19,027 stand for Journey
by Marianne Arneberg, The Knickerbocker News, August 11, 1980
Electric was what they came for, and electric was what they received.
In their third performance at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center in as many years, the hard-hitting San Francisco-based rock group Journey brought a crowd of 19,027 (mostly teenagers) to their feet Sunday for the entire length of the hour- and-a-half concert.
It was the second-largest crowd to walk the manicured lawns of the Performing Arts Center this year — outdone only by the Doobie Brothers concert two weeks ago.
Lead vocalist Steve Perry’s versatile voice — regarded by many as the impetus behind the band’s recent success in topping AM radio charts — was well supported by fellow band members Gregg Rolie, who also plays keyboards, and guitarist Neal Schon.
In fact, when the band broke into “People and Places,” off their seventh and latest album, “Departures,” the introductory alternation of vocals was nearly deafened by the roar of the crowd.
It also was understandable why bassist Ross Valory more often than not located himself directly in front of the band’s towering wall of sound. The loud metal sound of guitarist Schon’s instrument at times dwarfed Valory’s much-lauded talent.
But the crowd loved it. The louder the music, the more response the band received — particularly when Journey broke into one of a series of AM hits they are most noted for, including “Lovin’ Touchin’ Squeezin’,” “Lights” and “Any Way You Want It.”
And if a never-before-recorded song whose title sounded like “Dixie My Way” is any indication of where the band is headed, they are headed in the right direction. The song came at a point in the concert when it was becoming difficult to distinguish between where one song began and another ended.
“Dixie My Way,” or whatever the title may be, added a refreshing rhythmic dimension to the band’s electric punch.
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