As Stampeders’ fans bemoaned a Grey Cup loss, an ’80s victory party at the Saddledome took off in full force.
If we can agree that not all cheese is created equal, let’s pretend that Journey - even without Steve Perry - is a good Gruyere, Camembert or Stichelton, Loverboy a Cabreles or Gargonzola (stinkier cheeses that many have acquired a taste for) and Night Ranger a processed cheese food consistent with the Black Diamond or Kraft brands (not authentic, but still making for a fine grilled sandwich).
Sometimes the best fun is dumb fun, and there was plenty of "Whoa whoa, whoas" across the board to make up for all the woe-is-me’s at Rogers Centre in Toronto. Besides, it’s not like any of these bands don’t come with respectable pop-rock pedigrees, and about 35 - count ’em - hit singles between them. The party-ready and well-lubricated Grey Cup Sunday crowd gathered at the Saddledome last night got to hear them all.
Current Journey singer Arnel Pineda is a Steve Perry sound alike and the San Francisco veterans have enjoyed the kind of resurgence that all ’80s MTV heroes would be thrilled to be having.
On a bare-bones stage, in front of LED racks and flanked by two giant video screens, guitarist Neal Schon led the group through Never Walk Away and Any Way You Want It to kick off the group’s 90-minute headlining set.
Pineda’s karaoke-inspired impersonation of Perry is uncanny, and the pint-sized vocal powerhouse fuelled the group through Ask The Lonely, City Of Hope and pop-rock power ballad, Faithfully, to squeals of delight from the heavily female contingent.
It was more of the same through Open Arms and the title track from 1981’s Escape. As expected, the heavy artillery came out during the latter portion of the evening with Wheel In The Sky, Be Good To Yourself and the biggest sing-along of the night for Don’t Stop Believin’ - the 45-year-old’s equivalent of Sweet Caroline.
Separate Ways (Worlds Apart) gave way to the sexy, funky vibes of evening closer Lovin’ Touchin’ Sqeezin’ to send them bonkers.
But up first was Loverboy.
It’s easy to forget just how big the Vancouver veterans were in the ’80s - not only here, but in the U.S. - until they started peeling off one familiar hit after another.
The waistlines have expanded and the hairlines receded, but Mike Reno can still sing these songs like a day off, while bassist Ken (Spider) Sinnaeve and drummer Matt Frenette are still a formidable rhythm section.
Guitarist Paul Dean smoked through guitar leads the way we remember them during Queen Of The Broken Hearts, Lovin’ Every Minute Of It, The Kid Is Hot Tonight, It’s Over, Hot Girls In Love (pure poetry) and, well, you get the picture.
Turn Me Loose sounded at least as good as it does in the Mr. Lube commercial, and the boys ended strong with Working For The Weekend, despite the fact it was practically over and the Stamps had just gotten destroyed.
Night Ranger, another San Francisco act that didn’t quite attain the level of popularity of Journey, was heavier than the hits for which they are remembered - most notably, ah, Sister Christian.
Singer Jack Blades knocked it out through Sing Me Away, (You Can Still) Rock in America and Don’t Tell Me You Love Me, but drummer Kelly Keagy stole the spotlight during the aforementioned 1984 No. 1 hit.
It was strange and beautiful … but mostly strange to watch grown men pushing 50 bellowing, "You’re motoring/ what’s your price for flight/ in finding mister right … you’ll be alright tonight."
It was that kind of night and a chance we might not get again. At least for the Stamps, there’s always next year.
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