When: Monday, 7:30 p.m.
Where: Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre, 1925 Blanshard St.
Tickets: $99, $65, and $49 at selectyourtickets.com, 250-220-7777 and the Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre box office
Note: VIP packages are available through VIPNation.com
Bay Area rock group Journey, which formed in 1973, has not stopped believin’.
The group — which today includes guitarist Neal Schon, singer Arnel Pineda, keyboardist Jonathan Cain, bassist Ross Valory and drummer Omar Hakim — continues to adapt and evolve, despite numerous lineup changes and some Behind the Music-worthy moments. The hugely popular Don’t Stop Believin’ hitmakers have consistently found a way to keep themselves relevant, with or without new music to promote. The band’s most recent recording was in 2011, but fans still flock to see the group in concert, in part because of its reputation as a top-tier live act.
It helps, of course, that Journey has an armful of singalong hits, such as Wheel in the Sky, Faithfully, Any Way You Want It, Lights and Lovin’, Touchin’, Squeezin’.
“Journey is a huge, massive mothership, and we seem to be getting stronger day by day, even with all the left turns and hooks that are given to us,” Schon said this week from Winnipeg, where the group kicked off its Canadian tour. “It’s about making good choices.”
Journey has faced its share of tough decisions over the years, the biggest of which involved finding a replacement for legendary singer Steve Perry, who sang and co-wrote the band’s biggest hits. Perry, who left the group for good in 1998, put his unqiue stamp on Journey, which has made life difficult for the group and his successors. Journey soldiered on with singers Steve Augeri (1998–2006) and Jeff Scott Soto (2006–2007), eventually hitting upon a career-rescusitating sparkplug in the form of current singer Arnel Pineda.
Pineda’s pitch-perfect voice and lovable nature put Journey back among the top concert draws in 2011, the band’s most successful year in terms of gross ticket sales. Pineda, now one of the most popular members in Journey, has kept the group in good stead since joining the ranks in 2007. It’s news that couldn’t make Schon happier. Journey’s founding member is credited with finding the Filipino singer belting out Journey hits as an unknown on YouTube, and has enjoyed his position to Pineda’s left on stage every minute since.
“The second I heard Arnel’s voice, I knew he was the guy. And I was right.”
Schon recruited another hidden gem last month in drummer Omar Hakim, who played drums with Dire Straits on one of the world’s top-selling albums, Brothers in Arms. Hakim was brought in to replace embattled Journey drummer Deen Castronovo, who had been with the group since 1998. Castronovo was arrested in Oregon on June 14 on charges that he assaulted his wife. He has since been denied bail and remains in custody.
Schon had worked with Hakim on his new solo recording, Vortex, so there was no doubt in his mind he could do the job. Schon said the primary problem was the lack of time: Once it was evident Castronovo would not be accompanying the band on tour, an issue that Schon was unable to comment on, the guitarist had a matter of days to find a replacement. Schon approached former Journey drummer Steve Smith, who played on the majority of the band’s hits during the ’70s and ’80s, but he was unavailable.
Hakim initially said he was busy, too. Schon was forced to lean hard on his friend, which caused Hakim to fold.
“To my amazement, he said ‘OK, I’m coming,’ ” Schon said with a laugh.
Schon, Valory, and Hakim rehearsed together in L.A. for three days and it went well. But there was no telling how the 56-year-old New Yorker would navigate the band’s first date on its current tour, a June 20 appearance at the Hollywood Bowl. Playing with four new bandmates is one thing, Schon said. Playing with Journey along with conductor Thomas Wilkins and the 100-piece Hollywood Bowl Orchestra is another matter entirely.
“That was a lot to take on, for anyone. But after watching him do it, I was even more sold on the guy. He’s the highest-calibre musician you could ever hope to play with.”
Things were no less stressful for Hakim during his second show with Journey, this time in Provo, Utah, in front of 56,000 fans. What’s more, during the band’s current run of Canadian dates, which includes a stop Monday in Victoria, both Schon and Hakim will pull double-duty as the night’s opening act. They will play songs from Vortex with bandmates Rachel Z., Hakim (keyboards) and Jerry Brooks (bass) in tow.
The learning curve for Hakim will be ongoing, no doubt. But playing two sets of music on each night of Journey’s 18-date run through Canada is going to be a breeze for someone like Schon, who admits to having a workaholic streak.
“I have a hard time turning off at night. I’m one of those people creating constantly. I could stay in the studio 24-7 and keep on writing, at this point. My creativity is off the hook within myself right now. I’m just going with the flow.”
He credits his increased stamina during the past eight years to getting free of alcohol, with which he struggled for years. “For a long time, I was one of those guys who could drink quite a bit and get on stage and play no problem. I never had a problem showing up and having a good show. But that actually became a problem to me — that I could function and still do everything else.”
Schon, 61, said he hasn’t felt this good since he was young. Not only is he clean and sober, he’s also happily married and ready to put his focus back on the multimillion-dollar business that is Journey.
“Every year I’m excelling because of that sobriety. I’m able to take on so much more and I see things really clearly, much more than I ever have in my whole career.”
