JOURNEY – Live in Concert at Lollapalooza

Journey surely need no introduction as these stalwarts of melodic rock/AOR have been around for ages and are responsible for some of the most well-known and popular anthems known to man, so let us cut to the chase and briefly touch on this latest offering of theirs, which is a 2CD/DVD set capturing the band’s performance at Lollapalooza in 2021.

With the talented vocalist Arnel Pineda handling all the classic tunes quite brilliantly and the band as a whole gelling nicely, this release is certainly an enjoyable listen and a robust-sounding affair that possesses spark. Although the setlist does not contain any surprises, it is impossible not to feel a sense of excitement when cranking such timeless pieces as ‘Wheel in the Sky’ and ‘Ask the Lonely’ up loud. The group is tight and plays things safe, which entails that you will not find any thrilling improvisation nor a subtle hint of danger and reckless abandon here; these live renditions pretty much adhere to the structures and arrangements of their original counterparts. You only need the two entertaining CDs though as the DVD looks uneventful and cheap due to the way in which it was filmed. A worthy entry in Journey’s discography but arguably only mandatory for hardcore fans of the legendary act.