Journey, Heart and Cheap Trick in Concert in Bristow, Virginia: A Review

I have been a loyal fan of Journey for many years. My love of Journey first started when I was only twenty years old and bought, "Greatest Hits" on CD. Although the CD was originally released in 1988, Journey's music is timeless and the messages of their many hit songs continue to be meaningful in the lives of today's audience. I recently saw Journey in concert with Heart and Cheap Trick on Journey's 2008, "Revelations" tour which was at Nissan Pavilion in Bristow, Virginia.

The concert opened with Cheap Trick. This being my first time seeing Cheap Trick live in concert, I had been looking forward to their performance for months. Unfortunately, I found the lack of stage presence of lead singer Rick Nielsen to be quite disappointing. Following the performances of such notable classics as 1978's, "I Want You To Want Me" and the 1988 power ballad, "The Flame" from their critically-acclaimed, "Lap Of Luxury" release, Nielsen's introduction of the band for the eighth time in a row in several failed attempts to occupy time were boring and tiring to me. I need to make a confession. Nielsen's lack of a good rapport with the audience was so disappointing in fact, that by the end of Cheap Trick's set, I wished that Cheap Trick was not included in the concert.

The second band of the night, Heart's performance was a real treat! Heart's show was well worth what seemed to me like a long wait. Ann Wilson has lost a bit of weight, which would explain why she looked so terrific in her black stage outfit. She danced on the stage during the performances of the Heart classics, "Never" and, "Magic Man." Both sisters had a breezy and relaxed rapport with audience members, making jokes and bantering playfully between songs.

As a longtime concert attendee, Heart seemed to me to be genuinely humbled and appreciative of the fact that fans would spend their valuable time and hard-earned money attending one of their concerts. Heart appeared to have a great deal of respect for their roots as well. They encouraged the audience to dance and sing along with them. The audience participation added more fun to an already exciting show.

Journey's performance was the best part of the night. The touching life story of new lead vocalist and Philippines native Arnel Pineda has been garnering Journey many new fans and a lot of well-deserved attention. After being featured on, "CBS Sunday Morning" earlier this year, Pineda's story of humble beginnings adds an important and unique new meaning both to the classic, "Don't Stop Believin" and, "After All These Years" which is the current single from their new release, "Revelations."

Despite my experiencing challenging and unsafe parking difficulties, this was the best Journey concert that I have attended in several years. Although I was in the two hundred section, I had a great view of the stage. My seats were terrific and my tickets were reasonably priced. As far as venues are concerned, I think that Nissan Pavilion needs to improve their accessibility for people with disabilities. I am excited about attending future Journey shows. Since Journey is experiencing renewed popularity, I hope that alternative venues will be explored in the future. Venues which are more accommodating in their policies and easily accessible for the enjoyment of all patrons!