Remember The Feeling - April 26, 1985

Chicago chill out in the early 80s

Recently I celebrated my 17th wedding anniversary with my wife so to celebrate I thought I would take a look back at one of my favorite albums - Chicago 17 (because, you know, the number 17 is involved and my wife suggested a while back I should post about past concerts). Except I've looked at Chicago 17 six ways til Sunday on this blog so instead I'm going to fondly recall the concert I saw at the Oakland Coliseum on April 26, 1985.

This was the third concert of Chicago's I'd been to and the second time I was catching them supporting 17. Chicago was the 3rd concert I'd been to (for Chicago 16) and I saw them again in 1984 at the Berkeley Greek Theatre. The Greek Theatre show was a blast, had pretty close up seats near the center aisle so we could see Peter Cetera emote with all his jut jawed expressiveness. The band played all decked out in these lily white jump suits and were riding the momentum of "Hard Habit To Break" climbing the charts.

Fast forward to April '85, both "Hard Habit To Break" and "You're The Inspiration" had hit the Top 10 and "Along Comes A Woman" was bounding it's way to the Top 40. Chicago was now one of my favorite bands thanks to the Fosters Freeze lush arrangements and hooky soft rock winsomeness they had mastered. I was so psyched I used Print Shop to make my own flyer for the upcoming concert to put in my new binder (back when the clear plastic sleeve on the front of the binder was a new thing) and advertise my dorkitude.

The Oakland Coliseum was the largest venue I would ever see Chicago in. This was before video screens were like a requirement for concerts so it was a noticeable difference between my close floor seating in Berkeley versus the distant vantage point in the larger arena. But it was a small price to pay to see Chicago back on top. Got a kick out of some guy in the concession line bemoaning to his pal that these young people didn't know the old stuff. My parents had Chicago Live At Carnegie Hall on cassette buddy! Yeah, "Fancy Colours" I know that one. Ha! 25 years later I've formulated a comeback for something that wasn't even said to me.

Anyway the set list was:

We Can Stop The Hurtin / Ballet For A Girl In Bucannon (Make Me Smile and Colour My World) / Along Comes A Woman / Saturday In The Park / Love Me Tomorrow / Please Hold On / Hard Habit To Break / Livin In The Limelight / Beginnings / Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is? / You're The Inspiration / Prima Donna / Stay The Night / Hard To Say I'm Sorry - Get Away

Encore: Gimmie Some Lovin / Got To Get You Into My Life / Get Away (reprise)

(It turns out there is a bootleg of this concert which is where I got the set list from. It's funny because I can't recall going to a Chicago concert that didn't have "25 or 6 to 4" but it wasn't listed so I guess it wasn't played. Links above are to online recordings from the actual concert I was at!)

What's not listed is I wanna say I remember part of "Bad Advice" being played at the intro before starting off with the Robert Lamm led "We Can Stop The Hurtin". Thanks to the magic of You Tube there is some of this bootleg is online sounds like there's some "Only You" in the intro music too. "Hurtin" was probably as close as 80s Chicago got to 70s Chicago with Lamm decrying the plight of the homeless and some snazzy horn section action going on.

The "Make Me Smile" and "Colour My World" part was great because I'd never heard it as a single piece before (Ballet For A Girl From Buchannon) and being a prog rock fan enjoyed the extended sections. Last year I read an interview with Bill Champlin that he didn't enjoy singing "Colour My World" which was a surprise 'cause I felt he did the song justice every time I heard him sing it.

"Along Comes A Woman" allows his Ceteraness to make an early appearance and push the new single (which sounded so much better as a remixed 45 than the album original with that damn rubbery bass line). Listening to the live sound now I was inclined to slam how unharmonious the background vocals were then I remember that a lot of modern technology is used to blend voices with bands these days. That's how these bands can have two guys singing sound like six at the same time. Can't always sound like the record in real life folks.

"Saturday In The Park" or as my wife and I like to call it "Sabado en el Parque" with Lamm on lead was next. Did you know that "Saturday In The Park" comes from the record Chicago V, the band's first single disc release? Worthless trivia you say? YOU'RE WELCOME.

Cetera strikes back with his cool ballad ways on "Love Me Tomorrow" from Chicago 16. If I remember right, they had Chris Pinnick on guitar. Big burly dude that could play with a very crisp sound, probably my favorite of those who succedded the late Terry Kath (though I don't believe Pinnick was ever a full time member).

Bill Champlin got his R&B groove on next with "Please Hold On". I often wondered why Champlin's Bay Area connection (Sons Of Champlin) wasn't played up during Chicago shows over here. Don't know why.

Now for what was my favorite song of all time in back then, the super melodramatic ballad "Hard Habit To Break". Cetera. Champlin. Pure awesome.

Nothing says clout in a band like forcing your solo stuff on them and Cetera does just that with "Livin In The Limelight" from his first solo LP. I like "Livin" but face facts it wasn't that such big a hit that it needed to be included over, say, "Old Days" or "Wishin You Were Here". As soon as Cetera started talking second solo album following this tour, Chicago banished him to Solitude/Solitaire land never to return :(

Robert Lamm represents for old school Chicago with "Beginnings" and "Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?" back to back. Looks like Lamm had a piano solo in here, it used to be pretty interesting he'd have a baby grand type piano that he would lift the lid to and climb part ways inside to pluck the strings directly. The bootleg says drum solo too which is Danny Seraphine. Not on this show, but a few years later I saw the Chicago 19 tour and thought the drum solo was slow and off in terms of time. I guess the band thought it was getting bad too because Seraphine was replaced by next album. I read somewhere that Seraphine took the firing pretty hard, eventually forming his own band called CTA. Having listened to recent clips of CTA playing classic Chicago songs where he sounds dead on and fantastic, maybe he was just having an off show when I saw him last?

From this point on it essentially becomes the Peter Cetera show. The power ballad "You're The Inspiration" was a real flick-your-bic in the air moment. The tempo races up again and surprised me with "Prima Donna" from the Two Of A Kind soundtrack. The speedy rocker blew my mind back in the day and I was pumped to hear it live.

"Stay The Night" was next, loved loved loved that car chase music video. Can't see the video live though, Cetera entertained by hopping to the beat about the stage and allowing his bro Kenny Cetera to rock the background vocal mic.

To wrap up the primary part of the set, the power ballad "Hard To Say I'm Sorry" poured out nicely before ramping up to the big finish with the hard charging "Get Away".

Following a nice break the band returned with a cover of Spencer Davis Group's "Gimmie Some Lovin". It was high NRG greatness and I remember at one point Cetera literally running around the whole stage, around the back and everything. Another cover "Got To Get You Into My Life" arrived next before closing out with another "Get Away".

As I mentioned before, after this tour Cetera was booted ending an era for the band. Cetera would have solo hits, Chicago would have other hits, but it was never ever the same. I'm lucky to have gotten to see King Pete perform with his Chicago bros one last time, because that was 25 years ago and his replacement Jason Scheff has now been in the band longer than he was meaning that bridge was really burned back then. But for one shining moment, Cetera and the guys stood as one in shiny white suits left over from Buck Rogers and wayyy too much mousse in their hair.

Great Moments In History 12/12/87

After years of watching music videos and wondering "how is it the concerts I go to are never recorded for music videos?" lightning struck twice for me with two of my favorite bands. the first was the recording of Journey's clip for "Girl Can't Help It" during my attendance of that group's show in Calaveras County in '86. The next year I attended a taping of a full concert for the mighty Fleetwood Mac.

I had no idea this concert was going to be recorded until I got there (despite the tickets stating it was to be filmed), my parents had given me the tickets for a birthday present. So me and my friend Tim took our seats in the good 'ol Cow Palace to see the Mac attack. They were decent seats on an upper seated level directly across from the middle of the stage. Going in I did know of one or two changes, namely that quirky guitarist / vocalist Lindsey Buckingham had quit and was replaced by guitarist / vocalists Billy Burnette and Rick Vito. I was really disappointed that Buckingham had quit before the Tango In The Night tour, as I didn't expect them to come back in the first place and was totally stoked by that album.

As the concert started I saw that this was going to be a recorded event and not done quite as seamlessly as Journey's video either. First, there was this huge tangle of monster cables decending from the middle of the ceiling down to the floor blocking some of our view. And the cameras used included a huge one on tracks that pulled along the front of the stage in addition to the cameramen already scrambling on stage. Plus the house lights weren't brought all the way down, instead maintaining a sort of dusk level that highlighted the amount of smoke (you know what kind of smoke) in the arena. In fewer words, the recording process provided a bit of a distraction that made it tougher to get into the actual show.

But I can't say I didn't get what I wanted, not only did I attend a music video but an entire music vid concert that would later get released on video tape (it was combined with another show filmed at the Cow Palace for the finished product). And a concert I attended has been recorded for posterity, how cool is that? Yet what about the concert itself?

The new Fleetwood Mac (and anyone who has followed this band knows there is a new Fleetwood Mac often) was a tight, professional sounding unit. My teenage crush Stevie Nicks was still there in all her flowing scarves and poofy hair glory. She sounded strong though seemed more reserved than I expected. Maybe it was because this version of the group had a different chemistry, without Buckingham there probably was less drama on and off stage. From the opening song "The Chain" the tone was set: they cruised through a perfect sounding take with good vocals and a steady beat. At the same time, all that nervous edginess and frantic tension the song had with Buckingham was missing. A more polished approach took his place, in addition to Burnette and Vito a percussionist plus background vocalists were brought in to fill out the sound.

Still there were highlights to be seen and heard. Hearing Nicks perform "Dreams" live for the first time was pure magic. Newbies Burnette and Vito tried to invoke the original Fleetwood Mac's memory to good effect with an entertaining "Oh Well" and a mellow "I Loved Another Woman". Rick Vito was a spectacular sight of 80's gaudiness in a poker card covered jacket and dollar sign shaped guitar. "Everywhere" sounded better because Stevie Nicks had more presence in the background vocals (I don't know if she was included in the studio version, the impression I've had is no). "Little Lies" came across well and the one time where Stevie did work up some energy was on her solo hit "Stand Back". And drummer Mick Fleetwood did a one of a kind drum solo where he walked around the stage hitting his chest that made sounds like "Help me!".

All in all it was a good concert and fun, even if the ghost of Buckingham lingered as his "Go Your Own Way" remained at the end of the set. The band's brand of polished mellowness continued into the next studio effort Behind The Mask which I've been playing in the car this week. While I certainly like the Mac better with Buckingham, this lineup had its merits. All of the performers seemed comfortable, Vito could tear it up on guitar and Burnette did have a smoother delivery than Buckingham so it wasn't a copycat. This version of Fleetwood Mac is practically forgotten now, at the time they gave a pleasant backdrop to the end of the 80's.

Even The Nights Were Better

I couldn't find a good 80's picture of Air Supply with a decent size, so I went with a Sylvia Kristel picture instead. You know how hard it is to find a picture of Kristel with her clothes on? That girl and fabric did not get along.

Entertainment Weekly asked people to 'fess up to their first concerts, as if the first concert should be an embarrassing thing. My first concert was a sold out show, in the middle of a hot summer night, with laser lights that spun symbols over the crowd. It was at the incredible Sleep Train, um, back then Concord Pavilion. The band I saw-three consecutive Platinum albums. The concert: Air Supply.

Air Supply. So named because they were like a breath of fresh air to Australians weary of AC/DC knock off units. Led by guitarist / singer / main songwriter Graham Russell and frizzy haired mega high voiced singer Russell Hitchcock, they brought their soft cushy Adult Contemporary styling to bear on all our California asses. And yet I feel I need to justify this, what self respecting rocker would admit to seeing this group?

I was a fan of Air Supply, they were in a lot of ways my starter band. When I started listening to music with the year end Top 100 songs of 1982 countdown on the radio, Air Supply registered a few big hits including the mesmerizing "Sweet Dreams". Their hit "Lost In Love" was featured in the movie Private Lessons aka the movie teenage boys watched to get a peek at Sylvia freakin' Kristel, a ringing endorsement if there was one. And their HBO special live concert showed they could modestly rock out on occasion (and I dubbed the show off videotape onto audiotape so I could jam on my walkman). I'm a guy who can't remember lyrics to most of my favorite songs, but Air Supply - I still know most of the lyrics to their big hits. The impossibly high sustained singing notes! Those plush arrangements! That giant afro! Forget the criticism that they were lightweight, wussy, oversensitive whiny boys because it's a given. They had more sap than all the trees on Endor. But for a time, they were the best there was at it and could whup Christopher Cross' butt any day (because there were two of them).

So I settled in my seat on the sweaty Summer twilight as Air Supply took the stage and started blastin'. I'm pretty sure they kicked off with "Can't Get Excited", a song I knew well from my trusty Maxell 90 minute tape of their first two albums recorded off my best friend's parent's records. My first exposure to loud amplified music left my ears ringing (they're still ringing...is that bad?). They were tight and professional, well rehearsed, not that I was thinking any of this at the time I just thought they sounded just like the tape. They ran through all their big smashes (and it turned out to be a good point to catch them, because other than "Making Love Out Of Nothing At All" a few months later they were all out of Top 10 hits). "All Out Of Love" was one of their best songs and was a definite highlight here. "Even The Nights Are Better", "Here I Am", "Every Woman In The World", "The One That You Love"...the hits rolled on and on.

The things that stood out to me: first, the band had changed. They sold a tour program (which I just realized I don't have anymore) which named the band members with photographs. When I looked at the stage, other than the two Russells, the keyboardist and the drummer the band had changed (it was noticeable because I was looking for the Asian guy that was in the band to rep-re-sent. Yo! What happened to the Asian guy?). Second, the lead singing Russell milked the high notes in every song. When the song would get to the part where he was going for that stratospherically high note that most guys would need to ram their balls in a meat grinder to hit, the band would stop playing. Then the lead singing Russell would wave the audience to applaud and when he thought he had enough cheering, he would hit the note and the band would continue playing. It was OK the first couple of times, but did it have to be every high note (I will say this, he really could hit and sustain those notes just like the record)? Third, interestingly it was the lesser hits that grabbed my attention the most. "Chances", "Young Love", "Now and Forever" (aka the theme song to a crappy Cheryl Ladd movie) and "Two Less Lonely People In The World" I remember better than the big hit performances. Except for one hit that is...

"Sweet Dreams." That amazing missing link between plastic red rose romanticism and Pink Floyd, performed in it's long version glory. The song had that Science Fiction atmosphere and nocturnal quality that I thought was the shit. Close your eyes, I wanna see you tonight in my Sweeeet Dreaaamms. Oooh yeah , that was the stuff bro.

When I left that Pavilion with the Air Supply spinning above in laser lights, I was a changed person. I entered the show as a boy, I left as a boy who had seen Air Supply. Other people can claim their first concerts were bands like Metallica, The Clash or something like that. I can't, yet I have no remorse, no regrets. I had a great time seeing my first concert show. And now, direct by satellite, here's Air Supply all the way back from '83!

Day On The Green #3 - September 10, 1983

Spirits In The Material World

Writing the last post made me think back to one of my favorite concert memories, Day On The Green #3 at the Oakland Coliseum in 1983. My friend (also named Mike) was a big Police fan at that time and let me copy all of his tapes. So when they came around to play live I was a fan too and ready to go. My aunt liked The Police and agreed to take me and my friends. So my friend Mike and my cousin Michelle got tickets and came along for the ride. The Police were headlining a Day On The Green, an all day music show that Bill Graham productions used to put on in the 70's and 80's.

I should mention my aunt likes rock music and was very cool about taking me to see shows, particularly when I first started going to concerts. She picked us up early in the morning so we could make the drive to Oakland to see the show. In the parking lot, there was Police music and T Shirts everywhere. It was a really hot summer and we expected it to be a hot one that night.

We followed the long line into the coliseum and the Thompson Twins were already playing. As we walked along the infield (I was a big baseball fan at the time so I was pumped to be on the playing field of a professional baseball team) we got our closest view of the stage. The Thompson Twins were wrapping up their set playing what was my favorite song of theirs at the time, "Lies". That moment of seeing Alannah Currie, Joe Leeway and Tom Bailey jamming away close up was burned into my brain. My aunt safely whisked us up to the top rows in the nose bleed seats. We sat down and waited for the next band to start.

That next band was the cool "It" band of the moment, Oingo Boingo. I can't say I was a fan going in because I was annoyed as hell at them for the song "Nothing Bad Ever Happens To Me" because I thought it was over repetitive. But they didn't play that song. I actually had a good time and think they played New Wave hits like "Only A Lad", "Goodbye Goodbye" and "Dead Man's Party". At least, that's what I think they played because it's been a long time. The infield turned into a dance party as I saw a dust cloud rise up above a throng of people. People couldn't get enough of Oingo Boingo's polyrhythmic grooves. The early version of the mosh pit continued throughout the rest of the day.

After Danny Elfman's group left the stage they were replaced by the British ska band Madness. They were riding high on the Top 10 smash "Our House" and I had copied that record from my friend Mike also. I remember them being an exciting live band and really getting into "One Step Beyond". The dust cloud dancers had a blast, they had great stage presence that I could see even from where I was sitting.

After Madness' set I was getting stiff in my seat and stretched my head backwards only to be accidentally kicked in the head because of good 'ol cramped stadium seating. The guy apologized because it was an accident. I wish I could say I was tough and didn't show pain but I cried like a baby. Wah.

The Fixx came on in support of their awesome album Reach The Beach, pumping out their stylish pop with clean efficiency. I only had Reach The Beach so I didn't know they had more hits, leaving me floored as "Red Skies" and "Stand Or Fall" came on in addition to "Sign Of Fire" and my fave "Saved By Zero" (now used to sell cars no less!). The romping dust cloud dancers began throwing what looked like either cups or bottles around making them look like a popcorn cooker. The mix of jumping limbs, lobbed garbage flying and dust was a unique sight that I haven't seen happen since. When The Fixx ended their set with the encore "One Thing Leads To Another" the dancers hit fever pitch.

After a pause it seemed like The Fixx got the signal to keep playing, so they played "One Thing Leads To Another" again. The fans loved it. Then, they played it a third time. As much as I liked the song, I didn't want to hear it again and complained once I heard that "pfft pfft" sound at the start of it. The Sun was finally starting to go down and The Fixx was able to leave. We ate coliseum food while waiting for the main event.

As soon as it was dark enough, The Police kicked off their show to the speedy xylophone sounds of "Synchronicity I". The three band members stood in a light like the primary colors from the album cover. The Police were tight and fired up, even playful as Andy Summers ran up behind Sting and stuck his leg between Sting's as if to kick him in the balls. It looked like Sting used his thighs to lock up Summer's leg for a bit which was pretty funny.

The first part of the show focused on side one from Synchronicity as I remember seeing an upright bass for Sting on "O My God" and groovin' to Stuart Copeland's "Miss Gradenko". As the Sun finally faded away completely the giant video screen became more visible. I was thrown off by the mismatch of motion and sound, we were seated so far away that the sound got to us after the picture. So when Copeland's stick was in the air would be when I would hear the drum hit and people would stop on screen before the music stopped. Still, I was grateful to have a close up view of the performers so I can't complain too much.

In the second half they poured on the hits. I recall almost dancing in my chair to "Spirits In The Material World". "Every Breath You Take", "King Of Pain", "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic", "Don't Stand So Close To Me", "Roxanne"...the parade of smash hits went on. Funnily enough, the song that stood out the most to me was "Murder By Numbers" as it sounded real good as the night cooled off. The Police played a great concert and was the best live band I had seen up to that point (and I had seen Air Supply!).

We left the coliseum and since we were still in 1983 there was no organization to leaving. It took over an hour to leave the parking lot before we could finally go home. It was a day to remember, The Police would break up a few years later and not reform until 2007 making it an even more special. I kept a one page ad of the concert from the San Francisco Chronicle "Pink Section" on my wall as a reminder. New Wave day was a treat for those of us who couldn't make it to the US Festival, a fantastic grouping of acts that would come to define early 80's pop.
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Though this is from an Atlanta performance, here's "Synchronicity I" live from that great year.

Friday Night Videos - Great Moments in History 8/23/86

Journey is known for a lot of things, but did tight porn star jeans have to be one of them? Did they have a bet with ex member Gregg Rolie to see who could lose circulation in their leg the fastest?? Does Neal Schon bear a slight resemblance to Ron Jeremy here??? Yes, I think he does.

There are certain moments in my teenage life that will live with me forever (or according to this blog a lot of moments) but one of the best times I've had was August 23, 1986. That was the day I saw the an spectacular event. It was the first time I saw Journey play live.

The mid-80's were a rough time to be a Journey fanatic. The band was inactive, Steve Smith formed a jazz combo, Steve Perry had solo success proving he didn't need a band to be popular and music was changing from the everyman Arena Rock to the poodle haired pretty boy Pop Metal scene. When Journey regrouped to record a new album, bassist Ross Valory and drummer Smith were quickly shown the door. Rumors flew about keyboardist Jon Cain and guitarist Neal Schon writing separately from Perry. It seemed doubtful the album would ever be finished.

Then, a ray of hope - the first single "Be Good To Yourself" rocked! Then, hope sank a bit as the record came out - Raised on Radio was more R & B than Rock. It's a great album, just wasn't the album I was hoping for after the group spent three years away. Still, when the tickets for the Mountain Aire festival went on sale you couldn't stop me. Calaveras County? Where is that? Didn't matter, I was going to Journey's first live performance in three freakin' years. And so were my friends Chris, Derek and Chris' friend Scott. We all graduated high school in '86 and on that hot summer day we hopped into my parents station wagon and I drove to Calaveras County.

The trip was long, we got a little lost somewhere, and Scott ridiculed Derek with insults most of the way almost resulting in a fight in the back seat. It was like Jerry Springer on wheels. Anyway, I pulled over and Chris got the two to get along and started rapping with Derek You Be Illin' by Run D.M.C. over and over like a new catchphrase. It took about four-five hours I think, it was a long ass trip.

We made our way to the open field where the concert was held and sat down at about the middle of it. Whitesnake's "Slow an Easy" blared on the sound system confirming we were in the right place. It was blazing hot and we were drinking a lot of water when the first act in the Mountain Aire festival came on. Device!

What's a Device you ask? It's the band songwriter Holly Knight formed, since her songs worked so well for Heart and Scandal maybe it would work for her group too. It was a great theory that failed in practice, none of the early concert goers were in the mood for Hanging on a Heart Attack . The parachute panted lead singer would later score a hit with a restructured Animotion a few years later.

After that pain had ended, Canadian rockers Honeymoon Suite hit the stage. They worked the stage like pros and gained some attention for minor radio hits like "What Does it Take", "Feel it Again" and "Bad Attitude". But it was the smash New Girl Now that drew the first big pop from the crowd.

What momentum HMS built up was quickly diffused when ex-Duran Duran guitarist Andy Taylor went on. Taylor did his best to rock out and show off his impressive chops but all shred and boring songs makes Andy a dull boy. I did like his 45 Take it Easy which was the only listenable part of the whole venture. The only "Reflex" I felt was a gag reflex. Or maybe it was the draining heat bearing down.

Like Star Trek movies it seemed we were destined for every other artist to suck until The Outfield broke the streak. Their stadium rock by way of The Police posturing was a big hit as they reeled off song after song from their well received Play Deep album. They even played a new song, "Since You've Been Gone" before it had been released on a record. Their live image wasn't entirely serious as guitarist John Spinks repeatedly wagged his butt at the audience. Everything was cool until Your Love, a three minute gem that progressed into a ten minute sing along. It was the. longest. sing. along. ever. The audience as a whole had to sing "Your Love", then the audience had to sing in thirds (right, middle and left) and then the thirds had to sing against each other. At least it didn't go to the "only the women" or "only the men" crap but as it was I wanted to go to the stage and make them stop. I lost some respect for those British boys out there in the dry winds of Calaveras. Even if what they were really doing was killing time for the sun to go down.

Because there's nothing like watching a band in the second runner up position of a festival show try to make the sun go down. When I went to see The Police in '83 the band before them, The Fixx, played their big hit "One Thing Leads To Another" three times in a row for that very reason. It's like would it kill you to learn just one more song?

At last, night fell and Journey took the stage for the first time since Frontiers. The opening salvo of "Only The Young", "Wheel in the Sky" and "Line of Fire" blew everyone away. Steve Perry's voice was in fine form. Neal Schon tore up his guitar solos as Jon Cain keytared his way across the stage. American Idol judge Randy Jackson gave a big thumping bass line for Rick Springfield drummer Mike Baird to slam down with his heavy beat. And then things got a little mellow. Six songs from Raised on Radio were played, including the atrocious "Positive Touch". Things picked up as two of my personal faves "Ask The Lonely" and "Suzanne" were performed. Then mellow again with quiet instrumental interludes in place of rock solos and selections from Steve Perry's solo album confirmed this was a poppier band. All doubts were stripped away as they launched into The Four Tops "Reach Out (I'll Be There)" during the encore.

Even with the new direction, the greatness of Journey could not be stopped. I used to wonder how fans would be lucky enough to be at a concert that was taped for a video. That problem was solved as Journey filmed their first video for the ROR album, "Girl Can't Help It" (when initially released the band said no videos would be made for ROR). The third single from the album, "Girl Can't Help It" provided a permanent visual record of a great moment in my personal history (though it can't top marrying my wonderful wife). About a year later I was watching a TV special on Journey and also from that night was a recording of "Be Good To Yourself" which was played at the end of the regular part of the set that night. Now I had two permanent records.

By the time we drove back home, we had been up a full 24 hours. We all grew up a little that day. Some of us went to college, others never saw each other again. But we all share the knowledge of what happened on that fateful August day. Journey's comeback concert ruled. Totally fuck*n ruled. August 23rd, 1986.

Journey "Girl Can't Help It"

Journey "Be Good To Yourself"