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Believe it

Arnel Pineda rocks the stage as the new lead singer for Journey

By Gary C.W. Chun

POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Mar 20, 2009

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The king is dead. Long live the king.

When Steve Perry left Journey, the classic rock band was pretty much relegated to the oldies category -- memorable songs sung by arguably the best tenor ever in rock -- but, still, no new material to speak of.

JOURNEY

» 7 p.m. Monday, A&B Amphitheatre, Maui Arts & Culture Center. Tickets $75 and $125. Call (808) 242-7469 or visit www.mauiarts.org.

» 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 26 and 28, Blaisdell Arena. All Honolulu concerts sold out.

» 7 p.m. March 29, Waikoloa Bowl, Queens' Gardens, Big Island. Tickets $60. Call (877) 750-4400 or visit www.ticketmaster.com.

 
Then came Arnel Pineda, whose vocal power and range approximate Perry's so closely he could be Perry's clone. Now Journey is as hot as it's ever been in 30-plus years, thanks to Pineda, the true successor to Perry's "throne."

Just look at how Hawaii audiences have responded: What started off as one has become three sold-out shows in Honolulu next Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday. (The break on Friday is a contract stipulation, according to promoter Tom Moffatt, so Pineda has a day off to rest his vocal cords.)

In two previous Hawaii visits -- with singers Steve Augeri and Jeff Scott Soto -- Journey's shows also sold out, but nothing matches the outpouring of enthusiasm by fans old and new since the 41-year-old Pineda became its charismatic frontman.

The story of how Pineda came to be with Journey may seem an archetypal "overnight success." But the singer has actually built himself up from a hard-scrabble life, and has certainly paid his dues.

So as not to be a financial burden to his family after his mother's death, Pineda struck out on his own as a teenager and was basically homeless for a couple of years, picking up the odd job here and there. But thanks to his late mother's insistence in developing his singing -- and being a veteran of several competitions -- Pineda was able to become a professional vocalist. He fronted a couple of bands in the Philippines with some success -- even releasing a solo album in 1999 -- before he became a member of the Zoo in 2006.

A year later, fortune would smile on Pineda in a most unexpected way.

While searching for a new singer, Journey guitarist Neal Schon viewed videos on YouTube of Pineda and the Zoo performing Journey covers, shot during a typical club gig in the Philippines. Impressed, Schon sent an e-mail to Pineda's friend, who had posted the videos to the popular Web site, asking for contact information.

Pineda initially thought Schon's e-mail, asking him to fly him to Marin County, Calif., for an audition, was a hoax. But after a confirming phone call, Pineda and his manager flew to the U.S. in August of 2007, and in early December, Pineda was announced as the new lead singer of Journey.

BAND PHOTOGRAPHER John Popplewell is glad for his friends Schon and band bassist Ross Valory, all from the Bay Area.

"The long-standing feeling was that, when Perry left the band, they were done. When their last singer left, the band was wondering what direction could they take. The fact is, with Arnel and their new album, 'Revelation,' they've got a whole new fan base, and taken it back to the power of the old-school days of Journey.

"I was with them on the last three weeks of their U.S. tour last year, and I hadn't seen such crowd reaction since '86," Popplewell said.

Not only was the band performing classic hits with newfound fervor, they were touring behind a new album recorded with Pineda, featuring the tracks "Never Walk Away" and "After All These Years." "Revelation's" packaging included a second CD with studio re-recordings made with Pineda of favorites like "Any Way You Want It," "Who's Crying Now," "Separate Ways," "Lights" and, of course, "Don't Stop Believin'," plus a DVD of the band's 2008 Las Vegas concert.

The album debuted at No. 2 on Billboard's rock album chart, and No. 5 on the industry magazine's overall Top 200.

"For 'Revelation' to be certified platinum in album sales now," Popplewell said, "it speaks volumes about the viability of the band, especially in this current economy and record biz."

"The group has certainly jelled with Pineda," said Moffatt, "and they always have been a great group instrumentally." Moffatt said that it was exciting that the band's Honolulu concerts sold out so quickly. "They've got something people want, and for that, people are willing to shell out the money."

Journey is currently on the Asian leg of an extensive tour, which began in Pineda's Philippine homeland. At a tour stop Saturday, one local newspaper reported that Pineda made it known on stage that he was glad to be back home, close to his family and his roots.

"Proud to be Pinoy!" he exclaimed.

 

The king is dead. Long live the king.

When Steve Perry left Journey, the classic rock band was pretty much relegated to the oldies category -- memorable songs sung by arguably the best tenor ever in rock -- but, still, no new material to speak of.

JOURNEY

» 7 p.m. Monday, A&B Amphitheatre, Maui Arts & Culture Center. Tickets $75 and $125. Call (808) 242-7469 or visit www.mauiarts.org.

» 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 26 and 28, Blaisdell Arena. All Honolulu concerts sold out.

» 7 p.m. March 29, Waikoloa Bowl, Queens' Gardens, Big Island. Tickets $60. Call (877) 750-4400 or visit www.ticketmaster.com.

 
Then came Arnel Pineda, whose vocal power and range approximate Perry's so closely he could be Perry's clone. Now Journey is as hot as it's ever been in 30-plus years, thanks to Pineda, the true successor to Perry's "throne."

Just look at how Hawaii audiences have responded: What started off as one has become three sold-out shows in Honolulu next Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday. (The break on Friday is a contract stipulation, according to promoter Tom Moffatt, so Pineda has a day off to rest his vocal cords.)

In two previous Hawaii visits -- with singers Steve Augeri and Jeff Scott Soto -- Journey's shows also sold out, but nothing matches the outpouring of enthusiasm by fans old and new since the 41-year-old Pineda became its charismatic frontman.

The story of how Pineda came to be with Journey may seem an archetypal "overnight success." But the singer has actually built himself up from a hard-scrabble life, and has certainly paid his dues.

So as not to be a financial burden to his family after his mother's death, Pineda struck out on his own as a teenager and was basically homeless for a couple of years, picking up the odd job here and there. But thanks to his late mother's insistence in developing his singing -- and being a veteran of several competitions -- Pineda was able to become a professional vocalist. He fronted a couple of bands in the Philippines with some success -- even releasing a solo album in 1999 -- before he became a member of the Zoo in 2006.

A year later, fortune would smile on Pineda in a most unexpected way.

While searching for a new singer, Journey guitarist Neal Schon viewed videos on YouTube of Pineda and the Zoo performing Journey covers, shot during a typical club gig in the Philippines. Impressed, Schon sent an e-mail to Pineda's friend, who had posted the videos to the popular Web site, asking for contact information.

Pineda initially thought Schon's e-mail, asking him to fly him to Marin County, Calif., for an audition, was a hoax. But after a confirming phone call, Pineda and his manager flew to the U.S. in August of 2007, and in early December, Pineda was announced as the new lead singer of Journey.

BAND PHOTOGRAPHER John Popplewell is glad for his friends Schon and band bassist Ross Valory, all from the Bay Area.

"The long-standing feeling was that, when Perry left the band, they were done. When their last singer left, the band was wondering what direction could they take. The fact is, with Arnel and their new album, 'Revelation,' they've got a whole new fan base, and taken it back to the power of the old-school days of Journey.

"I was with them on the last three weeks of their U.S. tour last year, and I hadn't seen such crowd reaction since '86," Popplewell said.

Not only was the band performing classic hits with newfound fervor, they were touring behind a new album recorded with Pineda, featuring the tracks "Never Walk Away" and "After All These Years." "Revelation's" packaging included a second CD with studio re-recordings made with Pineda of favorites like "Any Way You Want It," "Who's Crying Now," "Separate Ways," "Lights" and, of course, "Don't Stop Believin'," plus a DVD of the band's 2008 Las Vegas concert.

The album debuted at No. 2 on Billboard's rock album chart, and No. 5 on the industry magazine's overall Top 200.

"For 'Revelation' to be certified platinum in album sales now," Popplewell said, "it speaks volumes about the viability of the band, especially in this current economy and record biz."

"The group has certainly jelled with Pineda," said Moffatt, "and they always have been a great group instrumentally." Moffatt said that it was exciting that the band's Honolulu concerts sold out so quickly. "They've got something people want, and for that, people are willing to shell out the money."

Journey is currently on the Asian leg of an extensive tour, which began in Pineda's Philippine homeland. At a tour stop Saturday, one local newspaper reported that Pineda made it known on stage that he was glad to be back home, close to his family and his roots.

"Proud to be Pinoy!" he exclaimed.

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