Journey Springfield Concert reviews
Toto 5 Stars, Journey 3
From the moment Toto's band members took the stage, their one hour performance showcasing musicianship, memorable songs, sound (while not perfect), setlist and interaction between the audience and with each other made for a special concert.
Unfortunately, Journey could not hold up their end of the evenings' performances. They just seemed off and I couldn't help but think they were not having fun. There were moments of uncomfortable non-verbal eye contacts that perhaps did not show to the average listener but having performed in many bands I could see the discomfort that translated into a lifeless performance as a band. Neal Schon did his best to inject smiles and a pleasant demeanor but it came at the expense of over-shredding in every song. He's truly gifted (actually anazing) but it got boring, even for a shredder writing this.
The singer struggled to reach the notes and I recall feeling as though they were an average cover band with a great guitarist. And the sound was muddy.
There were some high notes. Journey's songs are still great, Neal played a beautiful and touching rendition of Amazing Grace and there were moments of interactions with the audience during a few sing-a-longs. Band members are excellent musicians and beneath the issues performed admirably.
Toto, on the other hand, really touched the audience and were pretty much flawless in executing their wonderful music. Their songs, despite being decades old sounded fresh. Steve Lukather is an exemplary guitarist and when he shreds his lines show taste to the point that even an ambivalent guitar lover would find them delightful. (It's no wonder that Steve Vai said of Lukather, "his massive talent has been a deep inspiration in my life.")
There's nothing more fun than performing on stage and perhaps I'm being too tough on Journey. They can still rock. But we are paying top dollar for a mediocre performance and it is clear that they need some refreshing. Thank you Toto for saving the evening.