A few nights before my computer crashed last week (if I owe you an e-mail and you haven't heard from me, that's why), and a couple of nights before I blew an engine on my car, I needed a little down time, but I didn't want to be up too late, so I popped the Journey 2001 DVD into my computer to watch a live performance of a few of my favorite Journey songs.
I've seen the DVD several times, and each time I've amazed at how good the band still sounds with new singer Steve Augeri—maybe even because of Steve Augeri. His voice is so similar to former lead singer Steve Perry's voice that it's hard to tell them apart, but it seems like Augeri felt like he had something to prove on the particular evening when this DVD was shot. He nailed the old crowd favorites, while at the same time adding a touch of himself to each song.
Music is powerful. It can stir up old emotions and transport a person back in time. That's what happened when I watched this particular DVD. I went to see Journey in concert in the late 1980's with the woman I was just beginning to date and another couple. I was more interested in the woman than she was in me, but we were extremely close friends, and we were both interested in seeing if something could develop beyond friendship. I can't remember for sure, but I think this might have been our first official attempt at a date.
Journey played one hit after another: Who's Crying Now?, Don't Stop Believin', Separate Ways, Wheel in the Sky, and many others. As the concert neared the end, I heard the familiar opening notes of Open Arms. I love that song, but I was a little distracted by the age-old question that every guy who's ever been in my situation has faced—do I take a chance and put my arm around the girl I'm with or not? I took the chance. Right in the middle of Open Arms, my right arm found it's way around her back and it stayed there for the rest of the concert—which wasn't long.
For the encore, Journey played Faithfully. It's one of my all-time favorite songs. At the time, the band was rumored to be breaking up, and before they began the song, Steve Perry went backstage, donned a Husker uniform, and when he came back onstage he dedicated Faithfully to the fans who had stuck with the band for so many years. The reality of the band possibly splitting resonated throughout the auditorium when he said those words and it was hard not to get caught up in the moment.
But as much as I was into it, I was still a little distracted by the arm-thing. She hadn't brushed me away, or voiced her displeasure, but she also didn't seem to be responding as well as I'd hoped. A simple lean-in would have sufficed, but after working up enough courage to put my arm around her, I certainly wasn't going to retreat without a reason.
A few dates later, she told me that she just wasn't comfortable with us going beyond the friendship level. I wasn't surprised, but hey, I'll always have Journey, and I'll always have the memories.
