Touchin', Squeezin".
The Encore: "Any Way You Want It" and "Don't Stop Believin'"
The encore was a strong finish to a solid show that featured great interaction between the band and their fans. Arnel Pineda has a great voice for this genre and together with the rest of the band, brings an incredible energy to each song but I gotta say, when Pineda downshifts to a slower beat, its pure pleasure. At any rate - Handshakes and fist bumps aside, I don't think there was much more they could do short of hanging out with the crowd after the show. All I can really say is "Oh What A Show". It's a 'chain reaction' you won't want to miss!
Favorite Moment: The rousing rendition of the "Star Spangled Banner".