Arts + Entertainment

Journey rocked Shea’s in 1979 - VIDEO

by Ben Kirst • April 21, 2012 @ 5:20pm

Here's the thing: I do not like Journey. Never did. They've always seemed a little too bubble gum-y for my taste. In my formative years in the late 1980s, when I was learning about hard rock from bands like Guns 'n' Roses, White Lion and Motley Crue, I thought real musicians wore leather pants and healthy amounts of mascara -- not candy-striped sailor shirts and white, scandalously short shorts like Journey lead singer Steve Perry. Clearly, I was not getting the best lessons, but still.

Fast-forward to 2012 and Journey (sans Perry and his hot pants) are as culturally relevant as ever. Director Ramona S. Diaz's new documentary about the band, Don't Stop Believin': Everyman's Journey was screened at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York City on Thursday night. The band's 2011 tour was one of the most successful of the year. Shows like Glee, The Sopranos and Family Guy introduced Journey's music (or at least "Don't Stop Believin'") to new audiences. Washington, D.C. socialite Michaele Salahi allegedly had a wild affair with Journey guitarist Neil Schoen last fall. It doesn't stop!

None of which changed my mind about the band -- until this morning. I stumbled across some bootleg audio clips on YouTube of a Journey concert at Shea's Performing Arts Center in Buffalo from 1979. While Perry still looked as though he just stumbled off the Trans Am lot, the band sounds...well, incredible. The guitars buzz and crackle. Journey actually sounds raw. Raw! This from one of the most slickly-produced bands of the early 1980s.

So here's to you, Journey. I'm not going to go out and buy a bunch of your albums (even on Record Store Day). But I will probably listen to these clips a few more times. Maybe you guys aren't so bad after all. Here's some more from Buffalo:

Journey will perform at the Constellation Brands Marvin Sands Performing Arts Center in Canandaigua, N.Y. on Wednesday, Aug. 15.

Photo from YouTube.

TAGGED: concerts, history, journey, shea's+performing+arts+center, steve+perry

Comments

ginger grahn April 22, 2012 @ 1:30pm

Uh, no short shorts. He was wearing white pants with bell bottoms. As a matter of fact so were most of your rock legends of the time. It was common for them to wear silk shirts unbuttoned, white pants, and goofy clothes of the 70’s. Because it was the 70’s! I think if you would check out their work from the 80’s and 90’s you would find regardless of the clothing styles of the day, Journey had some great songs under their belts. Fashion is fleeting, great music is everlasting.
Ben Kirst April 22, 2012 @ 2:20pm

Ha ha in that photo he was wearing white bell bottoms, I agree with that. I used to religiously read Circus Magazine in the late 80s—I was a hair metal middle-school kid, what can I say—and the retrospective pics of Journey most definitely featured Perry in tiny shorts more than once. As mentioned in the article, the live tracks gave me a new respect for Journey and for Perry. Fashion is indeed fleeting, and doesn’t really matter if the music is good.
christinew0930 April 24, 2012 @ 12:14pm

This article is as relevent as this bands most current release. Musical taste aside, the author should do a little research prior to submitting a flawed article which many FANS will detect immediately.
Dear Mr. Kirst, To the best of our knowledge, the proper spelling for the co~founder of this band is S~C~H~O~N. Also, Mr, Perry has never performed in shorts, I have never even seen a photo of him in shorts, however, if you have such photos, please provide proof. Perhaps you are still experiencing flashbacks from your hard rocking hallucinogens that we bubblegumers don’t understand.
Rock on!!
christinew0930 April 24, 2012 @ 12:26pm

Relevant ...pardon me.
Ben Kirst April 24, 2012 @ 2:30pm

Christine: I think I made it pretty clear I’m not a fan. I will be sure to forward any and all Steve Perry short pants photos to you ASAP. And as for the spelling…well, you got me there.
christinew0930 April 25, 2012 @ 11:12am

You did, absolutely, make that very clear. However, as a fan of the Perry era, I felt the need to correct your error/s. It may end up being nothing more than a simple spelling error, but that will be determined once I recieve the pix of Mr. Perry performing on stage wearing those scandalously short shorts. Initially, I thought you may have had him confused w/another pretender, Bon Scott.

PS~you probably enjoyed that ‘79 bootleg so much because the band didn’t become so bubblegum~y until ‘80-‘81 w/the addition of Jon Cain, the release of Escape, increased success and the invention of blue jeans.

Thanks, Mr. Kirst ...you’re a great sport!
Brian Gorman April 25, 2012 @ 2:21pm

Perry’s girlfriend is PISSED
christinew0930 April 26, 2012 @ 10:08am

Young’s girlfriend is pissed as well, since he is the short wearing member of ac/dc.