There is something about 70s and 80s rock that really sends a chill down my spine. The electric guitars and synthesizers get my blood flowing no matter what kind of day I’ve had. Needless to say, when I caught wind earlier this month that Journey was touring with Foreigner and Night Ranger, I didn’t sleep until I had the tickets in my hand.
     Night Ranger, a hair ballad rock band whose one hit wonder, Sister Christian is the only thing worth mentioning about them, opened for Journey and Foreigner. Night Ranger’s stage presence was really enticing, and there were a few old hippies around me who knew every word to every song however, it became apparent after a few songs that the crowd was ready for the headlining bands. Its set was short and just as quickly as they had entered, they were gone.
      For a bunch of sixty five year old men, most of whom now have prosthetic hips and knees, Foreigner really put on one hell of a show. They played all of my favorites like Feels Like the First Time, Cold As Ice, Double Vision, Juke Box Hero and of course, Hot Blooded. The sun was finally setting, the people were getting in the mood to rock out and it was obvious that we were all having a good night. For a band that’s been around for 35 years, it’s really cool knowing that all of the original members are still together, rocking out just like they did in 1976.
      When Foreigner left the stage, I couldn’t believe that I had just spent an hour of my life rocking out to one of the greatest bands that ever existed and I’ll admit, I was eager for more. While my sorrow was setting in, the emotion was quickly lost when the lights went up and the word JOURNEY became displayed on the JumboTron screens around the stage. Simply put, Journey is my favorite band. Ever. No questions asked, I am a diehard fan and the rush that overcame me just seeing their name was a reminder that this was reality.
     They opened with Separate Ways, my third favorite (not like I’m keeping track) and then played Only the Young and a variety of other hits. Five songs in, they played a few from their new album Eclipse which is the name of their tour-  I’m glad they left it at that because I came for the music I grew up on. Anyone who knows me could tell you that my favorite Journey song is Faithfoully, and when the piano solo came on at the beginning of the song, I may or may not have gotten a little wet in the retina region of my face. I, along with 10,000 other dedicated groupies, screamed every word to that song and without a doubt, it was the highlight of my night. They finished with Lights, Be Good To Yourself and of course, Don’t Stop Believin’ which was one of those “put your lighters up in the air” kind of songs.
     There is not a doubt in my mind that this concert was one of the greatest nights of my life, and I can only think of two things that would have made it better- getting Steve Perry back as the lead singer, and having Styx open instead of Night Ranger, but as Mick Jagger once famously said, you can’t always get what you want.