Showbiz 101

Source: omaha.com
Yes, he does.

That's the short answer to the question that every Journey fan wants to know: Does new lead singer Arnel Pineda really sound just like the band's former frontman, Steve Perry?

Ever since Perry made his final exit from the group a decade ago, the other members have tried and failed to find a suitable replacement. Judging by Pineda's spirited performance Tuesday night at a packed Mid-America Center in Council Bluffs, they may have finally found their guy.

As soon as Pineda let loose with his first Perry-esque wail, it was obvious that his voice has both the power and nuance to deliver faithful versions of all those Journey anthems that dominated rock radio in the late 1970s and 1980s.

What remains to be seen is how well fans take to his hyper stage style, filled with leaps, spins and tosses of the mike. His bio says he's 40, but he looks and moves much younger.

Perhaps he's just happy to have this job. After all, a year ago he was performing in a cover band and making YouTube videos of his best Perry-style vocals. He was found one day during an Internet search by Journey's lead guitarist, Neal Schon.

Still, after a few songs filled with stage antics, it was a relief to see him calm down a bit and just deliver simple, heartfelt vocals on "After All These Years," one of several tracks from Journey's new CD "Revelation" featured in the concert's opening minutes.


Source: NewsOk.com
As Journey started its set at dusk, local fans got the chance to see if new front man Arnel Pineda could match the vocal prowess former vocalist Steve Perry. From the opening lines of “Only the Young,” the Filipino singer, whom the band discovered on YouTube, proved not only a worthy successor but a virtual vocal doppelganger.

Most fans seemed to welcome Pineda with open arms, and his wide smile, indefatigable stage presence and passionate performances seemed to win over any detractors. One female fan even snuck onto the stage to steal a quick embrace before security guards hauled her away, leaving the grinning Pineda to quip, “Anyone else?”

By the time the band played favorites such as Don’t Stop Believin’,” “Lights” and “Anyway You Want It,” most everyone was singing along, with Pineda’s voice soaring above all others and original guitarist Neal Schon burning up the solos.

The highlights of the set — apart from Pineda’s continual leaping, spinning and microphone flipping — were an extended version of “Wheel in the Sky” and the new and appropriate track “A Change for the Better.”