Photo Credit: Erik Kabik/Kabik Photography
The rock band Journey returned to the Hard Rock Hotel to kick off its second, nine-show residency at The Joint on Wednesday, May 3. Newly inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Journey performed its seventh studio album, Escape, and the band’s eighth studio album, Frontiers, back-to-back and in their entirety for the first time in the United States on Wednesday. The band plans to do that again on May 10 and May 17.
Band members Neal Schon, Ross Valory, Jonathan Cain, Steve Smith and Arnel Pineda had the entire crowd on their feet as they kicked off the night with their timeless mega-hit, “Don’t Stop Believin’.” Throughout the 2.5 hour performance, concertgoers sang along to some of their favorite Journey songs including “Who’s Crying Now,” “Separate Ways,” “Open Arms,” “Send Her My Love,” “Any Way You Want It,” “Lovin, Touchin’, Squeezin’,” and many more.
Earlier in the day, Hard Rock Hotel welcomed the Rock and Roll Hall of Famers back to the property with a proclamation by City of Las Vegas and Mayor Carolyn Goodman declaring Wednesday, May 3, as Journey Las Vegas Day and a memorabilia property takeover. The memorabilia tour included an updated band case with items from Steve Smith, Neal Schon’s new personal case and Steve Smith’s drum kit display.
Following the Journey case unveiling, Schon revealed his own display case, featuring two of his signature Paul Reed Smith guitars, a hand-tailored suit, shoes, sunglasses and a custom Journey plaque presented to Schon commemorating nearly 50 million U.S. album sales. Steve Smith concluded the memorabilia tour by displaying his 1980 Sonor drum set, used on such albums as Escape and Frontiers.
On Thursday night at Tao Nightclub in the Venetian, NFL stars Rodger Saffold, Von Miller and Emmanuel Sanders partied together at a VIP table. The group took in Worship Thursday as Tao Group resident DJ Mustard manned the decks.
