Journey in Seoul

Journey is one of my favorite “old” bands, along with Eagles and Led Zeppelin. So when I learned about Journey’s concert tour in Japan, I was disappointed that they didn’t have a schedule for Korea. The band has never had a show in Seoul in their 44-year career. It was just yesterday that I came across this post from 10Mag on Facebook. I wonder why I never got the notice of the event from Journey’s official FB page (and from all the other band members FB pages and Twitter) since I’ve been following them for years!
Luckily, there were still tickets available when I checked yesterday. I was ready to go there alone but I took the chance to ask friends ~ and four are going with me to the concert. The tickets are only available at 121,000 won and 99,000 won. Tickets secured ~ I just don’t know how I’d pay for them ã…Žã…Žã…Ž. I remember that time when my brother said he and his wife saw Journey in Las Vegas and how entertaining the show was and I was just ~ ok–ay, pretending it was nothing. Then about two months ago my elder sister saw them in San Diego with the Doobie Brothers and not being a Journey fan she just bought the cheapest tickets.

Buy tickets to “Journey in Seoul”

The concert will be held on February 15th at 8pm at Blue Square Samsung Card Hall, which is a smaller venue than the “Electronic Hall” in the building where friends and I saw “Kinky Boots” in October. I like that the venue is not so big ~
I’ve been a fan of Journey for a long time and I’m not a casual fan who just knows the songs “Open Arms”, “Faithfully” and “Don’t Stop Believin'”. I remember it was when I first heard “Only the Young” and from that time I have listened to them. Most of my fave Journey songs are from their Infinity, Raised on Radio and Escape albums. I know almost all of their (Perry days) songs from the obscure “Something to Hide” to their very last real hit “When You Love a Woman”. I love their ridiculous music video of “Separate Lives” and I’m quite disappointed that they don’t have a lot of concept videos when they were the norm during their heyday. I’ve always loved Steve Perry’s 1981 performance of “Mother Father” which is just out of this world and I “workout” when I can to their “Captured” album especially to the song “Walk Like A Lady”. And yes, I know their history ~ from how Gregg Rollie and Neal Schon planned the group in 1973 to how they found Arnel Pineda on YouTube in 2007. I’d say I know everything that have ever been written and said about them ~ from Craig Krampf’s account of Steve Perry’s in the drummer book (that I forgot the title of) to Herbie Herbert’s controversial interview in MelodicRock forum. I know they’re old and they’re not the same band as in the early 80s and there is no Steve Perry but what the heck ~ four of the original members from the “Escape” album are still there. And with Steve “Machine Gun” Smith as their drummer ~ the band is almost complete. Arnel Pineda has been with the band for almost a decade and he has helped keep the band alive. Somehow it’s okay that Steve Perry is no longer the singer ~ or else I’d be singing “Why Can’t This Night Go On Forever?” for the rest of my life ~

So I’m excited to see Journey ~ I already lost hope in seeing Eagles (Don Felder said there is no more Eagle without Glenn Frey) and Led Zeppelin. I grew up listening to their songs as a kid in Angeles City ~ until someone told me I was patronizing the devil when I listen to rock songs. I believed that as a gullible 10 year old but now I know better.
Soon I could cross off Journey (and Billy Joel since January 16, 1991) in my unwritten bucket list but I’m still hoping that I would someday see my other favorites ~ Dave Matthews Band and Goo Goo Dolls (which has included the Philippines in their itinerary next year but not Korea!).
Let the countdown to “Journey in Seoul” begin! And if you’re a Journey fan like moi, don’t forget to keep on voting for them to the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame!