The Summer of 2014 was filled with some red-hot Rock-n-Roll touring bills, and one of the hottest was the combination of the Steve Miller Band with Journey. That is why it came as no surprise when the two camps announced last November they would be teaming up with Tower of Power (on select dates) for a group of shows in March of 2015. The tour was scheduled to kick off on March 5th in Austin, Texas, but due to unforeseen frigid-inclement weather, the show was postponed. Thus, Journey went on to appear with Tower of Power only March 6th for a sold out show in Thackerville, Oklahoma, before all three acts recollected together on March 8th in New Orleans, Louisiana. Making sure to circle back to the good people of Texas, Journey and the Steve Miller Band made their way back to the lone-star state on Sunday March 29th with special guest The Mighty Orq to perform at the outdoor Austin360 Amphitheatre located in the Circuit of the Americas complex. Thankfully, this time around the skies were clear, the weather was mild, and it was a perfect night for some of Rock’s legends.
The opening act, The Mighty Orq from Houston, Texas, took the stage and pleasantly surprised fans with their Blues-Rock riffs and guitar-driven beats. They had a blend of classic Rock energy, Gulf Coast Blues, with R&B-Pop undertones. Led by vocalist/guitarist The Mighty Orq, the band’s lineup consists of bassist Terry Dry, drummer Jimmy Rose, and Hammond B-3/pianist Barry Seelen. Fans of some great guitar work, and students of music, can check out their newly released instructional DVD entitled Delta Blues Guitar Instruction.
Following The Mighty Orq’s thirty minute set, the stage was set to display the soaring, psychedelic wings of the Steve Miller Band. Original mid-westerner, Steve Miller, relocated to San Francisco some five decades ago to form the band which would help define the flourishing local music scene at the time. Shifting gears from a psychedelic styling, used on their first six studio albums, the band offered a more straight ahead Blues Rock sound with the platinum selling 1973 The Joker album. The record would be followed by four consecutive chart topping released between 1967 and 1982, thus cementing the band’s place in Rock-n-Roll history. Still pumping out feel good music all these years later, Miller and his bandmates Kenny Lee Lewis (guitar/bass), Gordy Knudtson (drummer), Joseph Wooten (keyboardist), as well as Jacob Petersen (guitar) were ready to have a good time in the open-air packed Amphitheatre.
The Space Cowboy opened the set in glorious fashion with “Jungle Love,” before going into “Take the Money and Run.” Swiftly moving right along into all-time classic “Abracadabra,” the band took the audience down memory lane further performing iconic song “Space Cowboy.” Making the mood personal, Miller told the story about how his band and Journey came together performing at the famous Fillmore Auditorium in San Francisco. Amazingly, they hold the record for most appearances at the venue, having played there an unprecedented one-hundred and twenty-one times. Soon thereafter, Miller began shredding and ripped into “Sha Ba Da Du Ma Ma Ma Ma,” from the aforementioned The Joker album. Mixing in other crowd favorites, the band jammed through “Dance Dance Dance” before classics “The Joker” and “Fly Like an Eagle,” where fans began to sing along. Having everyone cheering and on their feet, the band wrapped up the set with “Rock’n Me” before returning for an encore of “Living in the U.S.A.” and “Jet Airliner,” never missing a beat. One thing is for sure, and that is the Steve Miller Band’s tunes have aged with grace and, in a live setting, shine brighter than ever. Their summer stretch kicks off May 15th and wraps up in August, so keep a look out for this timeless Rock-n-Roll band.
Broken in and ready for some more classic Rock, the audience anticipated Journey’s performance. Establishing themselves over four decades ago, Journey has become one of American Rock history’s most celebrated bands. Initially begun by former Santana guitarist Neal Schon and keyboardist/vocalist Gregg Rolie, along with Frumious Bandersnatch’s bassist Ross Valory and guitarist George Tickner, Journey has seen their sound grow and morph through the years . Enduring massive commercial success with their 1978 album Infinity, it would also mark a new era with Steve Perry on vocals. With Perry’s unmistakable voice, the band would go on to achieve super-stardom, and have not looked back since. With Perry’s departure some seventeen years ago, Journey has continued on strongly with Steve Augeri on vocals for eight years, and most recently Arnel Pineda. Now with a strong lineup of Schon, Valory, Pineda, Deen Castronovo on drums, and long-time keyboardist/guitarist Jonathan Cain, Journey show no sign of slowing down. In fact, it could be argued their popularity has grown through the years and, looking around Austin360 Amphitheatre, it appeared explicitly evident.
Coming out like a storm, Journey opened with “Any Way You Want It,” igniting the crowd to jump out of their seats and not sit down as the band marched into “Separate Ways (Worlds Apart).” Pineda, vital, powerful, and a perfect showman, soared through the songs with ease. Mixing 1986’s “Be Good to Yourself” with newer song “City of Hope,” Pineda was given a chance to show a dynamic range and continued eye-opening stage antics. Mellowing the mood slightly, adored love song “Open Arms” had couples swaying together and reflecting on the emotion behind the music before Vision Quest (1985) film soundtrack song “Only the Young.”
Combining musicianship of the entire band with the tireless Pineda, Journey offered fans favorites like “Lights” leading into a beautiful piano solo by Cain before the seldom played, but loved track, “Who’s Crying Now.” Meanwhile, Pineda put on a show of his own, from jumping and flipping his microphone to interacting with the crowd, encouraging them to clap and sing along with him. He brought not only an enthusiastic and animated presence, but had the vocals to match his unwavering energy and nimble, acrobatic moves. Not to be overshadowed, amidst it all, Castronovo sang “Mother, Father” while delivering a spectacular drum solo.
From leather jackets, to flashy guitars, and a giant drum kit, the look and sound of the band was a blast from the past that everyone could not get enough of. Dividing up their songs so that each member could shine with guitar, piano, and drum solos equally, 1981’s “Escape” came before 1978’s “La Do Da,” leading into another piercing Schon guitar solo prior to “Wheel in the Sky” that drew a rousing response from the audience. With Cain stroking the keys of the piano ever so magically, again a mass of cheers came as the band went into “Faithfully.” Brought to life by a vibrant vocal performance of Pineda, the song still resonates in the hearts of listeners all these years later. Capitalizing on the heighten emotion flowing through the evening air, the band capped off the set with ubiquitous hit “Don’t Stop Believing.” Bringing the house down with a confetti cannon that filled half of the venue, they returned for an extended encore of “Lovin’, Touchin’, Squeezin’” with a fun sing-along that had audience members’ hands waving side to side.
Altogether, each act had an entirely different style and feel, yet contrasted beautifully, uniting for a fantastic performance. Journey delivered a mind-blowing, high-energy flavor to the crowd, sending them home with ingrained memories of the famous songs in their heads. Pineda has successfully filled the shoes as lead vocalist, and the Filipino native brings out his own style that complements his marvelous live interpretations. The concert fully delivered what it was intended to do; create a spectacular night of classic Rock and Funk, leaving the audience wanting more. Truly an epic and momentous night for all concert-goers to remember. Journey will take part in a residence at The Joint inside Hard Rock Cafe & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada between May 1st and May 16th, so those traveling to Sin City need to check them out.
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