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Infinity Tour

Infinity Tour
Tour by Journey
Location
Associated albumInfinity
Start dateJanuary 20, 1978
End dateDecember 31, 1978
Legs3
No. of shows127
Journey concert chronology

The Infinity Tour was a concert tour by the American rock band Journey. The tour was in support of their 1978 album Infinity which peaked at #21 on the Billboard 200.[1]

Background

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Sales for the album and the band's stature began to grow upon the beginning of the tour on January 20, 1978. Throughout March and April, the band would tour with both hard rock bands Van Halen and Montrose. Steve Perry remembered: "Van Halen was the opening act for the tour, they were a brand new band back then. We were doing 3,000-seat auditoriums and they were killing us every night. It was eye-opening. We were keeping up with them, but they were certainly making us be a better band. They were so musically simple."[2] Tom Broderick, a sound mixer for Van Halen recalled that the members of Journey were off-put by Van Halen's meteoric performances on tour with them and began to undermine them by sabotaging the PA.[3]

The members of Journey would eventually end up meeting Montrose's drummer, Steve Smith, which released reports that there was tensions between Aynsley Dunbar and the band due to the change in music direction from the jazz fusion sound. Aynsley was also noted to have started playing erratically and talking derogatorily about the other members of Journey according to the band's manager Herbie Herbert.[4] Reflecting on the tensions between Dunbar and the band, Neal Schon commented: "We would talk about it, and he'd say he'd be willing to simplify things. But we'd get out there, and after five shows he wasn't doing that at all."[4]

The band would fly over to Europe to perform at the Pinkpop Festival in Holland. Critics who had watched the performance criticized the unfamiliar stage equipment, and called the performance 'shallow', commenting that Steve Perry's vocals were barely audible, and Aynsley's drum solo was 'clumsy' and 'boring'.[4] Following the show in the Netherlands, the band embarked on a three-month tour, where they performed as headliners for the first time.[5] As part of an artist development program by Columbia Records, the band would later perform a free concert to 33,000 fans at the performing arts center in Saratoga Springs on June 9.[6]

The tour ended on September 2, 1978, which was the last time Aynsley Dunbar performed with the band. Montrose's drummer, Steve Smith, joined the band following Dunbar's departure. His first performance with Journey was in November at Super Jam II.[4] The band later finished the year with a hometown gig on New Year's Eve with Blondie and Stoneground as supporting acts. It is one of their most successful tours to date, with notable performances like the show in Chicago with The Rolling Stones, the 1978 World Series of Rock Festival with Emerson, Lake & Palmer and Foreigner, and the show in California with Ted Nugent and AC/DC.[7]

Reception

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Reviewing the January 27–29 performances at the Old Waldorf, Jack McDonough noted the band as one of the most exciting English-influenced bands in San Francisco which was becoming extremely popular. He praised the band's sound as melodic, with an "enveloping rainbow feel", sounding almost a lot like both Queen and The Beatles, with a variety of songs from the album Infinity and the albums before. He took notice on the audience, which each show drawing out 3,600 fans.[8]

Tour dates

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Date[9] City Country Venue
North America
January 20, 1978 Chicago United States Riviera Theatre
January 27, 1978 San Francisco The Old Waldorf
January 28, 1978
January 29, 1978
February 10, 1978 Davis Freeborn Hall
February 12, 1978 Concord Concord Pavilion
February 17, 1978 Arcata East Gym
February 18, 1978 Salinas Sherwood Hall
February 19, 1978 Fresno Selland Arena
February 21, 1978 Stockton Stockton Memorial Civic Auditorium
February 24, 1978 Santa Barbara Arlington Theatre
February 25, 1978 Los Angeles Burt Sugarmans’ Midnight Special
(TV appearance)
February 26, 1978 Fresno Selland Arena
March 1, 1978 Racine Racine Memorial Hall
March 2, 1978 Davenport RKO Orpheum Theatre
March 3, 1978 Chicago Aragon Ballroom
March 4, 1978 Springfield Nelson Center
March 5, 1978 Indianapolis Indiana Convention Center
March 7, 1978 Madison Shuffle Inn
March 9, 1978 Milwaukee Riverside Theater
March 10, 1978 Detroit Masonic Temple Theater
March 11, 1978 Trotwood Hara Arena
March 12, 1978 Homestead Leona Theater
March 14, 1978 Toronto Canada Massey Hall
March 15, 1978 Cleveland United States Cleveland Music Hall
March 16, 1978 Columbus Columbus Veterans Memorial Auditorium
March 17, 1978 Louisville Louisville Gardens
March 18, 1978 Evansville Evansville Coliseum
March 19, 1978 South Bend Morris Civic Auditorium
March 20, 1978 Schaumburg B'Ginnings
March 21, 1978 Utica Utica Memorial Auditorium
March 22, 1978 Albany Palace Theatre
March 23, 1978 Buffalo New Century Theatre
March 24, 1978 Upper Darby Township Tower Theater
March 25, 1978 New York City Palladium
March 26, 1978 Hempstead Calderone Concert Hall
March 27, 1978 Boston Paradise Theater
March 29, 1978 Duluth Duluth Auditorium
March 30, 1978 Saint Paul St. Paul Civic Center Theater
March 31, 1978 Kansas City Memorial Hall
April 1, 1978 St. Louis Kiel Opera House
April 2, 1978 Omaha Omaha Music Hall
April 3, 1978 Wichita Pogo's
April 4, 1978 Tulsa Cain's Ballroom
April 5, 1978 Indianapolis Murat Temple Theater
April 6, 1978 Flint IMA Auditorium
April 7, 1978 Nashville War Memorial Auditorium
April 8, 1978 Murray MSU Field House
April 9, 1978 Birmingham Boutwell Memorial Auditorium
April 11, 1978 Corpus Christi Corpus Christi Memorial Coliseum
April 12, 1978 Austin Austin Municipal Auditorium
April 13, 1978 Shreveport Shreveport Memorial Auditorium
April 14, 1978 Fort Worth Will Rogers Memorial Auditorium
April 15, 1978 Houston Houston Music Hall
April 16, 1978 New Orleans The Warehouse
April 18, 1978 Memphis Ellis Memorial Auditorium
April 20, 1978 Tallahassee Ruby Diamond Auditorium
April 21, 1978 Pembroke Pines Hollywood Sportatorium
April 22, 1978 Tampa Curtis Hixon Hall
April 23, 1978 Atlanta Fox Theatre
April 25, 1978 Virginia Beach Rogues' Gallery
April 26, 1978
April 27, 1978 Norfolk The Scope
April 28, 1978 New York City Palladium
April 29, 1978 Johnson City Freedom Hall Civic Center
April 30, 1978 Huntington Huntington Civic Center
May 1, 1978[10] Toledo Toledo Sports Arena
May 3, 1978 Cleveland Cleveland Music Hall
May 5, 1978 Rochester Rochester Community War Memorial
May 6, 1978 Boston Orpheum Theatre
May 10, 1978 Salt Lake City Salt Palace
May 11, 1978 Casper J Flag Indoor Arena
May 13, 1978 Boulder Folsom Field
Europe
May 15, 1978 Geleen Netherlands Burgemeester Damen Sportpark
(Pinkpop 1978)
North America
May 18, 1978 Tucson United States Tucson Convention Center
May 20, 1978 Long Beach Long Beach Arena
May 23, 1978 Seattle Seattle Center Arena
May 24, 1978 Portland Paramount Theatre
May 25, 1978 Spokane Spokane Coliseum
May 27, 1978 Medford Medford Armory
May 29, 1978 Concord Concord Pavilion
May 30, 1978 San Diego California Theatre
June 9, 1978 Saratoga Springs Saratoga Performing Arts Center
June 10, 1978 Passaic Capitol Theatre
June 14, 1978 Upper Darby Tower Theatre
June 15, 1978 Pittsburgh Civic Arena
June 16, 1978 Saginaw Wendler Arena
June 17, 1978 Lansing Lansing Civic Center
June 18, 1978 Cincinnati Riverfront Coliseum
June 24, 1978 Toronto Canada Maple Leaf Gardens
June 30, 1978 Milwaukee United States Milwaukee County Stadium
July 1, 1978 Dallas Cotton Bowl
(Texxas Jam 1978)
July 2, 1978 Houston The Summit
July 4, 1978 Orchard Park Rich Stadium
July 5, 1978 Milwaukee Henry W. Maier Festival Park
July 8, 1978 Chicago Soldier Field
July 9, 1978 Aragon Ballroom
July 11, 1978 Clinton Riverview Park
July 12, 1978 Detroit Cobo Arena
July 13, 1978 Nashville Municipal Auditorium
July 15, 1978 Cleveland Cleveland Stadium
(World Series of Rock 1978)
July 16, 1978 Davenport Credit Island Park
(Mississippi River Jam 1978)
July 17, 1978 La Crosse Mary E. Sawyer Auditorium
July 18, 1978 Seymour Outagamie County Fairgrounds
July 20, 1978 Tulsa Tulsa Assembly Center
July 21, 1978 Jackson Civic Center
July 23, 1978 Louisville Kentucky Fair and Exposition Center
July 25, 1978 Jackson Mississippi Coliseum
July 27, 1978 Springfield Springfield Civic Center
July 28, 1978 New Haven New Haven Veterans Memorial Coliseum
July 29, 1978 Binghamton Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena
July 30, 1978 Portland Cumberland County Civic Center
August 3, 1978 Indianapolis Market Square Arena
August 5, 1978 Tiffin St. John's Hollow
August 6, 1978 East Rutherford Giants Stadium
August 8, 1978 Chicago Navy Pier
(ChicagoFest 1978)
August 9, 1978 St. Louis Kiel Auditorium
August 12, 1978 Honolulu Neal S. Blaisdell Arena
August 18, 1978 Sacramento California Exposition & State Fair
August 26, 1978 Anaheim Anaheim Stadium
September 2, 1978 Oakland Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum1
(Day on the Green 1978)
Post Tour
November 22, 1978 San Francisco United States Winterland Arena2
(Super Jam II)
December 31, 1978 Oakland Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum
(Bay Area New Year's Eve 1978)

Information

Box office score data

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List of box office score data with date, city, venue, attendance, gross, references
Date
(1978) 		City Venue Attendance Gross Ref(s)
February 21 Stockton, United States Civic Auditorium 3,669 $25,109 [11]
July 13 Nashville, United States Municipal Auditorium 9,900 $70,364 [12]
July 15 Cleveland, United States Cleveland Stadium 60,505 $672,964
July 25 Jackson, United States Coliseum 10,116 $62,213 [13]
July 27 Springfield, United States Civic Center 9,789 $67,836
July 28 New Haven, United States Coliseum 10,590 $76,580
July 30 Portland, United States Cumberland County Civic Center 9,100 $67,950
August 9 St. Louis, United States Kiel Auditorium 8,050 $59,607 [14]
December 31 Oakland, United States Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum 12,988 $136,887 [15]

Personnel

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References

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  1. ^ Daniels 2011, p. 31.
  2. ^ Oliver, Derek (August 24, 2018). "Start believin': The story of Journey's Infinity album". Louder Sound. Classic Rock Magazine. Retrieved March 16, 2021.
  3. ^ Renoff, Gregory J. (2015). Van Halen Rising: How a Southern California Backyard Party Band Saved Heavy Metal. Toronto: ECW Press. p. 318. ISBN 978-1-77041-263-7.
  4. ^ a b c d Daniels 2011, pp. 33–35.
  5. ^ Campbell, Mary (May 24, 1978). "Journey Takes Off With Vocalist". Harlan, Kentucky: Harlan Daily Enterprise. Retrieved January 18, 2022.
  6. ^ Kozak, Roman (July 1, 1978). "33,000 at Saratoga: Free Rock Gigs in Columbia's Program". Billboard. Vol. 90, no. 26. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. pp. 52, 54. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved March 17, 2021.
  7. ^ Daniels 2011, p. 37.
  8. ^ McDonough, Jack (February 11, 1978). "Talent in Action: Journey, Sandy Welch". Billboard. Vol. 90, no. 6. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. pp. 36–37. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved December 13, 2022.
  9. ^ "Journey's Past Tour Information". www.journey-tribute.com. Archived from the original on 2018-07-08. Retrieved 2020-08-30.
  10. ^ "Music: Next Week". Toledo Blade. April 28, 1978. p. P-3. Retrieved January 31, 2021. Journey: In concert with guest star Ronnie Montrose, Toledo Sports Arena, Monday at 8.
  11. ^ "Top Box Office". Billboard. Vol. 90, no. 10. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. March 11, 1978. p. 48. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved February 12, 2022.
  12. ^ "Billboard Top Box Office". Billboard. Vol. 90. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. July 29, 1978. p. 42. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved February 13, 2021.
  13. ^ "Top Box Office". Billboard. Vol. 90, no. 32. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. August 12, 1978. p. 59. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved February 12, 2022.
  14. ^ "Top Box Office". Billboard. Vol. 90, no. 34. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. August 26, 1978. p. 82. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved February 6, 2022.
  15. ^ "Billboard Top Box Office". Billboard. Vol. 91, no. 2. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. January 13, 1979. p. 38. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved February 6, 2022.

Sources

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