| 03 January, 2003 |
By Gary Graff of LAUNCH at Yahoo.Com:
The new year means that Journey guitarist Neal Schon has returned to the studio--but not with Journey. Schon is in the midst of recording his first album with Planet Us, the San Francisco Bay Area supergroup that also includes Sammy Hagar, Van Halen bassist Michael Anthony, and Journey drummer Dean Castronovo. The groupmembers started working on the album in December, and have returned to the studio after a holiday break to spend time with their families.
Schon tells LAUNCH that if he has his way, we'll be hearing the results very soon. "We'll finish it in January, I think," Schon said. "Everybody works very fast. The first time we got together we had written a couple of tunes and we arranged them and recorded them in one day, and they turned out great. So I know we can work very fast as long as the material is there."
However, Schon offers no timetable for an album release or tour from Planet Us, which is not signed to a label. Journey, meanwhile, recently self-released a new EP, Red 13. |
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| 07 January, 2003 |
Special for Jrnydv.Com:
We would like to update you on the upcoming tour schedule for Worlds Apart, the Journey Tribute Band for New York and New England. Worlds Apart, managed by New Jersey native Frank Poli, started out as a small Long-Island based Journey Tribute Band in February, 2001. Today they gig not only in Long Island and New Jersey but at venues as far flung as Pennsylvania, Upstate New York, and Rhode Island.
Worlds Apart is currently scheduled to appear at:
Albie's, West Utica, NY, January 25, 10:00 PM
The Wreck Room, Wallington, NJ, February 15, 9:45 PM
Tom'n'Jerry's, Milmont Park, PA, February 21, 10:15 PM
Rhodes Ringwood Inn, Ringwood, NJ, February 28, 10:00 PM
The Station Rock Club, West Warwick, RI, March 8, 10:00 PM
The Dugout, Commack, NY, April 5, 10:00 PM
More information is available at their website. |
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| 08 January, 2003 |
By TowandaRG for Jrnydv.Com:
At the risk of being thought of as a "couch potato," I am happy to report that I saw another show on television last night that included a Journey song! I wonder if there's something in the cosmos lately, because I seem to be noticing that a lot more often. "That 70's Show" appeared on the FOX channel last night, at 8:30 p.m.
I am now starting to enjoy the "That 70's Show," even though I wasn't really impressed the first time I saw it. When I first began to watch it, however, I thought they should include more 70's references, like waiting in gasoline lines, and Jimmy Carter, and Mork from Ork suspenders, pet rocks, and all that goofy 70's stuff that I remember from my youth. They often include disco music, drug references, and funky clothes and hairdos, but what about all the OTHER funky 70's stuff?
So last night, I was flipping channels and ended up watching "That 70's Show" as the characters of Foreman and Donna visited two different college campuses with the rest of the gang, and I was surprised to hear, as Foreman walked into the main lobby of a dormitory, the background music of "Wheel In The Sky!"
Of course, there was also dialogue from the characters going on at the same time, but how COOL was THAT?! They played it for the entire duration of the scene, which I would estimate was about half of the length of the song. Not too shabby, eh? |
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| 08 January, 2003 |
From Melodic.Com:
NEAL SCHON TALKS EXCLUSIVELY TO MELODICROCK.COM:
Journey guitarist Neal Schon is a man who is never fan from the musical headlines and 2003 should be no different. Neal recently spoke exclusively with me about what lies ahead for Journey, Planet Us and his own solo work.
First there is the current Journey release - the EP Red 13. It seems the band is pretty happy with the way it has turned out. "I think we've gotten great feedback for what type of EP it is. It was never meant to be a commercial item, just some cool new tunes to add to the live show....and they've been going over great."
"When we put this out, we didn't intend for it to be sold in stores. We were just going to sell it on our website and at our shows exclusively. The distribution deal gave us a chance to test the waters for other products that we'll have coming out."
There was talk of the next Journey release being another EP, but Neal says that has now changed; "We tossed around the idea about putting out another EP, but management was not so fond of it. So a full album would be in order some time, I would imagine, after our next tour."
"I think things are going to start getting interesting here. The new band is really starting to gel. It will be somewhere where we've gone with Red 13 and the hooks of our old classics....we'll make a nice melting pot."
A new Neal Schon solo instrumental album has been on release schedules for some time, but the good news is that it's not far off. It still has to be mixed, but then will be ready to go. "Gary Ciremilli, who mixed and produced Voice, is mixing this CD. Right now the working title is called Eye On You, and it will be available through Higher Octave. So as soon as it's mixed and mastered I assume they will release it."
But what of the planned Sony Music planned, career spanning Best Of compilation? "I've been so damn busy writing that I forgot to write a song for myself. Right now it's up in the air with who John Kalodner wants to sing the song."
"I spoke to John before the holidays and he said it was still on. So I guess as soon as I write a tune, we can start finalizing the order and the songs. It's pretty interesting listening to it....I have got to tell ya. From Santana, through almost every record I've been on."
Possibly the main Schon project for 2003 is Planet Us, the group featuring Neal alongside Journey's Deen Castronovo and Van Halen's bassist Michael Anthony and former singer Sammy Hagar.
Recording of the album is underway; "We are supposed to start around the 9th of January. I've been at home writing and demoing material for the guys to check out. We were going to try to get started to early in December, but, when Deen came into town, he had a terrible bacterial infection in his finger and was not able to pound the skins. But I just spoke to him and he's ready to go."
"I spoke to Mike Anthony and he's also ready and so is Sammy....should be cool! I've got some nice tunes brewing. And yes, it will be a full CD - a conceptual CD."
In between active recording duties, Neal continues to write new music. "Who knows where they will all end up but they're flowing out of me right now so I figured I should lay them down. I've written a couple of things for Paul Rodgers and Bad Company. I also got an interesting phone call form a friend of mine, Paul Pesco, who's working with Shakira. He wants me to write some Latin rock guitar songs for her. I guess she's looking for more of a guitar driven record. So this all could be very interesting, and fun, how this all will pan out."
I would be remiss in not asking about any possible plans the band might have for European live dates. It's still possible says Neal; "We want to go, we just need to get a decent offer. As I have been saying in all of my other interviews, we'd love to open for Bon Jovi or Toto. Promoters have to come to us though. I know the band is game."
From Jrnydv.Com:
In other news, former Journey lead singer Robert Fleischman's latest solo effort, World in Your Eyes, was released in the United States today. This from the singer's mouth to Jrnydv.Com's ear. |
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| 22 January, 2003 |
Special to Jrnydv.Com:
Steve Perry called Lora Beard at Fan Asylum to thank his fans for all their birthday wishes this second year in a row. The statement reads as follows: "Once again I am on the phone with Lora at Fan Asylum on my birthday. She has brought it to my attention that there have been donations made on my behalf to VH1’s Save The Music Program and the Make-A-Wish Foundation. I am very grateful for these donations for they are two great causes.
"Thanks also for your cards, letters and birthday wishes. Love is love and life is life and sometimes they work together. Thank you for all your support. All the best to you and yours.
"--Steve Perry" |
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| 31 January, 2003 |
Special to Jrnydv.Com:
As promised, the Gregg Rolie Band will be returning to the east coast in 2003. The band has announced the following tour dates:
May TBA: Pier Festival, Santa Monica, CA
May 31: Springfest, Pensacola, FL
June TBA: Casino TBA, Tunica, MS
June TBA: Disney World, Orlando, FL
June TBA: TBA, Del Ray Beach, FL
June 27: Mohegan Sun Casino, Uncasville, CT
June TBA: TBA, Detroit, MI
In addition, GreggRolie.Com offered the following statement: "2003 touring will start with spring warm up dates on the west coast (not posted)... being planned now. These will be followed by numerous festival, casino and corporate events across the USA. TBA (details still pending) gigs are posted to give you an idea of what's coming up."
In other news, Steve Smith and Vital Information will be leaving for Moscow in a few days. He will be touring in Europe for February and early March, and will return to the states for some California gigs March 11-16. Then, in April, he'll be doing a clinic in Minnesota. More details at VitalInformation.Com. |
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| 02 February, 2003 |
From CliqueRecords (Kevin Chalfant):
After a LONNNNNNNGGGGGGGG delay, the Clique Records Shopping Cart is now up and running. You can find all of your favorite Clique Record artists items here including the new Two Fires T-Shirts. |
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| 03 February, 2003 |
From MelodicRock.Com:
Hugo dropped me an e-mail update - it seems progress on the new solo album is coming along great. Hugo says: "Vocals are nearly half way done and sounding great. The Evolution thing really got my voice in shape for tracks. I'm real happy. The album will be entitled Fire In The Night. Taken from one of the tracks on the album. Other tracks included are 'Forever In My Heart', 'Hold Me', 'Everytime You Walk Away' and 'Dawn'." The Journey cover band Evolution, featuring Hugo is playing The Village Pub, Port Jefferson NY this weekend (Feb. 7) |
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| 06 February, 2003 |
Special for Jrnydv.Com (with thanks to Zenfrodo):
Because of a settlement between class-action litigants and major record companies and retailers, anyone who purchased a CD, tape, or record from a retailer between 1995 and 2000 is eligible for a share of the reward. That includes anyone who purchased Trial by Fire, Greatest Hits (Live), or the Japanese version of Arrival from a retailer (record store OR online vendor) when they came out. Go to www.musiccdsettlement.com for more details on how to stake your claim! |
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| 06 February, 2003 |
Special for Jrnydv.Com:
Frontiers, the Journey Tribute band based in Virginia (not far from the old headquarters of Jrnydv.Com, incidentally), has just announced its 2003 dates. You can catch Frontiers at:
February 15: Amos' Southend, Charlotte, NC
March 15: Savannah St Patricks Day Festival, Savannah, GA (opening for Starship)
March 29: Howlers, Salem, VA
May 03: Kings Barcade, Raleigh, NC
July 19: Main Street Bar and Grill, Harrisonburg, VA
August 09: Howlers, Salem, VA
November 08: Main Street Bar and Grill, Harrisonburg, VA
More information is available at www.journeytributeband.com |
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| 07 February, 2003 |
Special for Jrnydv.Com:
The New York-based Journey Tribute band Worlds Apart has updated their tour calendar for 2003. The band is currenly scheduled to appear at
February 15: The Wreck Room, Wallington, NJ, 9:45 PM
February 21: Tom'n'Jerry's, Milmont Park, PA, 10:15 PM
February 28: Rhodes Ringwood Inn, Ringwood, NJ, 10:00 PM
March 8: The Station Rock Club, West Warwick, RI, 10:00 PM
April 12: The Wreck Room, Wallington, NJ, 9:45 PM
April 19: Rhodes Ringwood Inn, Ringwood, NJ, 10:00 PM
April 26: Shamrocks, Saint James, NY, 10:00 PM
June 14: Tom'n'Jerry's, Milmont Park, PA, 10:15 PM
June 20: The Loft, Poughkeepsie, NY, 10:00 PM
August 22: The Loft, Poughkeepsie, NY, 10:00 PM
Further information on Worlds Apart can be found at www.worldsapartny.com |
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| 08 February, 2003 |
Special for Jrnydv.Com:
Karmadelic has recorded a dance version of Journey's "Who's Crying Now," available at djnexus.com. Click HERE to hear it (RealPlayer Required).
In other news, Steve Perry lookalike/soundalike Hugo is suffering from laryngitis and his Journey Tribute Band Evolution did not perform in Port Jefferson last night as expected. Evolution guitarist Eddie Jelley, who also does a Stevie Ray Vaughan Tribute, did a double set. Evolution is next scheduled to appear on March 22 at The Dublin Pub in New Hyde Park, NY.
The rest of the current Evolution schedule is:
April 25: Humphrey's, New Haven, CT
April 26: The Downtown, Farmingdale, NY
May 10: The Dublin Pub, New Hyde Park, NY
June 27: The Dublin Pub, New Hyde Park, NY
August 2: The Dublin Pub, New Hyde Park, NY
August 9: Rookies, Cromwell, CT
Further information on Evolution can be found at www.almostjourney.com |
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| 08 January, 2003 |
Special for Jrnydv.Com:
Def Leppard's latest album, X, is apparently being treated by their label, Universal, in a manner similar to the lackluster treatment Sony afforded Journey's Arrival back in 2001. Well, Andrew McNiece of MelodicRock.Com (and, at last count, 389 fans) have had enough. To quote Andrew: "This is a band that holds the record for one of the biggest selling hard rock records in history! It's a band that has also made countless millions for this label over several years! Where is the loyalty? I am aware that it is 2003. I am also aware, as are the band's die hard fans, that the musical climate has changed. But seriously, did 13 million fans just disappear since the release of Hysteria in 1987? No, they are out there - many of them wondering what happened to all their favourite bands! Now I could spin this tale regarding any number of bands that have been robbed of any real chance to sell their albums due to crappy support. It's time to make a stand." Does this sound familiar? We at Jrnydv.Com side with Andrew in his stand for the great bands, and their fans, that are still out there. If you do too, click HERE to view and sign the petition. |
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| 09 February, 2003 |
Special for Jrnydv.Com:
Planet Us is, for the second year in a row, on hold. Sammy Hagar announced to his Van Halen Fans mailing list that "The project is on HOLD because of my busy schedule with the Wabo's and Neal's busy schedule with Journey." No further information is currently available, but Andrew McNiece of MelodicRock.Com is promising a full scoop later in the week. |
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| 11 February, 2003 |
Special to Jrnydv.Com:
Sorry we missed this when it first appeared, but better late than never. ArrowFM.Com reported in the Grapevine on January 9th that Neal Schon is currently working on a new solo album, tentatively entitled Eye on You. He's also been writing for Bad Company and Shakira. Perhaps Sammy Hagar's recent news about Planet Us being on hold again will free Neal up to complete Eye on You sooner than expected. |
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| 11 February, 2003 |
Special to Jrnydv.Com:
Tonight on Fox's American Idol, which features former Journey bassist Randy Jackson as a judge, the first singer, Clay Aiken of North Carolina, sang "Open Arms." In his critique of the performance, Randy said "that song was close to me of course, 'cause I was in Journey"--to which fellow judges Simon and Paula snickered. |
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| 13 February, 2003 |
By Cudaclan for Jrnydv.Com:
Steve Smith is currently on an UK/Europe/ US Tour with his band Vital Information. He has started a diary on his 2003 Tour. His Fall '02 Clinic Tour
Diary was very informative to read and this diary is sure to follow. You can access Steve Smith's diary and preview his latest DVD HERE. |
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| 15 February, 2003 |
Special to Jrnydv.Com:
Worlds Apart, the New York-based Journey Tribute Band, will be appearing tonight at 10:00 PM at The Wreck Room in Wallington, New Jersey. New Jersey Journey fans: Be there or be square! |
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| 16 February, 2003 |
Special for Jrnydv.Com:
Andrew at MelodicRock.Com has the following teaser at the end of today's news briefings: "Could Journey be joining a live bill featuring REO Speedwagon and Styx mid-US Summer? We have heard this rumor in the pas few weeks but didn't want to report on it until it was more than a rumor. While it still is just a rumor, Andrew's rumors tend to have some weight. |
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| 19 February, 2003 |
From Journeymusic.Com:
We would like to take this opportunity to pass along some exciting news...we are happy to announce that Journey will be touring this year with our good friends Styx and REO Speedwagon. Our summer concerts will take place in indoor arenas in major cities across the country. The tour will be called "Rockin' The Arena". Stay tuned for show announcements and on-sale dates coming in the near future!
Journey will be honored by the Bay Area Music Awards with a commemorative plaque on the Walk of Fame. This ceremony will be held on Friday, April 25, 2003 in front of the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in San Francisco, California. Journey’s plaque will join past honorees Bill Graham, Carlos Santana, Jerry Garcia, Janis Joplin, John Lee Hooker, Jefferson Airplane and Metallica. Stay tuned, more information coming soon! |
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| 22 February, 2003 |
From MelodicRock.Com:
Great excitement was generated with the announcement last year of the Planet Us project, featuring Sammy Hagar, Michael Anthony, Neal Schon and Deen Castronovo. Former Guns N Roses guitarist Slash was also lined up to feature in the line-up, but declined at the last minute.
The band had major label interest and were commissioned by Sony to record one track for possible inclusion on the Spiderman movie / soundtrack.
The guys recorded 2 demos - Peeping Through A Hole and Vertigo, which was later rejected for that soundtrack spot, apparently for being "too heavy".
A decision to record an album and shop it around, or release it independently was made, but most recently those plans were put on hold.
Sammy Hagar recently stated that due to busy schedules, the project was on hold. True to a point, but the truth is it seems unlikely that an album will ever be recorded or released.
No one will comment officially to me on the future plans of the band, but I know for a fact that while two members of the group are pushing for the project to continue, the other two are not.
It seems that without the interest or investment from a major label, the motivation to record an album that would have no immediate purpose is not there.
The real losers from this are the fans. I hope that this 'on hold' status is not permanent and that one day we will hear a collaboration between these 4 talented musicians. |
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| 23 February, 2003 |
From Gibson.Com:
Neal Schon, lead guitarist with top arena rock band Journey, will jam with Gibson technicians at a special Conference Party hosted by Gibson Labs, the technology division of Gibson Guitar, on Thursday, Feb. 20 from 7:30-10 p.m. at the Tech Museum of Innovation in San Jose, Calif. The performance is part of the Intel Developer Forum (IDF), a four-day technical training conference, Feb. 18-21 at the San Jose Convention Center.
Schon, a musical prodigy, joined Santana at age 17 and in 1973 cofounded Journey with fellow Santana alumni Gregg Rolie. Journey's early records were largely instrumental jazz-rock before the addition of lead singer Steve Perry. Schon has released two fusion albums with keyboardist Jan Hammer and has also done several solo albums. He left Journey in 1989 and joined the band Bad English with singer John Waite; the group released two commercially successful albums and then broke up. Schon rejoined Journey in 1993 and continues to tour with the band as the last original member in its current lineup.
Former L.A. session guitarist Chuck Yamek will join Schon in the open jam and demonstrate the world's first digital guitar, which utilizes Gibson's new MaGIC digital transport standard. Yamek will also periodically demonstrate the digital guitar in the Gibson Labs booth #331 during the conference. The IDF has become a leading industry event for computer designers and software developers.
The MaGIC-enabled Gibson Digital Guitar represents the biggest advance in electric guitar technology since the invention of the electric guitar 70 years ago. Outwardly, the revolutionary new instrument looks very similar to a legendary Gibson guitar. The only differences are an additional “Hex” pickup that separates the guitar's sound into six individual signals (one for each string) and a new jack that will accept standard Cat-5 Ethernet cable.
Inside, the guitar is equipped with chips developed by Gibson Labs along with 3Com and Xilinx that convert the analog signals from the pickup into a digital signal. The signal is transported via Gibson Labs' revolutionary MaGIC(r) technology, which makes standard Ethernet cable act like a supercable with higher bandwidth, lower latency and bi-directional capability. A “breakout box” converts the digital signal back to analog for compatibility with conventional equipment. Gibson is also working with AMD to develop a digital audio workstation interface. |
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| 24 February, 2003 |
Special for Jrnydv.Com:
Worlds Apart, The New York-based Journey Tribute band, has had to cancel their March 8 gig at The Station Rock Club in Warwick, Rhode Island due to the tragic fire which destroyed the club last week and took the lives of so many. Our thoughts are with the families of those who perished, as well as with the fans of Great White at today's news that the band's guitarist perished in the conflagation. |
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| 27 February, 2003 |
Special for Jrnydv.Com:
JonathanCain.Com reports that Jon's new solo jazz CD, Bare Bones, will be released in early March and available only through his website. Find a link in the "Official Sites" page of the PORTAL Section.
The manager of Worlds Apart, The New York-based Journey Tribute Band, sent us a reminder that the band will be appearing tomorrow night at The Rhodes Ringwood Inn, in Ringwood, NJ. |
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| 27 February, 2003 |
From ABC's Nightline E-mail Mailing List:
Fred Rogers, who’s been a calming voice for successive generations of children, died this morning. In the midst of terrorist threats and the march to war, Mr. Rogers was just the person for kids to hear in these turbulent times.
When we woke up to the sad news this morning, our first thought was our colleague John Donvan’s lovely portrait of Fred Rogers, which aired on Nightline in 2001. Indeed, when John heard the news, he began thinking of how children need him now more than ever:
"This is going to sound corny, but what the hell. This morning, after getting the news that Fred Rogers had died, my wife and I dug into a cupboard and pulled out the two Mister Rogers Neighborhood coffee mugs that Fred’s co-performer David Newell (who played Mister McFeeley the Speedy Delivery Man) had given me as a gift. And there in the kitchen, before dawn, we raised those mugs to the memory of one of the greatest men I have ever interviewed.
"I know that may sound a little strange. I know that Fred Rogers is a guy that a lot of people snicker about. I used to be one of them. Talk about corny! Those sweaters...those sneakers...those silly songs ( in one of them, called “Tree”, the man just keeps singing that one word - “tree” -over and over and over again). But two years ago, I finally met him, in the course of doing a Nightline profile, and he became one of my heroes.
"Here’s why Fred Rogers (whom I never watched as a kid) got through to me: he confirmed for me that decency, integrity and quiet service are still their own rewards.
"He was a man on television who spoke gently and honestly, putting the priorities of his audience - the most vulnerable, impressionable TV viewers there are--children - in front of everything else. He didn’t do it for fame. He certainly didn’t do it for money (there are no Mister Rogers talking dolls and action figures out there in the merchandising channels). He did what he did because he believed in it. And in a world where there were certainly flashier shows on TV, and sexier, more aggressive characters vying for kids’ attention, Fred was always softspoken, forever gentle, maybe even a little shy, and yet he had an enormous impact.
"It was a powerful lesson for me, another guy in TV, and we talked about this a little bit. Also softspoken, low-key, and perhaps even shy, I have sometimes wondered whether I am in the wrong business, given how a lot of TV news has yielded to a high-octane, high-testosterone make-the-reporter-the-star kind of journalism. Shouting, confrontantional, tear-down-the-walls journalism is just not my style. You wonder if a quiet curiousity still has a place in this business; if work done that way can still have an impact.
"Fred made me believe that it does - because he is the best example of that. Ever courteous, he changed TV history. Ever humble, he once saved PBS’s funding source by appearing before a Congressional committee. Ever compassionate, he taught millions of children the valuable lesson of respect, not just for others, but also for themselves.
"Speaking of kids, I’ve been thinking lately that I have to find a way to tell my two kids, who are 6 and 3, that I am about to head off, maybe for a long time, to cover a war far away. Trying to figure out how to do this, I had already had the thought: “What would Fred say?” Now I can never ask him, but at least I can still watch his show for ideas. Thank goodness for reruns.
"In fact, only last night, when for all I knew Fred still had years and years left to go, I arrived home from work and was met in the front hallway by my little girl. She told me that I had missed Mister Rogers' show, but said, literally, “Don’t worry, we taped it. Do you want to watch it again with me?” So we did. It was a great way to come home.
"Corny, eh?" |
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| 28 February, 2003 |
Special to Jrnydv.Com:
Johnny Gioeli of Hardline (a past Neal Schon side project) is currently working on a project entitled Crush40 with Japanese guitarist Jun Senoe, Ted Poley and Tony Harnell. More details at MelodicRock.Com. |
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| 04 March, 2003 |
Special to Jrnydv.Com:
Redrocker.Com reports that Sammy Hagar and The Waboritas will be on Rockline on Wednesday, March, 12, 8:30 pm PST, with some "special guests." Could it be Neal Schon and Deen Castronovo? You'll have to tune in to find out. Find Rockline HERE. |
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| 05 March, 2003 |
Special to Jrnydv.Com:
Jonathan Cain will be one of the celebrity golfers in the 3rd Annual Mark and Brian Celebrity Golf Tournament. He joins stars like Martin Sheen and Don Cheadle. There is no date set yet, but it will be held in Coyote Hills Golf Course in Fullerton.
Hugo is continuing to work on his solo album due out in April or May. He says there is only about 3 or 4 weeks left of tracking to do before the mixing begins. He comments on the sound, "The album is much more in line with my debut solo....in the sense of more guitar oriented" [thanks to MelodicRock.Com]. |
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| 05 March, 2003 |
Special for Jrnydv.Com:
The New York-based Journey tribute band Escape, reviewed in these pages last January, has gone on hiatus pending a possible decision to call it quits for good. Citing upcoming wrist surgery for drummer Anthony Ferrara and the recent departure of guitarist Frank Benenati, Escape has cancelled all upcoming gigs.
According to lead singer Gary Factora: "Frank Benenati's unexpected decision to leave the band for personal reasons has left a void in the lineup. He is obviously a very talented guitarist and his shoes cannot be filled overnight. Additionally, our drummer, Anthony Ferrara, is going for wrist surgery tomorrow (3/6/03). He will be unable to play for anywhere from 3 months to a year.
"We are toying with several ideas during this rough time. We may...continue as a Journey Tribute or we may...include other progressive rock acts such as Styx.... It is a difficult decision to make. We will let you know what we finally decide."
Guitarist Frank Benenati, who joined the band last October and is a former moderator at Back Talk and helped build the Journey official website, made the following statement: "I left the band back in February. I had been juggling two bands (Escape
and Crush, my cover band). After the TJ Bentley's gig in January, we took a little break. During that break, my cover band started really taking off. So around February, when Escape started picking up steam again, I came to a quick conclusion that I wouldn't be able to satisfy the responsibilities of both bands. Especially considering that I had a new baby at home, I decided that I'd rather devote 100% to one band and not 50% to 2 bands. I chose to stick with Crush since those guys are all my best friends.
"I also felt that Escape was destined to always compete wth Worlds Apart and Evolution. It's safe to say the tribute band market in NY is friggin' saturated. Also, most Journey fans are in their late 30s-early 40s. As far as the bar-going public, that's a real dwindling base of fans to draw from. I'm sure Worlds Apart has their following, but would it be far larger if there wasn't Evolution? Would the vice versa be true? Hard to say. But three bands operating in the same area, all fighting each other for the same shrinking fan base made it difficult for me to accept. A perfect exmaple is the TJ Bentley's gig we played on Jan 11, 2003. that very same night, Evolution played at the Dublin Pub, in New Hyde Park. When I tried to promote this gig online, on Back Talk, I had to contend with the Evolution camp trying to cross post on my promotion threads, to convince people to come to the Evo show at the Dublin instead. For two tribute bands to be fighting for the same fan base, for two separate gigs happening literally 25 miles away from each other was ridiculous.
"I don't know what happened to Escape in the aftermath of me leaving. I felt really bad about leaving the group, considering we had a few gigs coming up in the spring."
Jrnydv.Com will continue to watch this breaking story. Meanwhile, Frank's band Crush is playing this saturday night at The Oasis Cafe in Baldwin, Long Island. "It's a real small, cramped bar...but we're looking to have a blast. As far as into the future, we're playing at least 1-2 places a month from here till doomsday...and the definite gigs are posted on the site calendar." http://www.crushmusic.us |
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| 06 March, 2003 |
Special for Jrnydv.Com:
Continuing our breaking story about the New York-based Journey Tribute Band Escape, Keyboardist Tod Kagan sent me an e-mail today. "Hi Dave and thank you for your continued interest in our band. I have just returned home from a quick getaway in Atlantic City.
"I had spoken briefly with Gary and Anthony about the future of our band before I left. I am fully dedicated to getting the group back together when Anthony has recovered from his wrist surgery. I hope to book some great venues by this summer.
"We have a lot of talent here and it would be a shame to let it go by the way side. I think that Bill is discouraged because of the revolving door, it seems of guitar players. Once we are able to organize an open audition, I think we can begin to work with a new master of the six-string.
"A drummer familiar with our set list has offered to help us audition, and work with our new guitar player. Once Anthony is fully healed and I feel confident that the band is ready to play out, I can begin to book shows.
"As for Frank - I am disappointed to see him go. I heard about his departure through an email sent to Gary about two weeks ago. I think Frank is a good player but I disagree with his assessment of the tribute band circuit he spoke about in your article.
"We know and like the band Worlds Apart, and I've heard that Hugo's band does a fine job. Our Journey tribute band is different in many ways. The market is not saturated when three bands that are so different in style, interpretation and performance pay tribute to a band with albums that span four decades. Peope can choose to see all three. That's what's so friggin' great about this country - plus we are not looking to step on anybody's toes. We can get our own gigs, once we get the act back together.
"Hey, for every Coke, there's a Pepsi. We're like Dr. Pepper, man - or more like Diet Dr. Pepper.
"I miss playing out and I'm pulling for Anthony's speedy recovery. I plan to use this free time to learn a few more Journey tunes and maybe get some vox rehearsals in with the guys. I've offered to fill in for Kevin from Worlds Apart if they ever need me in a pinch.
"Again, many thanks for the interest and publicity. We appreciate your continued support for the band and I certainly admire your reporting skills!"
Meanwhile, Worlds Apart Manager Frankie Poli had the following to say about the hiatus and possible breakup of Escape, a band Worlds Apart is technically in competition with: "This means that Journey's music will be heard less which is not good. :( " |
|
| 09 March, 2003 |
Special for Jrnydv.Com:
Jack Blades. frontman and bassist for bands such Damn Yankees and NIght Ranger, has signed a contract with Frontiers Records to release his solo album. Blades enlisted the help of Journey guitarist Neal Schon to write some songs on the album. Blades has worked in the writing department with Journey in the past, along with others such as Aerosmith and Ozzy Osbourne. His solo debut is planned to be released early in the summer. |
|
| 11 March, 2003 |
Special for Jrnydv.Com:
Journey's first concert of 2003 has been announced today on their official website. The benefit show will be performed in San Francisco on April 26 at the Warfield Theater. This performance will be held the day after Journey is honored at the California Music Awards/Bay Area by a plaque on their Rock N Roll Walk Of Fame. This event will take place at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium also in San Francisco. The proceeds from the April 26th show will go to Camp Okizu, a Californian summer camp for children diagnosed with cancer. For more information about ticket sales, go to www.journeymusic.com.
In other news, Planet Us has cleared up the rumors for us about a second guitarist joining the "super group". The place in the group was left open after Guns'N'Roses guitarist Slash vacated it. The band will play live in a Rockline interview that will air this Wednesday on the nationally syndicated radio show. They'll also bring with them the new second guitarist-Joe Satriani. |
|
| 20 March, 2003 |
Special for Jrnydv.Com:
Alan Rosen is taking orders from Neal Schon fans who want some of the guitar-god's merchandise. They are having a massive sale of amps, guitars, pedals, and other guitar equipment. Anyone who wishes to purchase these items should e-mail Rosen at alan@bananas.com
In other news, After a 9-month recording period, Josh Ramos (guitar player from Two Fires and Hardline) is releasing his solo debut. Kelly Hansen (Hurricane) produced the album, titled Living In The Light. This 12-track album includes an instrumental Ramos wrote for his brother Willie. Journey, The Storm, and Two Fires fans will be delighted to hear the harmonies created by Ramos' guitar and singer Mark Weitz. The record will be released in Europe during July 2003. |
|
| 22 March, 2003 |
Special for Jrnydv.Com:
Steve Smith, former Journey drummer, is scheduled for his next CD release Very Live at Ronnie Scott's--Set One. There is no specific release date yet. There is also a Set Two in store for all you Smitty fans. These two albums were recorded from a live show in Soho, London with "Buddy's Buddies." For more information visit www.vitalinformation.com. |
|
| 31 March, 2003 |
Special to Jrnydv.Com:
Neal Schon will be on The Buzz, a Rochester, NY Radio Station (FM 98.9), on Wednesday morning this week. |
|
| 01 April, 2003 |
Special to Jrnydv.Com:
Certain tour dates for the upcoming Journey/Styx/REO Speedwagon "Classic Rock's Main Event" tour have been made available for presale! To get one of these special tickets before they're released to the general public, click HERE. |
|
| 02 April, 2003 |
Special to Jrnydv.Com:
Journey guitarist Neal Schon did some publicity here in New York yesterday with REO Speedwagon's Kevin Cronin and Styx's Tommy Shaw for the upcoming "Classic Rock's Main Event" tour. The trio jammed to tunes from all three bands in a Greenwich Village basement club. Tommy Shaw said that their upcoming schedule is filled with radio interviews and other promotional activities for what truly appears to be classic rock's main event this summer. There may even be a VH1 unplugged session, although no details yet on whether or not that would include Journey and REO Speedwagon as well as Styx. Meanwhile, as VH1 is sponsoring the tour, tomorrow they will re-broadcast 2001's Behind the Music: Journey, tentatively scheduled for 12:00 Noon EST, and they will advertise the tour during the program.
From VH1:
LOS ANGELES, March 31 /PRNewswire/ -- Take three bands: Journey, REO Speedwagon and Styx. Total album sales: 140 million. Create 2003 summer tour: "Classic Rock's Main Event." Begin: Las Vegas on Saturday, May 10, 2003. Go: three months. Maybe more. The tour will be presented by VH1 Classic and promoted nationally by Concerts West, an AEG Live Company.
"Journey, Styx and REO Speedwagon are all heavyweights in the history of American rock and roll music. We are thrilled that VH1 Classic will be presenting their summer tour and updating our viewers on the tour's progress," said Eric Sherman, Vice President, General Manager, VH1 Classic.
Journey is Neal Schon on guitar, Ross Valory on bass, Jonathan Cain on keyboards, Steve Augeri on vocals and Deen Castronovo on drums.
Journey's legacy has spanned nearly 30 years and 18 U.S. album releases. Their music is artful, intense, melodic rock played with passion and superb musicianship. With a cache of hits such as "Lights," "Wheel in the Sky," "Separate Ways," "Who's Crying Now," the GRAMMY® nominated "When You Love A Woman" ""Don't Stop Believin'" and "Open Arms," it's understandable how more than 55 million albums such as Evolution, Departure, Captured, Infinity, Frontiers and the hit-laden, Number One Escape (that stayed on the Billboard charts for over a year) have been sold to fans that may be 18 now, or were 18 when Journey first began. The band received RIAA's Diamond Award® for their "Greatest Hits" album, (given for sales of 10 million copies or more) and their DVD "Live In Vegas" went gold. Like the Egyptian scarab represented in much of Journey's album artwork, transformation and renewal are an integral part of the creative force that has led the band on their remarkable career.
REO Speedwagon is Kevin Cronin; lead singer and principle songwriter, keyboard player and founding member Neal Doughty, bass player Bruce Hall, lead guitarist Dave Amato and drummer Bryan Hitt.
Since the release of REO Speedwagon's first record in 1971, the band that started out in a rented Chevy station wagon playing bars across America has produced 17 critically acclaimed albums including the monumental 10 million seller, Hi Infidelity, scored 13 Top 40 singles including the Number One hits "Can't Fight This Feeling," "Keep On Loving You," and "Time For Me To Fly," timeless hits including "Roll With The Changes", "Ridin' The Storm Out", "Take It On The Run", "Don't Let Him Go" and "Keep Pushin," all resulting in over 40 million albums sold.
Styx is Tommy Shaw -- guitars and vocals, James "JY" Young -- guitars and vocals, Glen Burtnik -- bass and vocals, Todd Sucherman -- drums, percussion and vocals and Lawrence Gowan - keyboards and vocals. Original bassist Chuck Panozzo will also make surprise appearances in select cities.
For more than 30 years, Styx has been carrying the rock'n'roll torch through worldwide touring and platinum records. The band has performed at two of the last three Super Bowls and their tours are continual SRO's. Hits include "Renegade," "Blue Collar Man," "Crystal Ball," "Grand Illusion," "Come Sail Away," "Fooling Yourself (The Angry Young Man)," "Too Much Time on My Hands" and "Lady." Their 14th album, Cyclorama on Sanctuary Records features guests including Brian Wilson, Billy Bob Thornton, Tenacious D, and John Waite. Adam Sandler says, "Styx are the greatest band in the world."
A select number of dates will go on sale through all Ticketmaster local retail ticket center locations, charge-by-phone or online at ticketmaster.com this coming Saturday, April 5, with additional dates throughout May, June and July being announced shortly.
For additional information on Journey visit www.journeymusic.com.
For more information on REO Speedwagon, please go to http://www.speedwagon.com
For more information on Styx, visit www.styxworld.com
Tickets subject to applicable service charges - Event time and date subject to change.
About VH1 Classic: Launched in May 2000, VH1 Classic is a 24-hour network that presents music videos, concerts and music specials featuring classic rock, soul and pop artists from the 60s, 70s and 80s. Featured artists include The Beatles,The Stones, Tina Turner, Led Zeppelin, Marvin Gaye, The Who, Stevie Wonder, The Police and many more. Learn more at http://www.vh1classic.com/.
About Concerts West: Based in Los Angeles, Concerts West, an AEG Live company, is one of the world's largest producers and promoters of live touring events. Concerts West has promoted the nationwide arena and theater tours for superstar artists including Neil Diamond, Britney Spears, Paul McCartney, Eagles, Barry Manilow, Dixie Chicks and Yanni as well as the highly anticipated upcoming Fleetwood Mac and Justin Timberlake & Christina Aguilera tours.
From Pollstar:
Between the three of them, Styx, Journey and REO Speedwagon rack up more than 90 years' worth of rock and roll. Call them a tripod of classic rock. That's cause for a tour in itself.
The three are teaming up for a summer outing titled Classic Rock's Main Event.
The arena-sized trek looks to kick off May 10 in Las Vegas with dates stretching into July. Additional shows are expected to be announced shortly, probably filling in the gaps in June. Tickets for a few shows are already on sale, with more hitting the outlets April 5.
"Journey, Styx, and REO Speedwagon are all heavyweights in the history of American rock and roll music. We are thrilled that VH1 Classic will be presenting their summer tour and updating our viewers on the tour's progress," Eric Sherman of VH1 Classic said.
So, to refresh any graying memories, here's who's in the bands these days: Journey is Neal Schon, Ross Valory, Jonathan Cain, Steve Augeri, and Deen Castronovo; REO Speedwagon is Kevin Cronin, Neal Doughty, Bruce Hall, Dave Amato, and Bryan Hitt; and Styx is Tommy Shaw, James "JY" Young, Glen Burtnik, Todd Sucherman, and Lawrence Gowan.
Original Styx bassist Chuck Panozzo will make some surprise appearances in select cities. |
|
| 04 April, 2003 |
Special for Jrnydv.Com:
The Journey Tribute Band Worlds Apart will be appearing at a benefit concert at Mulcahy's in Wantagh, NY tomorrow afternoon at 3:00. The benefit is for a fallen firefighter of September 11, 2001 attack on the World Trade Center. Click HERE for further details. |
|
| 06 April, 2003 |
Special for Jrnydv.Com:
Tickets to see Journey at the First Union Arena at Wilkes Barre, PA go on pre-sale April 8 at 10:00 AM. Tickets for San Diego, CA And Greenwood Village, CO go on sale April 7 at 10:00 AM.
In other news, former Escape guitarist and former Back Talk moderator Frank Benenati reports no further contact with his former bandmates, although he wishes them well, whether they continue as a Journey tribute or evolve into a Styx tribute (which would be the first in the area). His current band, Crush, is currently seeking a keyboardist who can sing the high notes so that they can expand their repertoire into Journey and Bon Jovi. Crush is currently scheduled to appear on April 12 at Molly Bloom's in Smithtown, NY.
And finally, Planet Us' Sammy Hagar is set to release his new album on Sanctuary Records on May 20th. The live album is titled Live Hallelujah. Guest appearances include Michael Anthony (also of Planet Us) and Gary Cherone. The 17-track record includes a new studio track called "Hallelujah." Amen to that, Sammy. |
|
| 08 April, 2003 |
Special for Jrnydv.Com:
The New York-based Journey tribute band Worlds Apart will be having a show on Saturday, April 12 at the Wreck Room in Wallington, NJ at 10 PM. There will also be a live video and photo shoot during the show.
In other news, Journey's official website just got a makeover. The site's message forum, Back Talk, also had a few changes made too. "The Water Cooler" and "Precious Time" were stripped from the boards. Our favorite online merchandise store, Journeyswag.com, is also back too--with tons of new items!
And finally, Steve Augeri's wife, Lydia, gave us fans a quick update about Steve on the Augeriville Forum. She states "Steve is busy right now preparing for the tour. He is going back and forth between snowy NY and sunny CA. He is so looking foward to touring again." Now, where would you want to be? |
|
| 12 April, 2003 |
Special for Jrnydv.Com:
More ticket sale dates up! Tickets for Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, MN are on sale April 27th, Civic Center Peoria, IL and Conseco Fieldhouse, Indianapolis both go on sale on April 28th. Pre-sale dates for these coming soon!
In other news, a new Steve Smith album has been discovered at a record store in Boston. It is called Steve Smith/Michael Zillber Reimagined, Vol 1: Jazz Standards. The record features Smitty on drums, Zillber on Saxophone, Paul Nagel on piano and John Shifflett on acoustic bass. The sound of the album is reminiscent of jazz greats like Miles Davis, John Coltrane and Duke Ellington. Reimagined, Vol 1: Jazz Standards was recorded on Blue Jay Records.
And finally, keyboardist Tod Kagan of the New York-based Journey Tribute band Escape, whose possible breakup was reported in these pages last month, contacted us with a follow-up:
"[Drummer] Anthony [Ferrarra] has a metal plate in his wrist now and he feels better than he did before the surgery. He estimates that in 3-4 weeks, we can begin to practice and resume our search for a decent guitar player.
"[Lead vocalist] Gary [Factora] has been building and living in his new house in Ridge, NY. He had been living out of boxes for the past two months while the contruction continues.
"I am very anxious to play with these guys again. I have been working on solo material to perform at piano bars and small venues. I have also been playing in the basement studio with some old buddies from the OmniPop cover band circuit.
"All in all, things are great. We spoke about adding other 80's rock material to our Journey reportoia. Maybe we can still get it together for some summer shows out east and the Jersey shore." |
|
| 17 April, 2003 |
Special for Jrnydv.Com:
A few weeks ago, members of Journey, Styx and REO Speedwagon all teamed up for a pre-tour jam session in New York. Members of the three bands are very pleased with the result of sound the jam produced. Tommy Shaw, singer and guitarist from Styx says, "All these great singers singing those songs with Neal shredding away on guitar. ... The muscle of all these masters was moving beyond belief." The groups jam session should be broadcasted on VH1 soon according to Shaw.
On May 19th, Sammy Hagar(Planet Us) will be on David Letterman and Howard Stern to promote his new live album.
The following Journey tour stops will have pre-sale tickets available on April 22nd at 10 A.M:
06/14 - Xcel Energy Center, St. Paul, MN
06/15 - U.S. Cellular Arena, Milwaukee, WI
06/17 - Civic Center, Peoria, IL
06/19 - Conesco Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN
06/21 - Kemper Arena, Kansas City, MO
And if your going to the show at the Pepsi Center in Albany, NY pre-sale began on April 15th, so go get them!
In other news, The San Francisco radio station The Bone 107.7 will have Journey as their Featured Artist of the Week starting Monday, April 22nd. If you live in the area you can call in and win prizes. The Bone will also have a contest for 2 reserved seats at the Warfield show and another to meet the band.
And finally, it seems like Neal Schon is getting political on us now. He made a statement about how he feels about the current war in Iraq for Launch.com : "You know, I just think what's going down, we wouldn't have to be worrying about it right now had--when Bush Sr. was in office, what is it, 12 years ago?--I feel if he had taken care of business...," Schon said. "I mean, I watched him on CNN--an old taping of him--and he was basically talking about the problems with Saddam Hussein back then, and that things needed to happen. And what happened? He pulled out. So, I don't really know why we're sitting here now dealing with the same problem--actually, I do know why. It just wasn't taken care of." |
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| 24 April, 2003 |
Special for Jrnydv.Com:
Journey, Styx, and REO Speedwagon have added a date and also deleted two dates to their Summer 2003 tour. The June 11 show at DTE Energy in Detroit, MI and July 17 show at Breslin Event Center in Lansing, MI have been cancelled. But the guys added a show on June 12 at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit. The following shows will have pre-sale tickets available on 4/22/03:
6/01 - Hilton Coliseum, Ames, IA
6/07 - Cynthia Mitchell Pavilion, Houston, TX
6/12 - Joe Louis Arena, Detroit, MI
6/14 - Xcel Energy Center, St. Paul, MN
6/15 - U.S. Cellular Center, Milwaukee, WI
6/17 - Civic Center, Peoria, IL
6/19 - Conesco Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN
6/21 - Kemper Arena, Kansas City, MO
7/26 - Gwinnett Center, Duluth, GA
Remember the password is MAINEVENT!
Also, Neal Schon will join members of Styx and REO Speedwagon for an appearance on the radio rock show ROCKLINE on May 7, 2003. For more details on what station the show broadcasts near you go to www.rocklineradio.com
In other news, Journey was also featured on the Aussie music television. The channel MusicMax played their 100 Top Love songs and "Open Arms" made number 8! Congrats guys!
And finally, the release of American Idol Season 2: All Time Classic American Love Songs on April 29th will feature contestants Corey Clark and Clay Aiken singing Journey and Steve Perry love songs("Open Arms and Foolish Heart"). |
|
| 25 April, 2003 |
Correction:
In a news article yesterday it was reported that American Idol Season 2: All Time Classic American Love Songs would feature Corey Clark singing Steve Perry's "Foolish Heart" and Clay Aiken singing "Open Arms," as they had sung during the semi-finals. In fact, neither is the case. Instead, the album will feature Corey Clark singing "Open Arms." The news staff at Jrnydv.Com apologizes for the misperception. |
|
| 28 April, 2003 |
Special to Jrnydv.Com:
Journey was honored on Friday, April 25, 2003 with induction into the California Music Hall of Fame at the Bill Graham Civic Center in San Francisco. Former manager Herbie Herbert, former Journeymen Gregg Rolie and Aynsley Dunbar, the current Journey lineup and several wives, children, and other relatives were in attendance. The following evening Journey played the first show of their 2003 tour at the Warfield Theatre in San Francisco. Aynsley Dunbar relieved Deen Castronovo on drums for a set and Neal Schon sang lead on "Black Magic Woman" during a Santana set. The show also featured Jonathan Cain on harmonica for "Precious Time." More on this show, and additional information on the upcoming "Legends of Classic Rock" 2003 tour with Styx and REO Speedwagon, can be read in an article in the Contra Costa Times. Also discussed is the band's benefit concert for Camp Okizu, a little background on the band, and a mini-interview with Neal Schon. He talks about his muscial influences, Journey, and the problems with Steve Perry.
In other news, Rankingrock.com has just compiled a list of the greatest Current and All-Time AOR artists. Journey members who made it are Steve Augeri (Current vocalist #2), Neal Schon (Current guitarist #1, All Time guitarist #1), Jon Cain (Current keys #1, All Time keys #1), Ross Valory (Current Bass#4 All Time Bass #1), Steve Smith (All Time drummer #3), Deen Castronovo (Current drummer #1, All Time drummer #2), Steve Perry (All Time vocalist #1) and Kevin Shirley (All Time Producing #1). Congratulations guys!
From the rumor mill, Michael Anthony (Planet Us) was supposed to be stopping by at Journey's show at the Warfield Theater last Saturday, April 26th. It further states that fans shouldn't be suprised to hear Planet Us rocking out at the show. Hopefully, more from this will follow!
And finally, Pre-sale tickets for Journey's July 22nd show in Philadelphia at the First Union Center will go on sale Tuesday, April 29th. |
|
| 04 May, 2003 |
Special to Jrnydv.Com:
We received an e-mail last night from Alan Arnold of AynsleyDunbar.Com on the subject of the current Journey lineup: "I work for Aynsley Dunbar and am responsible for his web site (aynsleydunbar.com). I not only work for him, but am a major fan of Journey, old, and now the new iteration of the group. I was at the events, including the much spoken concert at the Warfield. I will tell anyone that is wondering that Journey is back in a BIG way. I hope their old fans give them a chance, and give Steve Augeri a chance. They will not be disappointed. If fans are interested in pictures of the Bammies awards, Aynsley's wife Margaret has shared some of the Dunbars' personal photos on Aynsley’s web site. They are posted under the NEWS page on his site." Thanks for the info, Alan! |
|
| 05 May, 2003 |
Journey made the New York Times today.
From "Concert CD's Sold on the Spot by a Radio Giant," by Matthew Mirapaul, paragraphs 9-10:
"...[A]t least one long-time manager of rock bands, Irving Azoff, said he was enthusiastic about the Instant-Live concept, especially at a time when concession sales are declining. 'I, for one, would rather have a live CD of the show that I can take home than a T-shirt,' he said. 'So I think it's the future of the touring merchandising business.'
"Mr. Azoff said he was talking to Clear Channel about offering Instant Live discs during a summer tour of the vintage rock bands Journey and REO Speedwagon, provided that the company can demonstrate its ability to churn out enough discs to satisfy an arena-size audience."
Click HERE for he entire article (free NYT registration required; articles remain free for six days after publication, following which there is a modest per-article service charge). |
|
| 06 May, 2003 |
Special for Jrnydv.Com:
Gregg Rolie's favorite fan Fred Mulgrew sent us some pictures of the Gregg Rolie band's 5/3 gig at Santa Rosa, CA. Check 'em out HERE. |
|
| 11 May, 2003 |
Special for Jrnydv.Com:
Members of Journey, Styx, and REO Speedwagon were on Rockline last Wednesday, May 7. They answered calls from fans around the country and talked a bit about their tour and how they all deal with each others egos. Kevin Cronin told Rockline that the shows this summer will be almost 4 and a half hours long. The guys seemed excited for the tour and said that they've been waiting for something like this for a long time.
In other news, the following shows will have presale ticket sales on these dates:
7/23 - MCI Center, Washington D.C. - Presale begins May 8.
7/20 - Allan County Memorial Coliseum, Fort Wayne, IN - Presale begins May 15.
7/26 - The Arena at Gwinnett Center, Duluth, GA - Presale begins May 15.
Also, Steve Smith is in July's "Modern Drummer." His DVD Drumset Technique/ History of the US Beat was rated #1 in the readers poll. Smitty was also voted #2 in the best All-Around Drummer and Contemporary Jazz categories. Go Smitty!
And finally, Leslie Palleria sent us some pictures from the Walk of Fame induction and after-party at the San Francisco Hard Rock Cafe. View them HERE |
|
| 14 May, 2003 |
Special for Jrnydv.Com:
Presale Tickets will be on sale May 15 for the following Journey show: Allan County Memorial Coliseum, Fort Wayne, IN on July 20. Also, the band has changed a sale date for one of their shows. The July 26th concert at Gwinnett Center in Duluth, GA will go on sale on Friday, May 16 at 12 P.M. There will be no presale tickets available for this show. For all ticket information and sales, don't forget to visit www.ticketmaster.com! |
|
| 15 May, 2003 |
Special for Jrnydv.Com:
Journeyswag has some new merchandise avaiblable! Walk of Fame T-shirts and vintage Neal Schon photographs are just some of the many brand new items at the online store. Buy your Journey goodies today at www.journeyswag.com! |
|
| 20 May, 2003 |
Special for Jrnydv.Com:
On June 24th, Capitol Records will reissue 2 Vinnie Vincent Invasion albums, Vinnie Vincent Invasion (1986) and All Systems Go (1988), which feature former Journey lead singer Robert Fleischman on vocals.
In other news, Journey was mentioned in a NY Times article last week concerning American Idol contestants' overuse of a musical technique called "melisma." This is a form of singing in which the singer turns one syllable into many notes, as in "Whoa-oa-oa-oa, faithfullee--ee." The article mentioned Journey's hit "Open Arms."
The Virginia-based Journey tribute band Frontiers has updated their site with some recent news. Topics include the rescheduling of their show this past weekend at the Hoopla in Virginia Beach to July 12; their show in Knoxville on July 26 has been cancelled, and the band apologizes for any inconvieniences. Frontiers also celebrated their One Year Anniversary over the weekend. Congratulations Guys! |
|
| 21 May, 2003 |
Special for Jrnydv.Com:
Congratulations are in order for Tim Szlosek, drummer for the Journey tribute band World's Apart, and his wife who welcomed their baby girl, Mackenzie Irene, on May 19th at 11:09 A.M. According to the band, mother and daughter are perfectly healthy. |
|
| 02 June, 2003 |
Special to Jrnydv.Com:
Journey played a one-hour show at a Denver bar the other night, according to the Denver Post. The band was invited to play, but the owner of the bar wasn't sure if they would show up. Well, the guys suprised him and came, putting on a free concert for 150 lucky patrons. Neal Schon even jumped behind the bar and started serving drinks! Stick with your day job, Neal. For us! The Post also featured an article last week on the band's date at Fiddler's Green Ampitheater. Neal Schon talked about how many of Journey's songs were written for arenas. "We wrote music that catered to the arenas because they're echoey. The sound that we have, the space between the chords--everything was written for playing inside arenas, because that's where Journey lived." The article also states that the band went back to using cords for their instruments and mics, instead of the more modern, cordless way.
In other news, New York-based tribute band Worlds Apart let us know about their upcoming date in Bayonne, NJ on June 7th at the Arena at George's. The band did not schedule dates in May because of personal conflicts, but are looking forward to coming back in June! |
|
| 03 June, 2003 |
Special to Jrnydv.Com:
All of you die hard Steve Perry fans who have been waiting to hear something from the guy are in luck! Melodicrock.com has reported that Steve "accidentally" sung on a track from Jeff Golub's new album Soul Sessions. The record is due for release sometime in August. Golub has this to say about Steve's appearance: "One really cool thing that happened as a result of this atmosphere of friends coming in and out is that one day Steve Perry stopped in to say hi to his friend Steve Ferrone ( one of the perks of having a "Drummer to the Stars" playing with you). We all thought it was pretty cool just to have the singer from "Journey" at the studio. We were recording a ballad that I had written and during a play back Steve says to me: "Man, I could really here this vocal line going along with your guitar". Of course I had the engineer set up a microphone immediately and the next thing you know, I've got STEVE PERRY singing on my record."
For more information on this exciting news, go to Jeff Golub's website. |
|
| 08 June, 2003 |
Special to Jrnydv.Com:
Journey, Styx, and REO have added a new date onto their "Classic Rock's Main Event" summer tour. July 17th at the Resch Center in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Tickets are now on sale. There will also be new merchandise available at the Journey store. Check it out at www.journeyswag.com!
In other news, the New York-based Journey tribute band Worlds Apart has cancelled their October 11th gig at Hartley's in North Arlington, NJ. They have added two dates: October 11th and December 13th, both at Peppers Grille and Bar in Berwick, PA at 10 PM. |
|
| 13 June, 2003 |
Special for Jrnydv.Com:
Electric Artists, the publicist for KISS and other bands and labels, has asked us to help them advertise the release of the new KISS CD on Sanctuary Records entitled Sanctuary: Alive IV. For more information, click HERE. |
|
| 17 June, 2003 |
Special for Jrnydv.Com:
Neal Schon and Journey were featured in a June 12th article of the Journal Star. The article states that Neal always wanted to write hard rock, but never could because of the band's trademark ballads. Red 13 gave him the chance to do exactly that. Neal says, "It was international. It was something I wanted to get off my chest. You wake up in different musical moods. And that day I felt like kicking butt." The piece also gives a brief bio of Neal and the band. |
|
| 19 June, 2003 |
Press Release:
THE HOLLYWOOD CHAMBER OF COMMERCE WALK OF FAME COMMITTEE ANNOUNCES NEW WALK OF FAME RECIPIENTS FOR 2004
HOLLYWOOD, CA.—A new group of entertainers in motion pictures, television, radio, live theater, and recording have been selected to receive stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, it was announced today by Johnny Grant, chairman of the Walk of Fame Committee of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce. These individuals were chosen from among hundreds of nominations to the committee at a meeting held June 13, and ratified by the Chamber’s Board of Directors.
The Walk of Fame recipients for the year 2004 are:
MOTION PICTURES: Halle Berry, Glenn Close, Kevin Costner, Patty Duke, Anthony Hopkins, Brooke Shields, John Singleton and Hans Zimmer
TELEVISION: Steve Edwards, Mary Kate & Ashley Olsen, Ted Turner and Cindy Williams
RECORDING: Jose Jose, Journey, Nancy Sinatra and Britney Spears
LIVE THEATRE/LIVE PERFORMANCE- Mickey and Jan Rooney
RADIO- Pepe Barreto
POSTHUMOUS- Elizabeth Montgomery (MP), Dr. Seuss (MP) and Ethel Waters (MP)
“There’s a favorite on this list for everybody. We have both young and veteran performers and local, national and international stars” stated Johnny Grant. “The induction ceremonies will generate a lot of excitement for our residents and visitors from around the world,” he added. |
|
| 21 June, 2003 |
Special for Jrnydv.Com:
Many congratulations go out to JOURNEY, who are getting a "Star" on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. On June 19th, it was announced that Journey, among other artists and actors, was picked from over hundreds of nominations. There is no official date for the ceremony yet, but we'll keep you posted!
In other news, tickets for the Journey/Styx/REO show in Marion, SC at the Carolina Ampitheater have gone on sale June 20th. Get your tickets now for this show and others at www.ticketmaster.com
And finally, Jonathan Cain will be featured in a MSN chat on Tuesday, June 24th at 4 PM(PDT)/ 7PM (EDT). To join the chat go to this link on Tuesday. |
|
| 30 June, 2003 |
Special for Jrnydv.Com:
There is an article up at Classic Rock Revisited about former Journey keyboardist Gregg Rolie. He speaks about his recent release of his album Roots, his Santana days, and Journey. Rolie talks about how Roots is a trip back to his Santana days. You can see the full article HERE. Also look for a REO Speedwagon connection with Gregg!
In other news, Jonathan Cain was featured on an MSN Live chat last Tuesday, June 24th. Questions asked were mostly about the summer tour. To read the chat's transcript, click HERE. |
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| 04 July, 2003 |
Special for Jrnydv.Com:
The Storm blows through America again! Lead singer Kevin Chalfant (also formerly of The Vu and Two Fires) and his current band are now touring under the name "The Storm." According to Josh Ramos, former lead guitarist (also formerly of Hardline and Two Fires), "Gregg Rolie, Ross Valory and I gave him the permission to use the name for shows." Josh is looking forward to the release of his new band's first CD, Living in the Light. The band is called "Ramos." Other former members of The Storm are also out and about: keyboardist/lead vocalist Gregg Rolie and drummer Ron Wikso are on tour with the Gregg Rolie Band in support of their 2001 CD, Roots; bassist Ross Valory is on tour with Journey in VH1's "Classic Rock's Main Event," featuring Styx and REO Speedwagon; and drummer Steve Smith is on tour with his jazz band, Vital Information. Look for The Storm's current tour schedule in the "Tour Schedules" page of the NEWS Feature of this site, where Kevin Chalfant's schedule used to be listed. The Storm was briefly on tour with the Gregg Rolie Band in June; they are currently scheduled to appear with them again in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, on August 7. Also look for a 1993 Rockine interview with Kevin Chalfant and The Storm on these pages in days to come! |
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| 05 July, 2003 |
Special to Jrnydv.Com:
Journey is planning on touring themselves after the Classic Rock's Main Event Tour is over. There are no dates set up yet, but, as always, we'll keep you posted!
A newspaper in Rochester, NY has printed an article featuring Journey and their 30 years as a band. To read the article, click HERE.
Watch a day in the life of "American Idol" judge and former Journey bassist Randy Jackson! Click HERE. Randy gave an interview for JoJowright.com and spoke briefly about his career with Journey. Read this and more about "AI" HERE.
An article on USATODAY.com about Gibson guitars going digital features comments from Journey-man Neal Schon. The new guitar will be hooked up to a digital amplifier that can mix the sound of the guitar, instead of a regular electrical cord plugged into a regular amp. Neal gave "ecstatic" comments to the newspaper, saying, "I tried it with 200 feet of cable, and there was no change in tone." |
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| 11 July, 2003 |
Special to Jrnydv.Com:
Tickets for Journey's show at the Konocti Harbor Resort Ampitheater in Kelseyville, CA on August 29, 2003 will go on sale July 13th at 10 AM through www.tickets.com.
Journey will be releasing a DVD of their April 25th Walk of Fame Ceremony and their concert performace at the Warfield. The special DVD, which will also feature behind-the-scenes footage, will be released sometime later this year ONLY at the Journey store! Look out for the DVD and other Journey merchandise at www.journeyswag.com.
There are reviews of the summer tour stops at these places:
Rochester, NY: www.rochester-citynews.com and www.democratandchronicle.com.
Pittsburgh, PA: www.pittsburghlive.com.
Another fan wrote a review of the show for rockpublication.com. You can check it out here.
If you want to let the Ford Motor company how great they are for playing Journey's "Any Way You Want It" during their new commericals, send them an email at www.customersaskford.com. |
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| 20 July, 2003 |
From MelodicRock.Com:
This interesting statement was sent to me [Andrew McNiece of MelodicRock.Com], having been found at Sony rock A&R guru John Kalodner's website:
"Once and for all, if Steve Perry wanted to sing, or wants to sing at ANY TIME, any manager, promoter or agent would be ecstatic. It's not that anyone is preventing him or standing in his way; in fact, the Journey band with Steve Augeri has an open invitation to him to sing any songs (or even one) at any Journey show, now or in the future. Irving Azoff and John Baruck (Journey's managers) have an open invitation to Steve Perry to do one song, one show, or a tour, or anything Steve Perry would want to do, at any time. Unfortunately, at this time Steve Perry prefers a private life and does not want to sing!" |
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| 21 July, 2003 |
Special for Jrnydv.Com:
Former Journey drummer Steve Smith, currently on tour in England with his jazz band Vital Information, has just announced some additional tour dates for August and into the fall. All are currently stateside. Check 'em out on the "Tour Schedules" page. |
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| 24 July, 2003 |
Special for Jrnydv.Com:
Steve Smith, who has just completed his second European tour of 2003, has also just released a brand new live album: Steve Smith and Buddy's Buddies: Very Live at Ronnie Scott's in London--Set Number One. The album is available at your local Borders and at www.audiophileimports.com.
In other news, The Washington Times reported yesterday on some of the statistics for Journey's "Classic Rock's Main Event Tour. Click HERE to read the article. |
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| 27 July, 2003 |
From today's New York Times:
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| 01 August, 2003 |
Special for Jrnydv.Com:
Tickets.Com is currently showing a new tour date for Journey: September 24 at Soaring Eagle Casino in Mount Pleasant, MI.
In other news, Steve Perry sound-alike Jeremey Hunsicker, lead singer of the Virginia-based Journey Tribute Band Frontiers, has released an original track, "One by One," available at the Frontiers Website. The song, a moody late-eighties-style adult-oriented rock number, is a collaboration with Swedish songwriter Juhani Nahkala, with whom Hunsicker hopes to complete a full-length CD in weeks to come, possibly for European distribution.
Elsewhere, Gregg Rolie Band manager (and former manager of The Storm) Scott Boorey has confirmed in a telephone conversation with Jrnydv.Com that the owners of the name "The Storm" have agreed to allow Kevin Chalfant the use of the name for touring purposes on a one-year basis, with annual extensions if all goes well. Four members of The Storm will be present next week at Oshkosh, WI: lead singer/keyboardist Gregg Rolie and drummer Ron Wikso, appearing with the Gregg Rolie Band; and lead singer Kevin Chalfant and guitarist Josh Ramos, appearing as "The Storm." With Kevin having sung old Journey tunes with Gregg's band in the past, the possibilities for next week's show seem endless.
And finally, we have just received word of an incident at the Journey concert last month in Detroit. The headlines read: "I gotta get out of here or I'm going to die," and "No one saw it coming. Perfect seats at a rock concert, banter with strangers — then a blur of fists, a knife, blood." According to the Detroit Free Press, a scuffle in the floor section of Classic Rock's Main Event turned into a bloody melee. Read the article HERE. |
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| 12 August, 2003 |
From MelodicRock.Com:
CLASSIC FOOTAGE COMING TO JOURNEY DVDs: Via his website, A&R guru John Kalodner has made reference to some new Journey DVDs he is working on. John states: "...By the way, I'm currently working on Journey (with Steve Perry) DVDs from the 80's that should be released this Fall on Columbia Records." I'll try and dig for some further info, stay tuned... |
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| 21 August, 2003 |
From MelodicRock.Com:
Sony's John Kalodner has confirmed the release of a Journey DVD for later this year. This initial DVD will be a collection of their MTV videos, approximately fifteen, from 1978 - 1998. Next up is the possibility of some concert DVDs featuring Steve Perry and the band. Full details of the Clips DVD are expected shortly. Without pre-emptying the DVDs contents, I know of clips for the tracks - After The Fall, Anyway You Want It, Chain Reaction, Don't Stop Believin', Faithfully, I'll Be Alright Without You, Just The Same Way, Lights, Send Her My Love, Lovin' You Is Easy, Lovin' Touchin' Squeezin', Rubicon, Separate Ways, Too Late, Wheel In The Sky, Who's Crying Now and Why Can't This Night Go On Forever. |
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| 25 August, 2003 |
Steve Smith/Vital Information News:
Greetings, 2003 has been a very busy and intense year for me and all of the members of Vital Information. Our keyboard player, Tom Coster, has been touring with Billy Cobham and Bill Evans. Guitarist Frank Gambale has been touring with the Chick Corea Elektric Band and Billy Cobham. Our bassist Baron Browne has also been touring with Billy Cobham -- Billy has seen us play a number of times and it seems he likes us!
I started the year with various clinics, a performance with Gambale/Hamm/Smith at the NAMM show in Southern California and a Vital Information tour of Europe that took us all over Europe, England, Russia and Turkey. The European tour was our most successful to date and we played to sold out houses most nights. I kept a daily tour diary that is archived at www.hudsonmusic.com and also on my website: www.vitalinformation.com
By the end of May Vital Info had toured most the U.S.A. with Bill Evans joining us a Special Guest. Bill is one of the greatest sax players on the scene today and one funny man. Between him and Tom Coster -- our official band jester -- we laughed our way through the entire tour. The band responded well to having a sax player up front and we played at a new level of intensity. When we played at the Modern Drummer Festival on May 17th, the folks from Hudson Music filmed the concert and we did capture some of the magic that happened every night of the tour. The Modern Drummer 2003 DVD will be released later this year. Also at that concert Modern Drummer presented me with the Readers Poll Award for "Educational Video/DVD of the Year-2003" for my DVD "Drumset Technique and History of the U.S. Beat." Thank you to all the folks that voted for me! It is a great honor to get that kind of acknowledgment from the drumming community.
In June I toured the Canadian Jazz Festivals with the Steve Smith/Mike Zilber group which features Mike Zilber on sax (as well as arrangements and compositions), John Shifflett on acoustic bass and Paul Nagel on piano. We released a CD earlier this year called "Reimagined Vol. One, Jazz Standards." This group usually only plays in the San Francisco Bay Area, but Mike was able to book us a tour of Canada. For the tour we had the legendary Dave Liebman as our Special Guest. Playing with Dave was a thrill and a great learning experience for me. He is very serious about jazz and we had enlightening talks about music and my playing felt like it evolved over the course of the tour. We have some more dates coming up with this group featuring Dave Liebman and Fareed Haque at the end of September. Check the touring page for details.
In late June I went to Cape Cod for my parent's 50th wedding anniversary, which was a huge bash!
I took two trips over the Atlantic in July, one to Spain and Turkey with Summit, the "Indian/Jazz" group with George Brooks (sax), Zakir Hussain (tabla), Kai Eckhardt (bass) and Fareed Haque (guitar). I came home for a week and helped my son Ian find a place in San Francisco where he is attending college. Then I went to London to perform at Rhythm Sticks, a yearly percussion festival. I performed with the World Percussion Trio made up of myself along with Hakim Ludin on hand drums and Karuna Murthy on the South Indian drum called the Tavil. There is a related story on this concert on the Steve Smith news page at www.vitalinformation.com
On August 4th I played a fun gig in Seattle, WA opening for Procol Harum -- one of my more unique bookings! Since all of the Vital Info band members were on tour with Billy Cobham in Europe, I put together a new group that featured Geoffrey Keezer on keyboard, Mike Zilber on sax and Dave Carpenter on bass. The music we played was a combination of Vital Info tunes and the "Reimagined" jazz standards played in the electric style, similar to an early Weather Report sound. We had a ball and the music was extremely high level. I'd like to do some gigs with this band.
Oregon. My daughter Elizabeth will be attending college here in the fall. For now I spend the days answering backed up email, practicing a little and trying to recharge. I need to come up with some ideas for new Vital Information tunes, and some of the other projects I'm involved with. I also spend a fair amount of time doing interviews and working with my agent, Janet Williamson, on gigs for the rest of this year and into 2004.
I'll resume touring in September with a clinic tour across Canada. I'll also attend -- as an audience member -- the Tribute to Armand Zildjian and Steve Gadd that Zildjian is putting on in Boston on September 13th, that should be a blast. In late September I have a couple of gigs with the Zilber/Smith/Liebman group and one night in Pullman, WA with a fantastic South Indian guitar player named Prasanna. We will play a duo concert of Indian/Fusion music at the local college, again see the touring page for details.
October is set aside to record a new Vital Information CD. We already have a lot of new tune ideas in the works but we need about two weeks of concentrated writing and recording time to come up with a new albums worth of music. I've also been thinking about having a couple of Special Guests on the CD to keep it fresh and interesting for us.
November looks like I'll play some more gigs with Summit and then Vital Information will travel to the Far East and play in Shanghai China. I'll come back to the USA for clinics and a performance at PASIC on November 20th in Louisville, KY.
In early December Sonor has me going to Chile for a three day drum festival. I've never been to South America before, so that will be a new experience.
We're already starting to book some work into 2004. Vital Information may be in the Pacific Northwest sometime in February. Late February and early March is set aside for a Buddy's Buddies tour to support our two new CDs on the Tone Center label. The band features Buddy Rich alumni Steve Marcus on tenor/soprano and Andy Fusco on alto, rounding out the rhythm section is Mark Soskin on piano (Sonny Rollins) and Baron Browne on bass (Vital Info/Jean-Luc Ponty). The first of the two, "Steve Smith and Buddy's Buddies Very Live at Ronnie Scott's -- Set One" was released in July. The second CD, "Steve Smith and Buddy's Buddies Very Live at Ronnie Scott's -- Set Two" is slated for an October release. The reviews have been glowing and there is a lot of interest in the band. We're going to focus on the East Coast and the Midwest at first and then see if we can branch out to some other areas.
The DVD of the NYC concert celebrating the 25th anniversary of The Collective has come out recently on Hudson Music and it is a smokin' DVD. Dave Weckl and his group sound amazing at this concert as well as The John Patitucci/Horacio "El Negro" Hernandez Trio and Steve Gadd and the Gadd Gang. I started my performance solo and then I play in duet with the incredible bass player, Victor Wooten, which was a total treat! Check it out at www.hudsonmusic.com
That's it for now. Thank you all for coming out to see us play and supporting the music. We all love playing for full houses and it's all of you who make that possible by caring enough to come out and see us play live.
Take Care and hope to see you on the road!
--Steve Smith |
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| 08 September, 2003 |
From Augeriville:
Augeriville Monday night Chat: September 8th @ 9pm EDT in the Augerville forums chat room. Hope to see you there :) |
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| 12 September, 2003 |
Special for Jrnydv.Com:
The Hugo Street Team has contacted the Journey Zone and informed us that Hugo's first single off of his solo album Fire in the Night (release-Fall 2003) is available for download over at www.melodicrock.com. The Hugo Street Team also is welcoming new members, so go ahead and email them at hugostreetteam@hotmail.com
Evolution, The Journey tribute band which features Hugo on lead vocals, has changed their start time for this Saturday's show to 10:30.
The Journey tribute band, Infinity, is going to be playing a show Saturday, September 13th at the Lodge in Lisle, IL. For more information about the Lodge, you can visit www.thelodgefourlakes.com |
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| 02 October, 2003 |
Special for Jrnydv.Com:
Robert Fleischman, former lead vocalist from Journey, is lending his pipes to the Christian rock band Liberty N' Justice's new release "Welcome to the Revolution" due in March 2004. The record will be released on "3 Chord" records. You can check out the band's website. |
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| 17 October, 2003 |
Special for The Journey Zone:
Journey plans to release their Greatest Hits DVD on November 25, 2003 hopefully followed by some more awesome DVDs. Keep your fingers crossed!
Neal Schon will be performing with Joe Satriani, Yngwie Malmsteen and Steve Vai on their tour when it stops in Concord, CA at the Chronicle Pavilion, October 17th and at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, TN on Monday, October 27th. |
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| 23 October, 2003 |
Special for The Journey Zone:
There is more info about the "Greatest Hits" DVD being released in November. Check the band's official site for the set list at journeytheband.com.
On Tuesday, November 9th, "3 Chord Records" will be releasing big news on the Liberty n' Justice album Welcome to the Revolution, which features Journey ex-singer Robert Fleischman. Check it out at their website, 3chordrecords.net.
Jeremey Hunsicker, lead singer of the Journey tribute band "Frontiers," has sent out a newsletter about a new CD he is writing--The Elemental CD. You can check it out at www.elementalrocks.com.
Kevin Chalfant (The Storm, Two Fires) has a tentative show date in Palatine, Illinois on November 22nd at a club called "Idol's." But to make the show really happen, Kevin is asking fans to call the club to show support for him. The number is (847)934-3474. He's also promising fans some Journey tunes at the show.
There was a Journey tribute CD recorded over in Italy! The artist, Guido Priori, has contacted The Journey Zone and sent along a weblink for all Journey tribute fans to see. Check it out at gpriorijourneytribute.homestead.com. |
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| 28 October, 2003 |
Special for Jrnydv.Com:
Are you ready to bid? Interested in Journey wine bottles from 1981, signed by the late and legendary promoter Bill Graham and given to Journey for their "best year yet?" Then you need to get a good look at these pictures. There were very few bottles of this "Journey vintage" ever created, and ten years later, in 1991, Steve Smith gave four of them to guitarist Josh Ramos while they were working together in The Storm. Now Josh is willing to sell them to the highest bidder.
There are two "packages" available. All four bottles are from Windsor Winery in California's Sonoma Valley and all four bottles are unopened. Each package comes with a "Certificate of Authenticity" signed by Mr. Ramos. Bidders must be twenty-one years of age or older.
The first package contains one bottle addressed to Journey (1978 Cabernet Sauvignon) and one addressed to "Susan M. Gurnack" (1978 White Zinfandel). The minimum bid for this package is $650.
The second package contains one bottle addressed to former Journey drummer Steve Smith (1978 Premium Ruby Cabernet) and one addressed to "Susan M. Gurnack" (1979 Gamey Beaujolais). The minimum bid for this package is $550.
Please e-mail bids to journeywine at jrnydv.com and they will be forwarded to Mr. Ramos. The Journey Zone is not conducting the auction but is forwarding legitimate bids to Mr. Ramos. Your bid is not valid and complete until you receive confirmation from Mr. Ramos.
Please include the following items in your bid e-mail:
Your full legal name
Your Street address and daytime phone number
The amount of your bid (in US dollars)--bids below the stated minimums will be rejected
The following statement: "I certify that I am twenty-one years of age or older and that there are no legal restrictions where I live which would forbid me from participation in this auction."
This auction will end on Novermber 15 and the winner will be notified by Mr. Ramos and announced at the Journey Zone. |
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| 05 November, 2003 |
Special for The Journey Zone:
Vital Information, the band that former Journey-man Steve Smith is drummer for, has released some international and local tour dates. Check out the band's website www.vitalinformation.com to find a show near you! There's also some band member updates available too.
The show for the Journey tribute band, Frontiers, in Harrisonburg, VA has been cancelled. The band promises to return back to Harrisonburg in the future, so we will keep you updated with that. They also wanted to remind everyone of their show on December 6th in Salem, VA at "Howlers". The band also expects to return to Northern Virginia sometime after the New Year.
The band Elemental, which Journey-tribute artist Jeremey Hunsicker is in, will be releasing a full download of their new song "Requiem (Dance With A Memory)". The download will be available at Audio Kingdom (www.audiokingdom.com) November 10th-December 2nd for a $3 dollar donation to the Mercury Phoenix Trust, an AIDS charity foundation. For more on the foundation, you can visit www.mercuryphoenixtrust.com.
There is a new Journey-tribute band based in Canada. Their name is "Separate Ways" and to find more information on the rocking new band visit www.foreverrocks.com and click on the Journey tribute button. |
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| 17 November, 2003 |
Special for The Journey Zone:
The Journey Wine Bottles Auction has been extended and the minimum bids have been lowered. Josh has asked us to let everyone know that the minimum bid for package one has been lowered to $400, and the minimum bid for package two has been lowered to $350. In addition, the auction has been extended to December 1st. See below for details.
There are two "packages" available. All four bottles are from Windsor Winery in California's Sonoma Valley and all four bottles are unopened. Each package comes with a "Certificate of Authenticity" signed by Mr. Ramos. Bidders must be twenty-one years of age or older.
The first package contains one bottle addressed to Journey (1978 Cabernet Sauvignon) and one addressed to "Susan M. Gurnack" (1978 White Zinfandel). The minimum bid for this package is now $400.
The second package contains one bottle addressed to former Journey drummer Steve Smith (1978 Premium Ruby Cabernet) and one addressed to "Susan M. Gurnack" (1979 Gamey Beaujolais). The minimum bid for this package is now $350.
Please e-mail bids to journeywine at jrnydv.com and they will be forwarded to Mr. Ramos. The Journey Zone is not conducting the auction but is forwarding legitimate bids to Mr. Ramos. Your bid is not valid and complete until you receive confirmation from Mr. Ramos.
Please include the following items in your bid e-mail:
Your full legal name
Your Street address and daytime phone number
The amount of your bid (in US dollars)--bids below the stated minimums will be rejected
The following statement: "I certify that I am twenty-one years of age or older and that there are no legal restrictions where I live which would forbid me from participation in this auction."
This auction will end on December 1 and the winner will be notified by Mr. Ramos and announced at the Journey Zone. |
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| 24 November, 2003 |
Special for The Journey Zone:
Steve Augeri will one of the many musicians a charity benefit, "Serving Up Rock", which will benefit Here's Help, a charity that provides help for families suffering through drug addiction. Steve will be performing in the Classic Rock concert which will feature starts from other classic rock bands like Styx and Kansas. The benefit will be held December 20th,2003, in the Great Hall at The Westin Diplomat Resort & Spa, Hollywood, Florida. |
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| 01 December, 2003 |
Special for The Journey Zone:
The Journey Merchandise store has a few new items for the Holidays up! Go over to www.journeyswag.com and take your pick! Also if you purchase a pair of Vuarnet Sunglasses from the Journey Store and you could win a VIP Journey Trip. There is a random pair of autographed sunglasses floating around that will determine who will get to meet Journey in 2004!
Neal Schon and Jonathan Cain will be joining the charity benefit, Alice Cooper's Christmas Pudding, on December 17th in Phoenix, Arizona at the Dodge Center. Proceeds will benefit the Solid Rock Foundation. Tickets are available at www.dodgetheater.com |
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| 15 December, 2003 |
Special for The Journey Zone:
3 Chord Records would like to clear up some confusion about the March 20th release of the record "Welcome to the Revolution" by Liberty n' Justice, which features many well-known artists including former Journey frontman Robert Fleischman. Visit the band's website for more information on the record's release and new tour information. On December 16th, there will be some new sound clips up on their website for the Holiday, so go and check it out!
There is a new updated page for Kevin Chalfant (The Storm) for his Clique Records site concerning the new incarnation of The Storm. Visit and click on "What's New" for more information!
Journey has released some summer tour dates! Check out the Tour Schedules Page of the Journey Zone for where and when they will be stopping by you in 2004!
Jonathan Cain has also released a Holiday song over at Journey's official site. The song is called "Season of Miracles" and is instrumental. You can find the song in the Multimedia area.
Ross Valory will be joining Back Talk on Thursday. December 18th, at 6:30 PM Pacific Time, to answer any of your questions and online posts!
And finally, Journey is also offering a free copy of their EP "Red13" with any order placed between now and December 24th at The Journey Store. |
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