Watching one of the morning programs, they told the tale of how the new frontman for Journey came to be. A tribute/cover singer from the Phillipines, Arnel Pineda had a huge following on YouTube doing his thang - singing, among other things - Journey songs. The guys from Journey heard about him and had to check it out. Looking for a new frontman, they were wowwed by the video. But the challenge came in locating Arnel. Apparently sparing no expense, they eventually found Arnel and had him flown to the states to audition. End result, Arnel is now the lead singer/frontman for the latest version of the band. (Yes, I know there was another one inbetween, but he wasn’t memorable, at least not to me.)

While I’m thrilled to see Journey live on, I’m also tainted in that there is no imitation better than the real thang. There’s nobody who can sing Steve Perry songs better than Steve Perry. They can try, and they may even come close. But, as they say - close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades. For comparison and proof, I offer up the following live performances. While audio and video is not the best, the live vocals are still, at a minimum - remarkable (there were better versions but these were the only ones that could be embedded).

Send Her My Love - Steve Perry 1983:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6JE0qL-28mY[/youtube]

Steve Perry Faithfully - 1983:

I was watching late night TV the other night, and happened to tune in to one of the funniest interviews I’ve seen recently. David Letterman was interviewing Will Smith - and their conversation diverted to hilarious tangents in a number of directions. Didn’t see it? Or want to see it again? Following are the replays…

[youtube]http://youtube.com/watch?v=lFRPIwZrcyQ[/youtube]

And here’s Part 2:

Armed with a new video camera and her trusty Nikon, Lisa hit the open roads of rural, upstate New York - putting together this video - the first she’s ever done. Overlaid with a foot-stomping and catchy soundtrack - I give you “My Town.”

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=teLkRRILNEo[/youtube]


Very cool Lis!

Over the weekend, Lisa (tresdoc) came down for some sisterly fun. And where to go for that fun? New York City of course! Can I just tell you it was fabulous! We had more fun than two girls should be allowed in one day. Just what the doctor ordered to get me out of this slump. (Thanks Lis!)

We started out Saturday at a matinee showing of Spring Awakening. Can’t say enough good things about the musical - one of the best I’ve ever seen, and well deserving of the 8 Tony Awards it received. Excellent ensemble cast. Excellent venue at the O’Neill Theater. Superior musical!

Spring Awakening was originally written back in the late 1800s and, being so controversial, was banned in Germany. Set in 19th century Germany, it’s a vignette of sexual awakening within a circle of friends. While the setting is early 1900s, the music is anything but - with a modern day, rock soundtrack. In fact, the “orchestra” consists of a 5 or 6 piece band that sits on-stage.

I don’t want to give anything away, but get ready for an incredible performance. Leave the kiddies at home, though. The theme is adult-oriented, with strong language and brief nudity.

As I was reading the credits afterwards, I was pleasantly surprised to see the name Duncan Sheik. Do you remember Duncan Sheik? He had a big hit back in the late 90’s with Barely Breathing. Anyway, Duncan and Steve Sater, a dramatist, collaborated together on Spring Awakening. It’s like Lennon and McCartney. Or Elton and Bernie. A great writing team.

Remember this line - blah, blah, blah, blah, blah! And be sure to pick up the soundtrack, too!