What's Up with Jonathan Cain - The Australian Tour! by: Jonathan Cain
We began our very first tour of Australia this year opening up for legendary rockers, “Deep Purple”, a band we had played next to in England during the “Down Low” festival. It seemed like good fit. Especially since we had met backstage and were quite friendly. Turns out Ian Gillian’s wife is a huge Journey fan and surprised us in the Eighties by showing up in our dressing room –unannounced- at a “Day On The Green” concert with her hubby Ian. I had been a huge fan of Ian’s singing as well as Ian Paice, their drummer. Steve Morse, their guitarist had chatted it up with Neal back at the England festival so we all felt comfortable sharing the stage. We were all excited to finally break the ice with the Australian audience and take our sound to meet them head on. Journey tried to get down there years ago but was told the economy was slumping and we would have to wait. The time had come.
Having written and produced the wildly successful Jimmy Barnes anthem back in the Eighties, “Working Class Man,” I had more than an excitement and curiosity about the land who embraced my song to make it a smash hit for weeks on the charts in the “down under”. Jimmy was the Australian Bruce Springsteen I was told. I had only seen video of him performing in Australia before sold out crowds who seemed to know every word of the song I had dedicated to my Dad. We had chemistry together and seemed to have the Midas touch those days. I hadn’t made it down there due to being the new father of a young daughter and being gone for so long while touring with Journey. It didn’t matter, Jimmy returned to San Francisco a year later and we wrote and recorded another number one album together in Sausalito, “Freight Train Heart.” Having this distant relationship with a land I had only seen on TV and read about in books; and never one to stay in my hotel room I would try to explore and photograph the beauty of this rugged, diverse land on days off. Then there were the vineyards- this was the land of Shiraz and Sauvignon Blanc –like California and France there were many regions I had to taste and tour.
We left two days early and decided to stay in Sydney before rehearsals in Auckland. Auckland is a beautiful, cosmopolitan city to get used to the time change in. We were 16 hours ahead of Nashville and would lose a day flying. By the time we landed it took me over twenty six hours with plane changes, meeting the band in LA and flying business on a non-stop double decker French, Air Bus.
We landed in Sydney in the morning and I headed straight out to Darling Harbor, a nice scenic walk over a bridge from the hotel. The sun was out, the weather was in the high seventies and I was game to see the sights of Sydney. Yul, Arnel’s assistant, had told me about Bondi Beach, so I inquired how to take the train and then the bus to get there. I ended up at Bondi around two o’clock and spent the next two hours exploring the coastal walkway that had been carved and constructed to follow the shoreline. I noticed along the seawall, amazing sandstone impressions revealing fossils of plant life. The pictures I took capture the vistas and rugged coastline that make this spot more than just a beach. There were quaint restaurants and bars in town and lots of young people soaking up the sun. I had my swimsuit on and decided to take a dip in the ocean before returning to the city.
That evening we all had dinner on the other side of Darling Harbor. With the lights of the city reflecting on the water it was quite picturesque. I explored the city my second day off and wandered over to the massive Westfield Mall and then to Circular Quay where you could see the Harbor Bridge and the Opera House. Many ferries launch from the area as well. A huge cruise ship had stopped to let tourists off to explore the sights of Sydney for a few days. I found myself having seafood for lunch. Oysters Kilpatrick seemed to be the specialty of the region – baked in bits of bacon and Worcestershire sauce and I couldn’t seem to get enough. I found the Australian beef, tender and savory. Once I got around in a rental car I found they had a lot of Angus grazing about. That evening I hired a cab to get the night shot of the Harbor Bridge. There were two places and my Chinese cabdriver knew exactly where I wanted to go. I had my tri pod and my lenses so I was prepared to get the “money shot” I had only dreamed about. Elated when I returned to my room, the photos turned out postcard perfect!
I had hoped to see Jimmy Barnes while I was in Sydney but it turned out that he was in LA. Having been interviewed by the Australian music press his name seemed to come up a lot. I had never done press on the albums I produced so there was a good bit of interest regarding the lasting music we made together. “Working Class Man” and “Freight Train Heart” are still his biggest selling albums to date. We had discussed a possible double bill with Journey and Jimmy but our schedules didn’t line up to pull off a tour together.
Having two days to acclimate, it was time to fly to Auckland to rehearse and begin our tour with Deep Purple. We would have a day off after rehearsal so I was planning on a day trip to Queenstown, an hour and a half plane flight. I would have to get up at dawn to make it to the airport. Originally, some of the guys from the band and crew were going to join me but opted to go wine tasting on an island with a restaurant owner who tried to talk us out of the plane ride. I still wanted to go and woke up early on my own, took a cab to the airport and bought a ticket to Queenstown.
After seeing the “Lord Of The Rings’ I had told myself if I ever got close to New Zealand I would have to visit the glaciers outside of Queenstown. The tour began with rehearsals in Auckland and leaving two days early I would have a window to travel to the misty mountain range I had only seen in the movies. As the plane got near Queenstown I could see the majestic glacier mountain range. I had come to the right place. Not only was the Lord of The Rings Mountains there, but also one of my favorite New Zealand pinot noir wineries was an just an hour away in Central Otago – Felton Road.
When I landed at the airport in Queenstown I asked about a plane or helicopter trip to photograph the glacier. I decided on a plane. The man called Ray said he would take me higher and deeper into the mountain range than a helicopter could. Since there were clouds that morning we would wait till late afternoon which would give me time to explore the wine country I wanted to visit. Once I got my rental car I soon realized waking up at dawn and getting on that plane was one of the best moves I could have made. The road to Central Otago wine district was as scenic as the glaciers I had flown over when I landed. Carved through and around rugged mountain ranges a beautiful stream flowed fresh water along the highway - almost like the color of a tourmaline gemstone.
Once I reached Central Otago I found that Felton Road winery wasn’t even on Felton Road – it was the access road that led to the actual winery. I should say here that during the wine tasting I did in New Zealand and Australia I tasted and spit: never swallowed. Driving on the left-hand side of the road was daunting enough while I was sober and over the years have learned to keep my wits out while out on the wine country. The tasting was free and the pinot noir was exquisite. The ladies at the tasting room were friendly and knowledgeable about the wines. They had special single lot vintages I hadn’t seen in the states so I bought six bottles – two of them chardonnay. Then I headed up the road to Mount Difficulty—a recommended stop before heading back to town, carved in a rugged hillside surrounded by buttes that towered over the carefully planted vineyard. It looked so dry that it was hard to believe any vines could possibly survive. The winemakers in Australia use damns that are dug close to the vineyards so during the rainy season water can be collected and saved for watering during the hot months. Pinot is harvested in April so the berries were just beginning to ripen when I visited the region. At the tasting room I found beautifully crafted Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris and stunning Pinot Noir. Since I was driving (on the left side of the road) I used a spit bucket sampling the different varietals without swallowing. I prefer to taste wines when they are many to try and miles to drive. A small vineyard called Desert Heart proved to be worth a visit – as they poured award winning pinot noir before I returned to Queenstown for my plane ride.
When I returned to the airport, Ray was ready for me. He would take me high and deep into the glacier as he promised. The small prop plane had freshly cleaned windows due to the fact he knew I wanted to photograph the scenic mountains. I wore a headset and he explained where we were and how the glaciers were formed millions of years ago out of the ice. The cloud cover had burned off during the day and the visibility was great. We made our way quickly to the snow covered peaks I had seen in the movie and the scenery was more enchanting than I could have imagined. Colors of purple and blue shadowed the rugged beauty of the topography. I was snapping away while he soared and banked, allowing me to get the right angles of special places, glacier ponds and lakes, and even waterfalls. He banked out over the ocean revealing a gorgeous primitive coastline I gladly captured in my Canon lens. In his Australian accent, Ray was quite a guide, funny and knowledgeable about the region he had flown in for over twenty years. As we made our way back to the airport he took me over long stretches of glacier lakes surrounded by steep brooding peaks – looming in the purple shadows of the afternoon. I was overwhelmed at the beauty of this mystical place. I found a peaceful but powerful energy up there in that plane and when we landed I was buzzing from the feeling. I had to see about returning back to Auckland and found out the last flight was sold out. Since I went up with Ray later in the day anyways, it was worth staying the night in Queenstown. I got an early flight for the next morning and stayed downtown at a lovely Sofitel Hotel. There was a great restaurant upstairs and I quickly found a seat and had a great dinner before retiring to bed.
My photos were better than I had hoped for. They documented the beauty and majesty I had witnessed that afternoon in the tiny plane with Ray. As I flew back to Auckland the next morning I was treated to more vistas flying out of Queenstown at 30,000 feet. Sliver clouds were circling the mighty peaks of the glacier mountain range giving me a chance to snap some more impressions out the window of the Air New Zealand jet. Queenstown had been a memorable adventure. The amazing wines of Cental Otago, the glacier peaks and a world-class dinner, in a cozy inn—all in one day. The guys would be jealous they didn’t go with me. I didn’t know when I would ever get back that way again, so I felt grateful for the day off and the time I got to spend in a truly remarkable place.
Rehearsals in Auckland went well and we were ready to begin our tour. The show in Auckland sold to about 3500 people. Backstage, the guys in Deep Purple were friendly and seemed glad to have us on their tour. We rocked an enthusiastic New Zealand crowd and they gave us a nice applause as we ended our set with “Don’t Stop Believin’. We stayed for the Deep Purple set and enjoyed the musicianship and vocals of Ian Gillian. He could still belt it out and got the crowd on their feet several times.
The next morning we headed for Brisbane, Australia where it was raining when we arrived. They had a beach there but there was no time to see it by the time we got in.
After the rock show in Brisbane we would travel to Melbourne where we’d have a day off and a chance to travel to “The Great Ocean Road.” This is an amazing stretch of highway that had been engineered back in the 1920’s to follow over two hundred kilometers of rugged Australian coastline. There were several amazing rock formations in the ocean I wanted to photograph – “12 Apostles” – “London Bridge” and “The Grotto.” I wanted to get to the coast for sunset so we planned on taking our time exploring. The Great Ocean Road had been dedicated to the soldiers who were lost in WWI. Pasquale, our assistant road manager, joined me as we headed out of the congested city in a rental car early that morning. I was getting used to driving on the left side but still wanted to enter the car from the left—only to find no steering wheel. Talk about creatures of habit!
The Great Ocean Road was three hours away before you even entered it. We found rugged coastline and a winding two-lane highway as we made our way to Apollo Beach, one of the resting places along the trip. During the holidays this place would be packed but as we drove through town there were only locals and deserted beaches. Driving on we stopped at “Split Point” Lighthouse and marveled at the raging sea that crashed on the rocks below. The sun had come out and it would be a gorgeous day. As we made our way through Apollo Bay the highway ran up and around farmland and pastures heading inland for an hour or so. We stopped at another Lighthouse. Cape Otay, the oldest in Australia – a place that had the distinction of having the first telegraph system to Tasmania. There was a fee to go up inside the lighthouse so we paid and got to walk up inside the historical structure. Many ships carrying settlers in the mid 1800’s would get shipwrecked on the rocky shore, so having these lighthouses strategically placed along the coastline was imperative.
The lady at the coffee shop next to the lighthouse said that we were an hour from “12 Apostles” so we made our way back to The Great Ocean Road and headed for that part of the coast. We found the viewing platform for “12 Apostles” on the other side of the highway. They were tall rock formations close to the shore that looked like they were placed by aliens. The only way to photograph all 12 stones was from a helicopter out in the ocean so I snapped different impressions and headed down the road to a “London Bridge” another famous rock formation that been damaged in a hurricane. One half of the bridge had been washed away and people even had to be rescued. The sun was beginning to set so we stayed a while to get the beautiful prism of colors from the sky and sea. Moving on before dark we got to see the “Grotto” and the “Bay of the Martyrs,” two more amazing seascape attractions featured on The Great Ocean Road.”
With the sunset fading, it was time to head back to Melbourne. We were almost four hours from the city and with a quarter tank of gas left I was getting anxious as I passed closed gas stations in little towns we drove through. After stopping at a McDonalds we found a BP and we were good to get back to town. Pasquale and I pulled into our hotel around midnight. We had been exploring for 14 hours. The Ocean Road was worth every hour. A drive that we both would remember.
Next stop on the tour was Adelaide — where the temperature was heating up. It was ninety degrees when we landed! Sarah Shoup, our road manager had set up a tour of Molly Dooker winery in the famous McLaren Vale region, an hour outside of town. The owners had a tour of the winery and planned a dinner back at their home. Kiss was playing at the racetrack that evening and their manager, Doc McGhee had paid the winery a visit the day before. Janet Marquis, mother of the owner of the winery, Sparky, conducted a tour of the vineyards and the winemaking facility. She was friendly and knowledgeable about the making of wine and the vineyards so we were treated to a great visit. The Shiraz and Cabernet blends we drank were silky and deep. Their flagship premium wine is called “Velvet Glove.” It comes in a box with a velvet label and tastes like its name. Sparky is married to his winemaker, Sarah. The couple started in the business making “Marquis Phillips” a wine that used to be on our bus quite often. After a nasty split with their partner they started “Molly Dooker” with just a thousand dollars in the bank! Thanks to a wealthy entrepreneur in town who loved their wines, he lent them the money to start a new business. Their home is on top of a ridge that looks down on the city of Adelaide and we dined outside where we could see the city lights and even catch a few notes of the Kiss show. It was nice to have dinner in someone’s home after being in hotels and restaurants for so many weeks on end. The couple poured us all the wines they made including “Velvet Glove for the finale. They all came to our show in Adelaide with more wine and we partied backstage while Deep Purple rocked their set.
After doing the show in Adelaide we were off to Perth, our final city in Australia. I was told by the folks at Molly Dooker, the wines of Margaret River, a three hour drive from Perth would be worth tasting, so once again I rented a car, and Pasquale and I headed off on what was to be our final Australian adventure. On the map it looked like the road to Margaret River was a scenic ocean highway like we found near Melbourne, but it was a highway that ran five miles inland along the ocean. We noticed the many cattle farms where Angus cows grazed on the rugged land. There were a lot of gums trees that had died and dried up that were stacked up in piles on a lot of the ranches we drove past. After driving along a desolate highway that had very few signs we weren’t sure we were on the right road. Our navigation device wasn’t even sure but we pressed on and eventually found signs for the Margaret River highway.
The vineyards started popping up magically as the terrain became more lush and green. There were hundreds of acres on either side of the highway, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Eeisling , Cab and Syrah. These were cooler climate vineyards than the Molly Dooker wines. We stopped and tasted at our first destination. A wine we had seen on the list in Perth. The whites were high in acid with citrus notes and crisp like green apples. The reds were not as bold and fruity but had a more austere French dryness to them that appealed to my palate. The wines at Stella Bella really showed well. In the small rustic tasting room they poured an amazing Viognier and a Super Tuscan style blend of Cab and San Giovese. After driving for hours we longed to see the ocean so we decided to drive another hour. After our final tasting we spied a mob of kangaroos on the cattle ranch alongside of the highway. I immediately pulled over and stopped to mount my zoom lens as the creatures stared at us. A few were startled but most of the mob stood their ground and watched us from the field. We had seen kangaroo that had been hit by cars and were lying dead along the highway, but had hoped to find a mob in the wild. Our wish granted, I captured the roo in the wild and headed to our final stop: our small ocean town called Augusta. We encountered another historic lighthouse as we wound towards the sea: Cape Leeuwin. We were too late to get a tour inside but I enjoyed shooting the old centurion from a distance and up close. During our wine tasting I enjoyed the wine so much that I bought 8 bottles, whites and reds, to take back to our wardrobe case that would be shipped to Japan. Ross and I would enjoy the rare vintages after each show. We turned around and headed back to Perth where we dined on oysters and shrimp, drinking another crisp Chardonnay from Margaret River.
After an amazing time performing alongside Deep Purple and sightseeing with Pasquale it was time to head off to Japan, which I will cover in a separate piece and update you all soon. My final impressions of the down under is, where I had traveled seemed to be bustling, thriving cities; unforgettable coastlines and seascapes and acres of ranchland and desert; a vast rugged and mystical land.
Jonathan Cain
Apr. 2013
04/17/13: Here are a couple of new Jonathan Cain news items.
Jonathan will be appearing at the 14th Annual Nashville Best Cellars Dinner on Monday, April 29th at the Bridge Building in Nashville. The event benefits the TJ Martell Foundation. To purchase tickets you can go to the event page and then click o "Event Tickets".
Charlie Rey of "The Voice" records with Jonathan Cain at Jonathan's studio, Addiction Sound. Check out Charlie Rey's video: "Behind the scenes with Jonathan Cain". You can check out http://charlierey.com/ for more information on Charlie Rey.
Also coming soon, is another blog from Jonathan.
02/24/13: What's Up with Tour update 2012 – 2013! by: Jonathan Cain
What's Up with Jonathan Cain - Tour update 2012 – 2013! by: Jonathan Cain
I want to start this update by personally thanking all the All Access Backstage folks for participating with Brent and I, playing “cornhole” backstage with us backstage, and so generously helping to raise over $26,000 for Make a Wish of Middle Tennessee this past year! We are thrilled with the final number and look forward to raising more donations this summer! Way to go!
Now that a new year has begun and our management is busy booking the New Zealand/Australia/Asia /UK/ dates I reflect on the last leg our 2012 Eclipse tour that took us through Canada and finally Hawaii.
First off I can say it was a strange tour to pack for – one suitcase for parkas, scarfs and gloves and the other swimsuits, luau shirts and flip flops! The extreme weather we anticipated did happen! We flew into Edmonton and it was 10 degrees above zero! Cold weather aside the Canadians were ready to rock with Loverboy and Journey as the attendance at all the shows was sold-out or nearly sold out.
On a day off in Montreal I got to tour “old town” paved with cobblestone streets, quaint shops and tasty bistros. I stopped at the “Notre Dame” the Cathedral of Montreal entered inside and was blown away at the beauty of the gothic church. The lighting and design were extraordinary and got some great photos of the altar and grand pipe organ.
Neal and I were perplexed whether to play the Canadian National Anthem or not in Montreal because of some Internet protests the last time we performed years ago. I think we played “Under Paris Skies” instead and people wondered what we were doing. Later, a Montreal friend of mine said that we should have stuck to our original idea of the anthem. He said if the French/Canadians didn’t like it, they could leave. I laughed at his frankness but took it to heart for the next time we played there.
Grand Prairie and Saskatoon were a frozen tundra when we arrived making it impossible to go outside the hotel and see anything. Aside from a huge World Gym and room service they were pretty uneventful except for the hearty fans that warmed up the arenas and welcomed us as we hit the stage. It was the first time Journey had ever played in these towns and judging from their response it won’t be the last.
Kelowna BC was next on our schedule and it was another place we hadn’t played. The weather had warmed up considerably as we moved toward the west coast. Arriving early evening, with a day off I decided to rent a car and take a tour of the wine country known as Okanagan Valley. I had tasted the wines from this region when we mixed “Generations” in Vancouver back in the Steve Augeri days. They were unique and memorable and I wanted to see for myself where these vines were located. Our accountant Kenny Silva and our tour assistant, Pasquale Vartolo joined me as we hit the road early the next morning. We had dinner at an amazing bistro downtown- Raudz and tasted some great pinot noir - “Blue Mountain”. I was on a quest to score a case of this well-crafted juice, so it would be our first stop. Driving two hours past two huge glacier lakes we were treated to scenic vistas one after the next. When we finally arrived at the secluded vineyard we were met by a lady in their tasting room who told us they were sold out of the prized pinot noir I had sought after. We tasted through their white wines and loved the chardonnay and pinot blanc. After purchasing the whites I asked if she sold the pinot to any shop in Vancouver- our last stop in Canada. She said she would find a case for me and even have it shipped to our hotel. Grateful for her kindness I complimented her on the excellent wines her winemaker had produced. It turned out there were only 2400 cases produced a year of the pinot noir!
Moving on to the Naramata Bench, another BC wine region we stopped and tasted at four more wineries and were delighted in the nuance of the flavors and fragrances from this unique, cool climate “terroir.” Red Rooster Winery turned out to be one of the largest producers in the region, at 40,000 cases a year and wowed us with a hearty merlot and Grenache blend.
As we headed back into town I stopped at the local wine shop and stocked up on a few recommendations for our bus. We headed back to Raudz for dinner once again and were not disappointed. Venison carpaccio and braised short ribs were the specials- so we all indulged - once again. Our new chef, Jason joined us as we ordered another bottle of the “Blue Mountain” with a greater appreciation of the wine and the rarity of wine experience we were having in Kelowna. “Sea to Sky highway” the road led up to Whistler Mountain. Santa had other ideas. That afternoon we checked into the hotel the Christmas Parade of Vancouver came by and tied up the streets for three hours. There was no way to deliver a rental car during that parade because they closed so many streets. I walked downtown and took some shots of “Old Town Vancouver”- a place I had never been to. Not discouraged, I planned to rise early and head out the day of the gig to capture the magical vistas I remembered on a ski trip back in the Eighties.
Chef Jason knew a hot restaurant downtown so once again the foodies in our entourage descended on another gourmet dinner at a trendy, hopping bistro called “Chambar". I got my rental car and drove all of us to dinner. We were all knocked out by the detail and gourmet flavors we were all treated to. Out on the road there is nothing better than sharing an amazing dinner on a night off with the guys in our crew who love and appreciate great cooking as much as I do.
The next morning we were ready and out the door by 10am. Pasquale elected to join me; the two of us headed out on a road adventure and photo safari that led us to some pretty breathtaking spots. The Canadian Rockies, “Shannon Falls”, “Alice Lake” and Whistler Mountain were a real treat to photograph. We got back just in time to leave for the gig and had an amazing concert.
Victoria Island was our last stop on our Canadian tour and we got an amazing view of the many islands from our plane ride before the sunset. With the weather being cold and rainy and hardly any free time it was pretty much in and out of this beautiful place. I noticed that there were vineyards similar to what we encountered in Kelowna that made we want to come back someday.
Las Vegas was our next stop before Hawaii as we got to be in some sunshine for a day off. The show at the Planet Hollywood went smooth and easy. I spent the after-show meet and greet with some winemaking buddies. We poured 2007 -2008 Finale, my cabs and thankfully everyone seemed to really enjoy them.
Honolulu was our next stop and we were all psyched to spend two days off in some tropical weather. I had planned on golf but it is too windy to tee it up so I rented a windsurf board and headed over to Kailua for a little challenge on first days off. Madison and my niece Brittany landed the day of our first show and they got treated to a great show at Blaisdale Coliseum- the old school venue downtown.
During the days off I took them to the North Shore where we visited the Dole Pineapple Plantation and Maverick where they were preparing for a big surf competition. They were amazed at Pali lookout and Muanawili Falls – a trek through a muddy rainforest with a beautiful secluded waterfall 3 miles up into the bush. There is a thirty-foot plunge for the daring hikers that we passed on. On our last day off we headed over to see the Disney resort over in Aulani where the girls and I tried our hand at paddle boarding. After a great dinner at Roy’s of Hawaii and some shopping we said good-bye to our tropical island rock show and headed home for Christmas in Nashville where the family and I spent a quiet Christmas together.
Next on the calendar was the Make A Wish gala I had helped plan earlier in the year before heading on the road. It was called “Stars For Wishes” held at The Factory in Franklin Tennessee and was quickly selling out. I was thrilled with the turnout and the enthusiasm the community had shared with us for the first ever gala thrown by Make A Wish of Middle Tennessee. Serving on the board in the Greater Bay Area organization for three years I had a firsthand look at what it took to manage behind the scenes so I encouraged the Middle Tennessee branch to aim high and shoot for the moon. One of my good friends, Joey Hemphill, owner of Hemphill Coaches was serving his last year on the board and shared my vision to hold a fundraiser that would fuel the chapter forward – increasing the amount of wishes dramatically it could grant this year and the years to come.
The food and entertainment during the event exceeded my wildest expectations as friends of ours stepped up and delivered. Famous chef and friend of mine Emerill La Gasse and his team of chefs came to cook for us this year and prepared a New Orleans style dinner. Ronnie Dunn graciously donated his PA, lights and crew and wowed the crowd with a spirited up-tempo set. Kelly Pickler sang a great acoustic set of her hits and I got to open the entertainment with a Journey medley and a special song-“Make A Wish’ I composed for the event. A twenty-piece choir from “The Cathedral of Praise “backed me up as the song moved the crowd. Madison sang a couple of songs and sounded beautiful as the crowd roared with approval and we closed with “Don’t Stop Believin’ a duet with Emerill La Gasse’s 10 year old son EJ who traded lines with me on our classic crowd pleaser. Gibson guitars and Wente Wines both donated their amazing products to add a special personal touch along with gracious sponsors who added to the dollars needed to grant wishes for our kids.
The next week Nashville was buzzing from the success and the good time everyone had. At “Stars For Wishes.” Beth Torres CEO and her amazing team had executed flawlessly as we raised six figures from the first-time ever event. Grateful and encouraged we all plan to continue “Stars For Wishes” and make it a must attend event on the Nashville scene.
Also in planning for Journey - was a CMT Crossroads with Rascal Flatts down in New Orleans the Saturday before the Super bowl. We would rehearse for two days with their band and share four songs interacting together all together on stage. My golf buddy, John Hamlin, who produced Crossroads, asked me who we would like to perform with and I had mentioned The Flatts to be the most similar in the country genre. With their harmonies, great ballads and the soaring tenor voice of Gary LeVox fans would not be disappointed.
Rehearsals and interviews went without a hitch and we blended seamlessly, musically and socially. Besides being talented musicians they all have a great sense of humor and we laughed a lot behind the scenes.
The taping was shot at The Sugarmill- an open air where house downtown New Orleans. CMT and John Hamlin went all out with lighting stage and PA for this show. For a bit of elegance there were three large chandeliers that hung above the stage and a DJ who played music before we planned to hit the stage. NFL highlights from the year were played on a large video screen that also showed the video interview we had taped a day earlier. The surprise of the evening for me was when Brett Favre got up and introduced the bands. Matt Hasselback, quarterback from the Titans also came up and MC’d for bit as well.
Photos from the web.
My family had come down for the concert and we enjoyed the French Quarter together and an amazing meal at
Emerill’s – where chef personally prepared a seven-course dinner for eighteen of us after the concert.
We woke up in NOLA for Super bowl Sunday and were treated with a couple of tickets to watch the game. Being a 49ers fan I was heartbroken we couldn’t get into the end zone at the end of the game. Beyoncé and the production were amazing and after words I was happy for Ray Lewis and the Ravens. They had played a hard fought game and battled to get the win.
Photo tweeted by Jonathan.
Before we left NOLA I invited Kristin Shannon, event coordinator for the Emerill La Gasse Foundation to dinner at a little creole place on Decatur called Olivier’s. Kristin had been the person in Emerill’s camp I reached out to so we could secure the date for “Stars For Wishes.” I shared with her how well everything had gone and how grateful we were for having him in Nashville.
I want to thank all the folks that made “Stars For Wishes” a success and look forward to more writing another update soon.
Jonathan Cain
Feb. 2013
02/22/13: While we are waiting for a few more photos from Jon for his next blog; here are some photos from the recent Journey show in Ft Wayne, IN. Journey in Concert
02/05/13: Miles Schon and Madison Cain are pleased to announce that we will be opening for JOURNEY in Japan this March!!!! They are so honored and grateful for this once in a lifetime opportunity and they look forward to sharing our new music. They wanted to give you a taste of what they've been up to and share with you their brand new Music Video of one of our favorite songs, Big White Room...
Madison Cain and Miles Schon "Big White Room"
01/23/13: Here are a couple of announcements concerning Journey and Ross Valory
If you ar going to be in or near New Orleans, LA on Thursday January 31st. You need to check this out: A launch party hosted by the members of the world famous band Journey, bassist Ross Valory's new clothing apparel line. Hollywood stars and NFL current and former players will be there, along with members of the media. Give aways such as shirts, signed guitars, basses, helmets and other memorabilia. www.mouthman.com
JOURNEY & RASCAL FLATTS TO HEADLINE CMT CROSSROADS AT SUPER BOWL XLVII
NEW YORK, January 22, 2013 - JOURNEY and RASCAL FLATTS will headline the Super Bowl XLVII CMT CROSSROADS concert at the New Orleans Sugar Mill on Saturday, Feb. 2 at 9 P.M. CT. The two bands join an elite group of performers who have participated on CMT CROSSROADS, the critically-acclaimed series that pairs country music stars with popular artists from other genres-pop, rock, R&B-to play together, swap stories and share their common love of music.
CMT CROSSROADS: JOURNEY AND RASCAL FLATTS will air on CMT on Saturday, Feb. 2 at 11 p.m. ET/PT, the night before Super Bowl XLVII.
Fans can register to be a part of CMT Crossroads as NFL Insiders at www.1iota.com. Doors will open at 7 p.m.
Since its formation in 1973 in San Francisco, Journey has earned 19 Top 40 singles and 25 gold and platinum albums. The band's Greatest Hits album is certified 15 times platinum, bringing Journey into the elite club of Diamond-certified album holders. Journey was awarded the prestigious "Legend of Live Award" at the 2011 Billboard Touring Awards in honors of the band's significant and lasting contributions to live music and the touring business, and in acknowledgement of their commitment to the fans and the art of performing live. 2011 also marked the 30th anniversary of the band's seminal anthem, Don't Stop Believin', which was honored as the top-selling digital classic rock song in history by Nielsen SoundScan. The group received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2005.
Rascal Flatts is the best-selling country vocal group of the past decade and the #1 debut of their new release, CHANGED, earned them the distinction of being one of only four acts to have seven consecutive studio albums debut in the top spot on the Billboard Country Albums chart during the Soundscan era. Since their musical debut in 2000, the band has sold over 21 million albums, 25 million digital downloads and delivered 14 #1 singles to the top of the charts and recently they celebrated a touring milestone with over 7 million concert tickets sold. Rascal Flatts is the most awarded Country group of the past decade, earning over 40 trophies from the ACAs, ACMs, AMAs, CMAs, People's Choice Awards and more.
The upcoming CMT Crossroads concert marks the second Super Bowl appearance for Journey.  The band previously performed in 2009 at NFL Tailgate Party before Super Bowl XLIII in Tampa, Florida. This also marks the second collaboration for Journey and Rascal Flatts.  In June 2012, Flatts closed the CMT Music Awards by inviting Journey to perform their megahit Don't Stop Believin' with them on stage.
CROSSROADS has aired on CMT for over a decade and has featured more than 40 musical pairings which have included Steven Tyler and Carrie Underwood; Bon Jovi and Sugarland; John Mayer and Keith Urban; Kelly Clarkson and Reba McEntire; Joss Stone and LeAnn Rimes; Robert Plant and Alison Krauss; Def Leppard and Taylor Swift; Train and Martina McBride and The Pretenders and Faith Hill.
CMT CROSSROADS is produced by Tom Forrest and Kathryn Russ. John Hamlin, Margaret Comeaux and Bill Flanagan serve as executive producers for CMT.
01/12/13: Welcome to 2013. We hope you all had a great Holiday Season!
We've updated the Tour page with the 2013 Journey tour dates so far.
Please don't forget that Jonathan is also spear heading "Stars for Wishes". On January 19, 2013 at Liberty Hall at the Factory in Franklin, TN will be a star studded evening. Get your ticket and help out a great cause. You can check out details at http://middletennessee.wish.org/2012/09/14/stars-for-wishes/.
12/04/12: What's Up with Jonathan Cain 2012! by: Jonathan Cain
What's Up with Jonathan Cain 2012! by: Jonathan Cain
Rhonda and Tracy—the dedicated and lovely ladies that oversee jonathancain.com have a convincing way of getting me to keep up with my posting updates—so after our lunch in Green Bay, last week —I agreed to write some personal musings from my home life and the road. As an avid photographer I am including some photos as well.
My year started in January with my daughter getting a shot to headline with her band at the Las Vegas Hilton. I had sold our Finale wine to their entertainment director, who met Madison when we played Las Vegas in 2011 - and agreed to let her headline the famous venue, Elvis Presley had made famous in the Seventies. She rehearsed a great set of covers and some of her own tunes in Nashville and was ready to perform when she came down with a nasty case of strep throat – a week before she was scheduled to sing. After seeing a doctor, and armed with anti-biotic, Madison was ready to give Vegas her best. She performed beautifully and had an experience of a lifetime- singing on the very stage that Elvis had stood. Afterword’s, she confessed she was a little freaked out –waiting in the green room downstairs she felt a presence- where Elvis had waited for his shows. After her performances we stayed an extra night to see our friend from Nashville, guitarist, Eddie Perez who was playing with Dwight Yokam. It was a great show- Dwight is a unique talent in the Country music genre. Nobody can move the way he does with that guitar on.
Before Journey began our tour, our family went to Seaside Florida, one of our new favorite vacation destinations. It is the Hamptons of Florida –with dunes Cape Cod cottages and white beaches with a quaint but chic town that has a relaxed savoir-faire.
I recently received a gift certificate I won in a golf tournament for the Half Moon Bay Hyatt so I contacted my golf buddy in LA and decided to make a trip to California to check on my wine business and get some golf on the links. We found Half Moon Bay to be a wonderful hotel and golf experience and headed to Carmel to see our manager, John Baruck who is a member of the prestigious Monterey Peninsula Golf Club. My golf buddy from LA knew a doctor who got us on “Cypress Point Country Club” which is almost impossible to get on unless you know a member. With breathtaking scenery, any golf in Carmel is truly memorable – but the 16th and 17th holes at Cypress are mystical and legendary. Driving back to the San Francisco airport we stopped to see the famous Los Lobos National State Park and wound our way along the gorgeous rugged coastline of California Route 1—stopping to snap pictures along the way.
Before we went on tour this summer – I had the pleasure of helping my daughter, Madison—shoot a video for her new song “Dirt.” She had a young director—Nick Rau-- from Watson film school in Nashville who had helped her develop a concept and a script. It was shot entirely with my favorite camera – Canon 5D Mark II and lenses which I happen to own. Nick had recently done Madison’s video that can also be found on YouTube- “She Talks to Angels.” The “Dirt” video was planned to be more complex – with locations and extras.
The male character, a shadowy, young, gravedigger is played by none other than Clark Gable’s grandson – James Clark Gable! The elderly lady in the grocery store, Madison’s grandma –Barbara Fullerton—who gives the camera quite some interesting looks played sweeping the floor. Being the photographer of most of her Internet portraits and after looking at the rough footage I had some ideas how to make her solo scenes a little more “glam”. We found a freshly plowed field out in Franklin and waited till the sun went down – with cameras, lights a generator and a gib boom, hoping the police wouldn’t bust us. After schlepping the equipment in 90-degree heat across the plowed dirt field --the lighting and angles paid off and Madison had a hot looking, edgy video to post on YouTube. A father’s dedication to his daughter’s career is one thing – but I swear I lost a couple pounds running around with all that gear in the Nashville heat!
If you have happened to have heard it or downloaded the song on I-tunes or YouTube – that’s me on the Dobro guitar! It’s a 1975 chrome Resonator I have always wanted to learn to play. It’s a bluegrass tuning I found online! That’s what happens to city musicians who move to Nashville!
In July, soon after Arnel and Cherry had their baby girl in Manila– it was time for Journey hit the road.
Every time Journey goes on tour, I find a few special places I’ve always wanted to visit. Being a bit of an adventurist, I have wandered on my days off and have been treated to some truly magical places. Toward the beginning of the 2012 Eclipse tour we found ourselves in a grand old historical hotel in Spokane called “The Davenport” Not only were the rooms accommodating the restaurant was amazing as they poured us the lush wines from Walla Walla and the Washington State vineyards. The bartender was a bit of a wine expert and led us to some great bottles while we dined. Feeling a bit restless and having two days off before our show there -- I rented a car and went in search of Coeur d’Alene. I heard there were a few great golf courses there, so I packed my clubs and went in search of some opportunities of knocking around the “little white ball”. As I drove to Idaho I marveled at the scenery—the valleys-- lined with deep forests and vistas sprinkled with wild flowers and blue sky.
When I found Coeur d’Alene Resort and Golf Course I knew it was special. The hotel is right on the lake with postcard views from every angle. The quaint downtown had some trendy restaurants and bars and seemed like a perfect place to spend the day. The signature hole of golf course is a “floating island par three” where the green sits out in the lake about two hundred yards away. I paid my green fees-- which included a caddy and was off for an afternoon of greens, fairways and bunkers. When I played the floating par three I was lucky enough to land my ball in one of the traps, two putted and made bogie. I can imagine how difficult that hole can play into a brisk wind!
After golf, it was getting dark, there was a bar connected to the course that looked out on the lake. Sipping on a robust Walla Walla red, I watched the sun go down and the moon come up at the same time over the lake. It was the perfect ending for my first day off. The next day I played “Circling Raven”” golf course that was part of a casino just twenty minutes from where I played the day before. Into a howling wind, it was a tough links style course that had me talking to myself by the end of the day. Driving back to Spokane, I took the scenic route and marveled again at the spectacular forests and rolling farmland. As the sun went down, I met Ross Vallory back at the Davenport bar for a bottle of Leonetti cab from Walla Walla and recounted my day with my band mate.
I don’t play golf everyday off, but I got to play again near the Chicago land area out in Aurora. Being a native Chicagoan one would think I knew my way around the freeways. Somehow I missed the cutoff and got good and lost in Aurora. Finally getting directions from the pro shop we arrived after driving around in circles for an hour. This time, our manager, John Baruck and a few guys from the crew joined me as we played a spectacular, private club called “Rich Harvest Farms”. Jerry Rich, a self made millionaire made his fortune inventing software for the stock exchange. He originally built it to play with his close friends but decided to a limited number of members join and turned it into a small private club.
Our video company Nocturne’s boss, Mick Brigdon was a member and lived close by so he hosted us. Surprisingly, Jerry Rich, himself showed up and joined us for a few holes on the back nine and treated us to drinks at the halfway house. A tall friendly, free wheeling man – he laughed and joked with us as we played on his course. A delight to be around and I could see that being a member had many hidden benefits. When we finished with golf we were driven over to Jerry’s private car museum—a huge structure built on the same property. He has one of the largest car collections I have ever seen and treated us to a tour of some rare autos – Auburn, Cord, Ferrari, Aston Martin, Model T’s and even an Indie car. The real treat was a full scale, working, Tilt– a Whirl in the back of the place he had bought for his wife. It was the carnival ride where they had their first date. Golf has a way of showing you different sides to people and places and I was thrilled to have had another eventful day with my manager and crew.
Before the gig, I got to jump on a Wendella boat ride that goes out through the locks into the lake and snapped off some cool shots of Nay Pier and the impressive Chi town skyline. Kudos to the architect that designed the glass and steel Trump Tower. It fits in well with the rest of the buildings and looks like it has always been there.
My family joined me for the Jones Beach show and as we stayed in New York City my daughters wanted me to set up a trip to Hoboken New Jersey and visit Carlos Bakery. Lil Gary, our excellent public relations person, set up a tour of the bakery with Buddy-master baker, owner and TV personality. We took the tour bus and got to meet Buddy and his assistant, Victoria. They treated us to a dazzling array of cake, cream puffs, and cookies. Buddy was a gracious host and answered my wife’s many questions about the fine art of baking. The tour of the factory was staggering as he led us through the maze of talented people working on his many creations. They were working on a cake for the Rockettes and they were in the middle of fabricating an actual replica Radio City Music Hall and each Rockette was being sculpted from fondant by talented artisans. When the factory tour ended and we said good-bye to Carlos and Victoria we headed over to the actual Carlos Bakery. There was a line out the door of people wanting the delectable sweets so we headed back armed with our tubs of fondant that Buddy had given my wife, Liz- who is planning a few cakes of her own.
The biker rally at Sturgis had booked our show for their main stage and Neal had been invited to ride at the head of a cruise that went from downtown from our hotel-- to the campgrounds. When we arrived we realized they were having the “Miss Buffalo Chip” (the name of the campgrounds) beauty pageant and there were 9 pretty young models dressed in chaps and very little else. To our surprise, one of our crew guys, decided to dress in drag and join in the merriment. Playing for the rally has always been fun -- especially when we crank our sound system! The show was a sell-out-- and as always- a cultural experience-and a real slice of true Americana!
When we landed in Albuquerque for a day off a couple of crew guys and I rented a car and headed to Santé Fe for dinner. The southwest cuisine is famous there and I wanted to show them a haunted hotel my wife and I stayed at – La Posada. We made reservations at Pasqual’s in downtown Santé Fe. We were treated to savory creations from their kitchen along with a Walla Walla red I had learned about in Spokane- L’Ecole. After dinner we went to the hotel and visited the portrait of Julia, who was found dead back in the late 1800’s. The cause of her death is speculation but people who stayed there have felt a presence. When I first looked at her portrait she reminded me of my wife, Liz. My wife and I had a room in the old historical section and felt some strange things while we stayed a few years back.
Wine has always been one of my passions and when Journey had a day off before the State Fair in Paso Robles, I jumped at an opportunity to visit the vineyards and go wine tasting with my daughters and one of my LA golf buddies and his wife. We spent the day in a limo and got to go some one of my favorites, Tablas Creek as well as Denner, and Epoch who craft the silky Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvedre blends. I asked our limo driver her favorite Paso winery and she mentioned “Daou” so we went up the mountain in the Adelaide appellation and was treated to an amazing tasting from Daniel and George, owners of the exquisite hilltop winery and vineyard. I must have signed up for three wine clubs that day!
Montreal is a city that only recently became true Journey fans. Honored to be asked back for a return performance we stayed in a delightful hotel – The St. James and dined at “Barraco” in old town at a French - Spanish fusion restaurant. In a rustic, historical, ambience they simply blew us all away with impeccable presentations. With a tip from the concierge, I got to see and photograph the historical “Notre Dame of Montreal, a gothic cathedral that made me want to kneel and say some prayers. While touring Old Montreal I loved the cobblestone streets and the old pubs – some dating back to the mid 1700’s.
Having history with the band Loverboy, as Journey toured with them back in 1982, it was great to be back on the road with them to watch and listen to them rock. They are still the tight punchy rock band they were and we really enjoyed catching up with all of them. They even asked me to join them recently in Winnipeg, Canada to perform the hit song I wrote with them back in the Eighties - “This Could Be The Night’. Mike Reno is an amazing rock singer and he did our song justice!
Various pictures of Jonathan and pictures that he has taken while on the road.
Heading back home from Winnipeg for Thanksgiving was a welcome break all except for the flight getting canceled due to an equipment malfunction. We all ended up having to stay at the Winnipeg airport for five hours-- till we could get other connections to our various destinations. Since we were in Canada we had to go back through immigration and get our luggage only to check it again on to our later flights. The glamorous life of a rock star!
Thanksgiving was a nice gathering at our home in Nashville with family and friends. We loved our smoked turkey from Puckett’s grocery, drank awesome wine and all sang songs together by the Mason Hamlin grand piano in our living room, ending the evening with a rousing version of Don’t Stop Believin’! Can’t seem to escape that song even in my own home!
As the tour ends in Hawaii I hope to play some golf while I’m there, because I might just find a cold snowy Richland Country Club when I return—pretty to take pictures closed for golf!
With Christmas around the corner- I’d like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Jonathan was contacted by his family in Arkansas about a rare fiddle belonging to his grandpa. He now has said Fiddle. Jonathan also performed at a Make a wish Gala in San Francisco.
11/27/12:Question:What do a NFL team president, legendary rock star, Super Bowl coach, United States Ambassador, and a cow saved from slaughter – among many others – have in common?
Answer:“A Passion for the Vine!”
You can catch Jonathan and several others on this documentary about extraordinary people who have a passion for wine. Please check out A Passion for the Vine's web page for details on how to get the DVD.
Madison Cain and Miles Schon will be performing together on December 7th at 12th and Porter. 12th & Porter is located in Nashville, TN and doors open at 7pm.
Jonathan is also spear heading "Stars for Wishes". On January 19, 2013 at Liberty Hall at the Factory in Franklin, TN will be a star studded evening. Get your ticket and help out a great cause. You can check out details at http://middletennessee.wish.org/2012/09/14/stars-for-wishes/.
Jonathan has another blog coming soon and We're working on a Facebook page for JonathanCain.com.
11/20/12: What great weekend Journey had in Wisconsin this past weekend. New updates will be coming after the holiday weekend. For now we have pictures from the Green Bay show on November 17th. Enjoy!
10/22/12:Kevin Cronin posted this to Facebook today: Hi friends, we rolled into Nashville today to record a new song, and capture the whole experience on video. We are going for "Hard Day's Night", meets "Modern Family", meets "Keeping Up With The Kardasians"...we are thinking: "Keeping Up With The Speedwagon"! The song is from my Nashville songwriting session with Jonathan Cain and Chris Lindsey, and is called "Nothing We Can't Rise Above". We have been working on new music at soundchecks, and had a creative and productive day here in the studio today. We are recording "old school", with the whole band playing together in the studio like we used to in "the day". Strange thing, it sounds more fresh and modern than ever...go figure? Hey, it's all about the song and the performances. Stay tuned...I will be posting the play-by-play when I get back to my room every night.
PS. I made my first album with REO in Nashville back in 1972, (REO/TWO). It feels so right to be back here, reinventing the band again forty years later. We are looking forward to sharing it all with y'all. Stay tuned...
You can check out Kevin and the rest of the REO Speedwagon band this Thursday night at the San Miguel School Rocks. Check out their web site for tickets and bidding info. REO Speedwagon will be LIVE in concert.
10/15/12: Jonathan is selling his Roland V Piano. If interested Click Here.
10/12/12: Jonathan and Journey are happy to support this worthy cause. They have donated 2 beautiful guitars for their event. Check out San Miguel School Rocks website for tickets and bidding info. REO Speedwagon will be LIVE in concert.
09/06/12: What's Up with Jonathan Cain 2011/2012! by: Jonathan Cain
What's Up with Jonathan Cain 2011/2012! by: Jonathan Cain
I have had a lot of positive feedback from folks about my last blog and I’ve been
wanting to write about the last year of activity in the Journey camp for some time-
so now that I am back on the road, feeling inspired again – let’s spend some time
catching up.
First – I would like to thank our fans for supporting and buying the “Eclipse”
Album and showing up for our tour. An adventurous, musical endeavor that my
bandmate Neal Schon had envisioned – was not a commercial success but I still feel
there were strong musical moments. Playing “City of Hope” “Chain of Love “and “
Resonate” – live - was a departure from the familiar songs we usually play and
watching the audience trying to stay with us -- was a trip. It was ambitious of us to
think that Journey fans would accept three or four new songs – that were such a
departure from our normal style -but we stuck it out for a most of the tour – and
changed up the menu for a while. I still feel there are some lyrical and harmonic
layers worth a few more spins on the Eclipse album.
The European Tour was a delight, traveling abroad with my son, Weston. He
had been to France when he was a boy when we stayed in Paris- on vacation-as a
family - but at 15 years old- this tour would take him to places he could only dream
of. We began in the UK and stayed at a beautiful manor just outside of London. We
brought our golf clubs -so to beat our jet lag -- we whisked off to a local course and
played nine holes before dinner. It would be the first of many trips to the links in
the UK. The fans seemed receptive to the new music and the tour started off well as
we played Wembley Arena for the first time. Wes and I and some of the crew
jumped on a tour bus and headed around London for a sightseeing trip. We got off
to see Abbey Road Studios were the Beatle graffiti still is prominent outside the
front door. They don’t tell you that they shut down the bus at 6pm –so in taxis and
long walks – we pub crawled our way home before dinner. We dined on
gourmet Indian Food primarily, as Weston became a connoisseur. Steve Winwood
was playing with Eric Clapton at Royal Albert Hall, and since we know his daughter,
Lilly, who went to school with my daughter, Liza in Nashville and his wife, Gina, we
got tickets and made our way across London for an truly extraordinary
performance by two legends of rock.
Germany has always been a place Journey has yet to win over but we
finally played Berlin this last time around. Germany has always been a heavy
metal-country for some reason but we had a decent turn out for our line up.
Weston had struggled with the time zone changes and had trouble sleeping but he
really slipped in Germany where he chatted with his friends on Facebook all night-
ending up sleeping through the afternoon. I soon realized I had lost my sight-
seeing buddy. The Berlin Wall was an eye-opener for both of us as we envisioned
the communist stronghold that divided such a cultural center for so many years.
In Hannover, with a few hours before leaving for the gig, I managed to find a train
to Herrehausen Gardens, the largest baroque garden in all of Europe, while Weston
slept off his late night Facebook hangover. Under an electric blue sky, the photos I
captured there- were almost surreal. I am still amazed that hardly any tourists
were there that afternoon.
In Paris, France we stayed in the Opera District, near LaFayette, the famous
French department store and dined at the some savory, local bistros in the area. We
stalked the Eiffel Tower till the sun went down and walked the river, Seine at
night fall – stopping to take tri-pod shots along the way.
Antwerp, Belgium was a surprising charming city that held important
history- featured great food and memorable architecture. Wes was up for
adventure on our day off-- so we wondered the streets in a light rain, sampling
famous Belgium waffles, fries and sampling the different beers in the pubs. I hadn’t
realized what an important seaport it had been for Europe and how many countries
had tried to control the area. There is one of the largest gothic Cathedrals in Europe
that featured a art exhibit of one of the legendary Flemish artists. The train station
across from our hotel that resembled Hogwarts out of Harry Potter.
We had a day off in Copenhagen and I took Wes sightseeing along the canals
and saw the Little Mermaid – a statue to the local author of the beloved fairy tale.
He had never seen so many bicycles in action! Men in suits and ties -women in
skirts and heels scurrying off to work on bicycles -was a sight we weren’t used to.
Ireland seemed excited to see us – we went from a 2,000- seat auditorium to
the O2 Arena that holds 12,000 plus! The day after the show, our manager, John
Baruck had set up a round of golf at Royal County Down, an amazing links
course outside of Belfast. Framed by mountains and ocean it was truly a golf outing
we all would cherish.
We ventured off to Haugesund, Norway for a rock festival that had Bob
Dylan -- playing on one of the stages. Famous for herring fishing - it turned out to be
a quaint little town that was home to the Norwegian Film Festival a monument to
Harald the Great – a Viking leader from 900 AD who unified the country and
championed Christianity. There was a the original cross that still stands
next to his monument. Strange but true, Haugesund had a five star gourmet French
restaurant that turned out to be the best dinner of the tour.
Another first for Journey was Stockholm, Sweden. We had never had time to
visit this gem of a city - so Weston and I wasted no time and went sight seeing to
the Royal Palace and to Vassar Museum to see the ancient sunken ship they hauled
out of the harbor from the 15th century.
Our first time to Italy we played Milan, but stayed in Lugano, Switzerland, a
beautiful town next to Lake Lugano that separates the Swiss Alps from the Italian
Alps. Weston found there was a tram that went to the top of San Salvatore, a
view from nearly one mile high – so we all enjoyed the afternoon breathing rare air
enjoying the incredible views.
Amsterdam would be our last stop. We stayed at the airport hotel and Weston
got his second wind and agreed to travel to the city and see the canals and a
little of the famous “Red Light District” that was soon to be dismantled. After our
boatride, at lunch we watched some teen-agers fire up a spliff of hashish in a
closed- off smoking chamber. The airport in Amsterdam proved to be a challenge as
Wes and I schlepped our luggage and golf clubs from hotel to terminal.
The Eclipse tour was one of the best grossing tours of our career – selling
over 800,000 tickets over 91 shows. Night Ranger and Foreigner rocked
relentlessly and set the bar high for us every night. We were sad to see Mick Jones
depart from the tour when Joel Hoekstra from Night Ranger, who had been playing
some Foreigner on Broadway with “Rock of Ages” stepped in and took seamlessly
his Place. He learned their set in a hotel room and sound check, and that evening
amazed us all with his musicianship guitar prowess.
Neal had the idea to give away one of his Paul Reed Smith’s in concert during
the tour – so Paul –generously donated 30 PRS guitars that Neal personally
decorated and handed over to some lucky fan. This became a popular moment at
the end of every show. We took photos and kept track of fans that received them
and in what city.
We wrapped up the Eclipse tour in time for the holidays and getting home to
our beds and families seemed long over-due. The holidays were sweet in Nashville
because we were spared by the snow and ice we had to deal with the previous
winter.
Arriving back in Nashville it was time to see to the details of finishing
Addiction Sound, my family’s new recording studio – that was getting the final
touches. It took two years of planning and hard work from a lot of great craftsmen,
but the results were worth going deep into the details. My wife, Liz did all the
decorating and design and made it truly chic and functional all at the same time.
It is a state of the art, 5000 sq. ft. commercial building located in Berryhill, a
neighborhood-- comprised of over 40 studios and private businesses. Canadian,
David Kalmusky, producer, musician and friend, has taken Studio B as his new
headquarters and sees to the day-to-day business while I am gone on the road.
I met David thanks to Kim Tribble, one of my dear song writing buds in Nashville,
while cutting vocals on Madison’s demos. We found we had a lot in common – his
Dad worked at Bearsville Sound, where I recorded with The Jonathan Cain Band
back in the Seventies. With Madison being at the brink of a record deal and my son,
Weston joining the Jimmy James Band – the new studio serves it’s purpose on many
levels.
“Don’t Stop Believin’ - “Everyman’s Journey”, a documentary about Arnel
coming from the Philippines to join our band, directed by filmmaker, Romana
Diaz, had finally been completed. We had agreed to have her cameras in our camp
on and off for four years at the Tribeca Film Festival and wanted our blessings.
Since Neal, and I were finishing the mixes for the “Eclipse’ album in Nashville we
watched a screening at Watson College – a local arts film school. My kids all came
that day and we all really enjoyed the piece. The editing and sound was great and
she had gotten great interviews from all of us especially - Arnel – who was
extremely authentic and heartfelt through out the entire movie.
The screening of our film at Tribeca Film Festival was at Robert DeNiro’s
theatre in New York City as Romona’s piece closed the festival. It was an exciting
evening and after the film ended, it was met positive response from the audience as
Neal, Ross, Arnel and I did a Q+A after the screening. We were proud of Arnel that
night -- who had come from humble beginnings in Manila -- to take the role as
front man for our band. A month later, Romona’s film closed the San Francisco Film
Festival to rave revues at the Castro Theatre. Another exciting event to be part of -
it was almost surreal to sit in the audience and watch us play on stage– without
actually playing a note.
My wine business has had a boost lately as we changed our brand from
DelaCain to simply -- Finale. We are being distributed in Atlanta and Nashville-
working on Vegas and Dallas. Our website Finalewines.com is looking better each
day along with our wines- pinot noir and cabernet sauvignon. We will be
making our first chardonnay next year from Russian River which promises to be
great. Another interesting twist is that the vines I grew at my old house in Marin are
producing world class pinot noir. The new owner called me back in 2010 and is
letting me harvest the grapes every fall.
Madison’s career has had a jolt as XM recently added her new single, “Dirt”
to their station 20 on 20. Look for her video on Youtube and her single on i-tunes.
She started studying music this fall at Belmont University in Nashville and one of
her teachers is Mark Volman from the Turtles- the rock band from the Sixties that
sang “Happy Together.”
My daughter, Liza, Weston’s twin, has transformed into a tall, beautiful
young lady. She is popular at school and is babysitting – making some decent
pocket–money for herself. She still takes voice and piano and loves Katie Perry.
As the first leg of the Eclipse Tour 2012 comes to a break, we have enjoyed
seeing a lot of you at cities we don’t get to see a lot of – like - Spokane, Canandaigua,
Louisville and Cheyenne. We loved playing for the bikers at Sturgis and for the folks
who sat in the pouring rain at The State Fair in Kansas City-- just to mention a few.
I loved playing cornhole with the fans from All Access Nation backstage and now
are raising enough money to make a wish come true for Make a Wish. I would like
to thank the fans that donated so generously to a cause I am deeply committed to.
That’s all for now –
See you out there somewhere down the road -- in the bright lights….
09/02/12: 2012 tour pictures are now posted from the August 17, 2012; Louisville concert.
Journey - Louisville 2012
09/01/12: You can check out Madison Cain's new video "Dirt" on YouTube. Please make sure you check out Madison Cain's web site and add it to your favorites list: MadisonCain.com
Madison video: Hearing myself for the first time ever on the radio!! Dirt was #14 today on XM radio's 20 on 20!!
Madison: So here's a video of my mom and I sitting in the car waiting for my song, "Dirt" to be debuted on the radio for the very first time!! It was #14 today on XM's 20 on 20!! So crazy awesome!! Please go online and vote for "Dirt" so it will stay in the countdown! "Dirt" will be up on iTunes very soon and the video is not be far behind. I am so beyond excited. This was the coolest moment and I wanted to share it with you all!
08/06/12: New audio interview with Jonathan Cain. Please follow the link.Atlantic City Insiders
New pictures from the Louisville Journey concert coming this weekend.
April 2012: Everyman's Journey premieres at the Tribeca Film Festive in San Francisco.
UPDATE - New Journey, Pat Benatar featuring Neil Giraldo & Loverboy tour dates have been posted on the tour page.
01/23/12: Welcome to 2012! Jon's wines are taking off and so is the next leg of the Journey tour.
Jon will be a judge at the San Antonio Cocktail Conference. It is "The Original Cocktail Competition" sponsored by Fee Brothers Bitters and Red Bull; being held on January 28, 2012 at 4:30pm, hosted at the Bohanan's Bar in San Antonio. Spectators can watch for free. See the link above for more details or check out this news article.
Jonathan Cain who has made wines in Nor Cal since 2005 under the name DelaCain-- along with partner, Dennis De:LaMontanya-- have changed the name of their business to Finale Wines.
Finale had a showing and bottle signing Cain attended last night at Wine Merchant Wine Shop at Ferry Plaza downtown, San Francisco.Hosted by Ziggy the Wine Gal. radio personality from KRUSH and owner, Debbie Zachareas, it is the first time Finale Wines have been offered at a Bay Area retail store. The event was huge success where aficionados and Journey fans tasted flights that included 2009 Sonoma Coast, pinot noir, - Chanconne - 2007 and 2008 Finale cab and the 2008 Grand Finale. Ferry Plaza Wine Merchant has signed bottles on hand for Journey fans that want the personal touch. Jonathan had this to say after the tasting- "We look forward to doing business with Ferry Plaza Wine Merchants in the months to come. Debbie has a fantastic operation and we are proud to be represented at her shop."
09/01/11: Steve Augeri catches up with the Journey boys at a show; August 2011
08/30/11: Check out the Pictures page for some shot of Jon and some baseball legends at the PNC Park.
08/04/11: Journey with special guests Foreigner and Night Ranger
In conjunction with building the Rhodes family a new home, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition is holding a holiday gift drive benefiting children in the American Addition neighborhood and underprivileged youth across Columbus. Gift donations will be collected at the Journey concert on Friday, August 5th at Crew Stadium and at the Extreme Makeover: Home Edition build site Friday, August 5th through Thursday, August 11th.
Please help make an extreme difference for these youth and bring new, unwrapped gifts to the drop off locations.
07/28/11: Don't forget to watch Journey perform on the NBC Today Show tomorrow morning July 29th! Check local listings in your area for time and channel.
05/31/11: Jon's brother Tommy "Mugs" Cain has started a page on Facebook. Join Mugs's page by pressing the "Like" button.
Facebook: Tommy "Mugs" Cain
05/28/11: Update from JCain Boca Raton Florida
Just taped an amazing piece with the band and Jim Axelrod--well known political
television CBS correspondent saluting our song "Don't Stop Believin'" It has
been 30 years since the song was released--the taping was an in depth look at
the creation and the amazing longevity the song has had over the years. From
Escape to the Sopranos to Glee to Rock of Ages--It has been an anthem for three
Generations. Jim had some amazing questions for us--a few we hadn't even thought
about!
It is to air on Sunday morning on CBS once it is edited -- so we will let you
all know when it will be aired.
Below is my South America impressions piece
along with a few photos--
Cheers,
Jonathan Cain
05/28/11: South America Impressions
South American Journey Tour Impressions 2011 –Jonathan Cain
Hola, Journey fans! Had such a good time playing in Latin America I’d thought I’d share some personal highlights of the trip. The tour began back in March and the weather was perfect.
As some of you might know, we toured in Chile, Panama City, and Puerto Rico before with great success—this latest tour included Peru, Argentina, Brazil and Venezuela as well. Since one of my passions is wine—I went to Santiago two days early to tour one of my favorite regions Apalta, where there are two of my favorite wineries, Casa LaPostolle and Montes. Co-incidentally, President Obama had just spoken in Santiago and was in all the newspapers and news channels. I arrived in the morning, was greeted by our promoters and whisked away to the hotel. When they showed me to my suite the manager told me Obama had slept there the night before!
When I told the promoters assistant I where I wanted to go she looked at me like I was crazy. There was a highway that went straight down there I said. I needed a hotel and a tour reservation for the wineries so she began to arrange them for me. I was okay to drive down alone so she went about finding me a rental car so I could make it there before dark. It would be an adventure.
After a short nap, I got in the rental car and headed out of the bustling city to a quaint town three hours southeast of Santiago, Santa Cruz to stay the night. I noticed there was a lot of smog there—much more than I remembered the last time I had been to Chile--when we played Vina del Mar. On a day off I got to tour another wine region that time called Casa Blanca. Chile was one of the safer places to travel in South America so I wasn’t worried about getting carjacked or mugged. As I drove down the highway I noticed vineyards appearing along the side of the road. San Antonio is known for white wine and pinot noir but since I had little time to get to the hotel I didn’t stop to visit. As I ventured toward Santa Cruz I stopped seeing signs and was worried I might have missed a turn. To my amazement, my Blackberry picked up my location on GPS and verified I was indeed on the right road.
Santa Cruz seemed like a low to middle class community with a variety of houses people lived in, from shanties to prefab apartment buildings. There were no malls and high-end restaurants here—only the basic shops—and strangely enough—a casino. When I found the hotel and checked in I realized that Santa Cruz Plaza Hotel was the nicest place in town. I had an amazing meal in the restaurant and the rooms were tidy and new. There was a wine shop that sold a lot of the regional brands and a wine bar that poured the same.
The next morning I set out to Apalta to make my ten o’clock tour. What I found interesting about this wine country was there were no shops or tasting rooms in town other than the hotel that sold the wine from the region. Unlike Napa, tours here seemed to be by appointment only. The gates of many of these wineries were closed with armed guards in guardhouses. Driving past acres of vineyards, down a rustic two-lane road, I arrived at my destination and was greeted at La Postalle by a young, English-speaking Chilean for my tour. Since I was the only person for his ten o’clock time slot, he spent extra time showing me the fine details of how they crafted their brand. Merlot was harvested that night and the women were hand sorting the grapes when I arrived. He told me they only used woman because of their attention to detail. The 12 million dollar winery was built twelve years ago by the family that owns Grand Marnier. They brought in expert Frenchman skilled in viniculture to supervise the operation. The gravity driven, biodynamic farmed; winery was a high tech work of art. Five levels—it was carved into the bedrock and took three years to complete. The wine I tasted was “otherworld divine” Blackberry and pepper on the nose: rich deep fruit with soft tannins that lasted on the palate. The chardonnay, Alexis, I tasted was excellent as well. Alexis was the name of the heiress from Grand Marnier who had overseen the vineyard for the family. She lives in Switzerland and visits the winery from time to time.
Moving down the road I stopped at Montes and had another amazing tour. They began in the eighties and have been one of my faves for years. Syrah is making a strong statement in Chile and Montes has a brand called Follie, which is an amazing example of how “terroir” can affect the profile of a wine.
As I made my way back to Santiago, I thought of stopping in San Antonio but got a call from our camp to return for interviews the next day—another time—I thought. As we did TV and radio interviews at our hotel it was obvious Chile was excited to have us back again. They loved our greatest hits but asked about the new album and seemed interested in checking out our new music. The concert in Chile was a sell-out and we played for ten-thousand people.
The next morning we jumped in vans and headed off to the airport. After standing in line for immigration-- we headed to Buenos Aires for a night off. Buenos Aires is a sprawling city with over twenty million people—and the airport was an hour drive from the city. Argentina is famous for beef so the crew had organized a private dinner at a well-known steakhouse. Argentina is also famous for the wines. Malbec from the Mendoza region is a stand out and was a perfect complement to our steak dinner. The lady that worked for our promoter told us of the political struggles going on in Argentina. They make it hard for local business by imposing harsh taxes and laws. We heard that during the elections they pass out food to the poor in return for their vote.
Traveling to San Paulo Brazil, we found the similar sprawling, big city vibe with lots traffic and smog. People here speak Portuguese, not Spanish and have their own currency known as real. We stayed in great hotel that had an amazingly large gym connected to it. A huge mall was in walking distance that sold just about anything you could ask for. There were other malls that carried high-end brands like Chanel and Prada. No lack of disposable income here! We dined in one of the many Churascarias – men running around serving meat on skewers---anything from beef, chicken, sausage and beyond! We found the natives friendly at Hooters where the crew and I had lunch close to the hotel.
Flying on to Lima, Peru we found the airport situated around a barrio. Once we got into the main city, however there were historical squares, with churches and fountains hundreds of years old. We spent a day sightseeing and then headed to the ocean for dinner. I found the food to be some of the best in all of South America. While dining in Peru, there is quite a variety to choose from--ceviche, grilled seafood, and wonderful meat dishes with tasty sauces. The home of “pisco sour”—a native cocktail made from locally produced pisco--they also have exotic fruit I have never seen before-- they make into ice cream and desserts.
The Lima coastline—a rugged series of cliffs and sandy beaches is similar to Santa Monica and Malibu. Except for the smoggy haze, the weather was also quite nice in Lima. It hardly ever rains or gets cold here except for the coast, which can get chilly marine microclimate.
Caracas, Venezuela was next, a city surrounded by jungle-like mountains. The disparity in classes was obvious as we from the drove from the airport noticing the terraces of shanties that lined the hillsides. Most of them had no windows and were made from corrugated sheet metal and plywood painted in bright colors like purple and blue. Since there are obvious political differences between America and Venezuela, we did not venture from out our hotel here. It was the smallest venue on the tour but was sold out and well received. Departing the next morning, we got some looks at strange looks at the airport from the locals. Believe it or not, we dined at Benihana, in the mall of the hotel had and an excellent tepanaki dinner.
Surprisingly, Guatemala City seemed like a Westernized city. Burger King and Cinnabon at the malls. McDonalds and Starbucks on every other street corner. We were to play a charity for a group of citizens that were helping young disabled children. Most of these kids were abandoned, needing food, shelter and rehab. It was held at a nice arena helping to promote the cause. I asked at the meet and greet to meet a few of the kids who had come to attend the concert. They told me no one had ever asked to see the children the concert was meant to help. I was shocked! They brought three kids backstage—all helped by this amazing local outreach. I met a five year old boy who had been taught to walk—all from the extensive rehab these folks were doing.
At the airport I found a store selling local rum—Ron Zacapa. I put a bottle in my suitcase to sample when I got home. It is now my favorite!
In Panama City, we found, that 6,000 fans would come to see Journey. We had played there before with Cheap Trick and 38 Special in 2002 and there was a nice buzz about the band. It is an International melting pot where South America seems to come for business and trade. The canal—is being expanded by a group of engineers from all over the world to allow for more ships to distribute goods. We ate at an amazing Spanish restaurant here –dining on roasted pig.
Landing in Mexico City, we were met by a friendly security team who offered to take us to their favorite gourmet Mexican restaurant for a day off. For appetizers we ate ant eggs—“mescole”--in oil and herbs—on tortillas---a seasonal Mexican delicacy. No one knew what they were eating until they tasted! They were actually delicious! Along with the crew, Ross and I planned a trip to the Aztec pyramids, Teotihuacán , and were led around the park by Gorilla Tours—a father son team that did an amazing job of explaining the ruins and sharing the spiritual ways of the ancient ones. Gasping for air when we reached the top, we all climbed the Pyramid of the Moon. When we had finished touring the park we went to Gorilla’s lair and drank pulque—an ancient cactus libation and some homemade tequila. Rich in aloe vera—pulque has a citrus sweet flavor. The next night, when we arrived to perform at the venue, bootleggers were selling our swag in a big way. Tents and stands cluttered the front of the arena—all selling various versions of our logos. Since there was nothing legally, we could do to stop these bootleggers we asked the crew to buy some items for ideas for our next tour. The show in Mexico City was sold out—10,000 plus. Another success!
Monterey Mexico has a drug cartel war going on with the police, so it was a little tense as we landed and were met by our new security team. Whisked away to our hotel it was a play and wave, so we got out and back to hotel for some sleep and a day off on Puerto Rico.
Puerto Rico is one of those places most folks forget to consider for vacation but every time we play there I am amazed at how tropical and balmy the island can be. The prices are reasonable the food is delicious and there are beautiful beaches everywhere. Home to Bacardi rum distillery, great golf courses and a brand new Trump resort—it has a lot to offer—complete with historical, old world charm. We stayed at a hip hotel that had a private beach and a gym and spa. On show day, I got up early and jogged down in Old San Juan by the cemetery where the local heroes are all buried. I ran all the way to El Morro and the gate by the water—that used to be the place all visitors who arrived by ship would enter. A quick rain shower came and cooled my jets as I finished up. I headed back to have breakfast in a quaint local bakery. In old San Juan there are blue stones that pave the streets—left by the Spanish who used them as ballast during their long voyages from Europe and other distant parts. Many of them fell in love with the island and never returned so the blue stones from the unused ships were used to pave most of the remaining streets downtown. I ate dinner at a chic, new, restaurant, just blocks from the hotel, Boca Thai. The head chef used to be part owner of a trendy place downtown San Juan called, Firefly. Latin-Asian cuisine is his specialty at Boca Thai and his pot stickers with truffle sauce and Pinole were simply divine. The evenings were so perfectly seducing—so I left my doors open to my room and let the ocean ambience gently rock me to sleep.
Dealing with security lines, customs aside, it was one of my favorite tours. From the vineyards of Chile to the pyramids of the Aztecs in Mexico City—it is rare to get to see such splendor, while playing rock shows with a band that is moving quickly through a region. The hotels, food and wine were splendid, crowds were enthusiastic, our crew was fantastic! Everyone had done a great job—months of preparation all paid off! The band and I are spoiled by such effort and we salute them!
In the end the road can be a lonely place, but this road was filled with surprise and adventure. I thank God for my blessed life. I can only say Hola! Rock and roll has been very, very good to me!
05/23/11: "What's Up With Jonathan Cain".
Jonathan Cain update for jonathancain.com
On the eve of the release of our new album, Eclipse I thought it would be time for some insight on how things have been going in my world and the Journey camp during the making of our new CD—“Eclipse”.
After writing “City of Hope’ in a hotel room in Manila I was inspired by Arnel and his story. We needed an album in which he could express his personality and our core beliefs. It would be the rock record that Neal had wanted to make for a long time.
Neal and I began writing the rest of the songs in February. We used my studio, Wildhorse in Marin County and worked in two-week intervals. I would take the tracks home to Nashville and complete the lyrics and rough vocal ideas.
One of the first ideas, “Anything is Possible” came out a bunch of notes I had scribbled down over a period of five years. It was to be the answer to Don’t Stop Believin’ –or so I thought. When I finished it and played it for my daughters—they approved.
Returning to Fantasy to record our new album was a trip down memory lane. The place where we recorded two of our biggest albums Escape and Frontiers had re-opened after being abandoned for years. Not much had changed in the rooms so it was like going back in time. During the early Eighties, Randy Jackson was always there—recording with his band Taxi and producing projects for people, sticking his head in to listen to our playbacks. David Lee Roth had a solo album project there and would come into the common lunchroom cracking jokes and making us laugh. Roy Sigle, the old manager and his assistant Nina were gone so the Fantasy staff was all new and friendly-- we would be well looked after during our stay.
Living in my home and driving to Berkeley was a treat. Hotels can be depressing so to be able to sleep in a great bed, make strong black coffee and cook my own meals was a bonus—as well as having a world-class studio outside my driveway. Wanting my own wheels--I had kept my supercharged, 2006 GT Mustang to tool around in. I had been trying to sell it online with no luck at all. Guess it was meant to be-- cause the financial officer of my bank bought it and ended up taking it back to Nashville when I was through recording the album. The well- worn trip over the Richmond Bridge reminded me of recording and rehearsing with the Journey back in the Eighties---the days it seemed we ruled the airwaves and played “Day on The Green” for Bill Graham.
Unlike so many of our album projects, we were going to go into the studio—unrehearsed. Kevin Shirley only had so many weeks he could spare so we decided to wing it--on the fly. I had recorded the demos at Wildhorse with Neal and made CD’s for everyone in advance—so everyone had an idea of what we were going for.
During this time, Arnel had been on a tour raising money for his foundation so he came two weeks before the recording process took place. We wrote “She’s a Mystery" and he brought a fine song with him ”To Whom It May Concern".
The album was to be a concept album and Neal and I had stumbled upon Tantra—an ancient, Hindu belief that all energy is one—woven into an endless circle. I became fascinated with the mystical concept and after some research, decided to make it the theme of the album—spiritually---sensually and physically relating back to the—“many is one” idea. It had power and mystery and songs flowed easily. Sitting alone, looking out the window at Wildhorse, writing lyrics was empowering. I was back with my old friend for one last project. I should mention here that my longtime tech, Doc Shaffer, of 19 years had died of cancer last year. I got to say good-bye to him one afternoon-- on one of his last days. He had helped me build my place and poured his heart and soul into keeping it running. I soon realized it was my first time working on a project when he wasn’t there. His presence was everywhere I looked -- I was at a loss without him. A few times I broke down as I plugged in gear, reading his writing, admiring his amazing wiring and connections he carefully fabricated for me. I laughed as I noticed a can of Doc Shaffer “fish assholes” a joke he created –that was proudly displayed on one of the diffusers. I prayed everything would work without him --and it did. Doc we miss you.
I had found some more notes in my studio in a spiral notebook I had written years ago. They were scribbled on hotel stationary—
“One light shining bright…is made from many colors… just like
Every ocean's made from many drops of rain
One soul takes many shapes
To make up the human race...one fire...many lives
Share the same sun everyday
Old beliefs let us down
Many roads lead to heaven
One love...many faiths all share
A world in search of grace
Across the universe
The same force that moves the earth is
In my heart
Makes me whole…
Wash my doubt and fear away”
The words fit the melody to a ballad Neal and I had been working on. Unknowingly, I had written the opening verse to the song, Tantra, three years ago. Excited, I worked through the afternoon into the night and when I was finished-- I wept during the final playback. Was I just too emotional or was this song--special?
Days later after hearing “Tantra” our manager, John Baruck called me and said it had happened to him as well. I was in the right place at the right time creating in a magical place.
Kevin headed up the production and we quickly got some great tracks. It came to a halt as Ross got the flu and couldn’t make it in to record for a week—so things slowed down a bit during the middle of the project. We soon got back on track as a band and finished Chain of Love, To Whom It May Concern and Resonate.
It was almost nostalgic to record and sing backgrounds on the very same spot we all gathered around one microphone and sang Don’t Stop Believin’, Stone in Love and Who’s Cryin’ Now. Full circle—the endless tantric circle was coming into play before us. After we sang the backgrounds on the song “Tantra,” Deen was so moved he had tears and hugged me. It was starting to take shape as our mystical circle was being completed.
In the final weeks I hammered out with Neal--the songs Resonate, Chain of Love, Human Feel and Ritual. We were originally going to record five or six songs. We had ended up with twelve in a matter of five weeks.
After living with the mixes Neal and I went back to Wildhorse, one last time, for guitar overdubs and rough mixes. It had been the very place that we wrote the songs for Trial By Fire, put the band back together in 1998 and wrote “Arrival”, “Red 13” and “Generations". After finishing up the rough mixes with Neal we set up a tripod and took one last picture together. The next day Wildhorse was dismantled and packed up in boxes. I had sold the house on the hill I had lived some thirty years. I wasn’t ready for the events and emotions that followed.
When you have lived in a house for thirty years, belongings get stuck in all the nooks and crannies. I searched through drawers looked in the corners of closets and found things we had forgotten. As I packed up the last few things I knew I would find pictures and memories that would remind me of how much of life I had lived there.
The house had been vacant for three weeks and when I came back to work in the studio. I arrived late in the evening to an empty shell .The only furniture that remained was a bed in the master suite and a TV we would leave behind. As I lay down to close my eyes I heard a creaking sound in the bay window that sounded as if something was pulling the walls from the outside. The creaking got louder and louder --as I felt a strange pressure in the room push on the windows. I sat up and saw two ink black apparitions floating above the fireplace. A coldness and a strange smell had come over the bedroom until it was obvious something or someone was preying on the leftover life force that we had left behind. I had heard about these ghosts floating into empty places and thought they were green. These were black and made them seem evil in nature. Was I seeing things or was this really happening? I hadn’t even had a drink on the airplane. I felt a shiver as watched their reflections loom in the mirror above the fireplace. The next moment they drifted toward the windows and vanished into the night…as if something I had startled them to run away. I was so tired I lay back down and drifted off to sleep trying to surround myself in the white light of meditation. Would they return? Who were they? I wondered. In the days that followed, I found that they would not return. Maybe my presence ran them off. I wasn’t sure. How strange to have witnessed entities revealing themselves on the last week of my stay.
Before I surrendered my home I wanted to make sure my backyard vineyard was taken care of. Turns out the harvesting of pinot noir grapes had to be expedited early--due to varmints eating the fruit. Javier, the vineyard manager took the grapes to De La Montanya for sorting and crush. They picked a half a ton of fruit that remained on the vines. The two hundred plants will yield about 24 cases. I plan to donate some of this special wine to various charities.
When the morning had come to lock the front door and return to the airport. I turned the key from the outside and pulled the door to make sure it was locked. I became transfixed in a moment… These are lyrics from a song I wrote in Nashville weeks later.
"Standing on the front porch as I close the door to walk away
A flood of memories rain down on me…end of story turn the page
This house was my safe harbor…leavin’s like losin’ my best friend.
And it breaks my heart to turn the key on a place I’d thought I’d always be
I guess good-bye means…I’m never comin’ back again”.
It was the end of an era…pages of my life…I will never forget.
Returning to Nashville, I worked with my daughter Madison on a few songs we had written together. Kim Tribble, our songwriting partner had been working with David Kalmusky, a talented young, Canadian engineer. When I heard a project he had played for me I wanted to use him for Madison’s demos. The demos went down smoothly and the roughs sounded amazing. I had a hard drive with our album, “Eclipse” with me and asked him to mix the song. “Anything Is Possible”. David had shared our vision of making “Eclipse” a big sounding rock album. When I heard what he had done I sent the mix off to Neal and John Baruck for comments. They loved what they heard and we made the decision to let David Kalmusky—to do the final mixes of our album.
Because of time limits with Kevin, we needed to give Arnel a few more passes on a few songs before we began the mix down session. Arnel flew from the road to Nashville and sang brilliantly for five days—completing the master vocals to our new album.
Neal came back to Nashville for the mixdowns and worked tirelessly with David on the final tweaks while I stayed the “neutral set of ears” and gave my comments after they were finished. Neal and I were thrilled with the mixes. The size and width of the CD was huge. Even Kevin Shirley gave his blessings to our new sound.
David mastered the CD and Eclipse was completed here in Nashville—coast to coast the mystical tantric circle was intact again. On behalf of all the members of Journey we hope you enjoy our new CD—“Eclipse”.
The tour page has been update with all the confirmed Journey tour dates. Please see where you can check out Journey this summer.
02/22/11: Well, February 23, 2011 is a day that many Journey fans have been waiting for. The first show of the 2011 - 2012 World Tour. Las Vegas is the place to be. Journey will be pulling out the classics and introducing a few new songs off the up coming new CD "Eclipse". "Eclipse" is due out on May 24th.
You can check out Jon's latest interview here at Boomerocity.com.
02/15/11: Glee may not have won the Grammy for "Don't Stop Believin'"; but Jon and his daughters Liza and Madison thoroughly enjoyed themselves.
Journey has two concerts coming up next week; Las Vegas and Reno. A world tour will follow starting in late March.
You can now follow Jonathan Cain on Twitter. Follow Jon's tweets throughout the tour, TheJonathanCain. You can also follow Madison Cain at TheMadisonCain.
12/21/10: We here at Jonathancain.com wish everyone a joyous holiday and a prosperous new year. See you on the 2011 Journey World Tour.
Jonathan, Rhonda & Tracy
11/06/10: An update from Jonathan Cain.
Jonathan Cain update for Jonathan Cain com
Much has happened to “where I live” since the last tour ended. Not only did we buy a house and move to Nashville, we had our California house on the market for 7 months. After living in that house on a hill for over 30 years--we moved all our stuff out of our Marin home. It finally sold in late September – the first home I ever purchased with my ex-wife Tane, a place I tied my horse, where I ran to lick my wounds after my divorce in 1987, where I courted and married my wife, of twenty two years, Liz It was the birth place of our three children, Madison, Weston and Liza, the grounds that all four of our dogs were buried—along with the countless hamsters and bunnies that came into our lives. I marveled when I looked at the empty house, how my Liz had re-decorated every square inch—the garden and pool looked like something out of Home and Garden when she was done with it. Nashville had been calling for seven years and our move there--felt like the right thing to do. After living there for over a year, leaving our Marin home for sale, there was only memories when I came back. We had moved on as a family. I was only there to wrap up the sale, hand over the keys and sign the papers. Seeing old friends at Starbucks I was asked how the family was and told how we were missed. We moved suddenly without a going away party. I confess it felt good to know they cared.
Before handing the house over to the new owners, I felt I had unfinished business. A vineyard on our hillside where pinot noir needed harvesting and Neal Schon wanted to come over to my studio to finish up some guitar parts for the new upcoming Journey album. I also downloaded my analog tapes onto digital formats that required baking tapes for sometimes as long as eight hours. It was strange being in the studio alone without Doc--my beloved tech who died last year of liver cancer. Doc Shaffer worked tirelessly for seventeen years not only for me but for Journey on countless projects. Before I went on the road we shared a bittersweet visit. I spent an afternoon with him at the hospital two days before he passed.
The Nashville move was tedious and it took several Mayflower truckloads to transport the layers of belongings and keepsakes we had accumulated over the years as a family to Tennessee. The part I procrastinated on and dreaded the most-- tearing the 1500 square foot recording studio apart I built back in 1991. It took weeks to sort through --but with the help of some friends and Brent Jeffers, my keyboard tech, I was successful in vacating Wildhorse Studio--a space that helped me create over nine CD’s and countless Journey projects—including writing material for the new album to be released next year, which Neal and I started-- back in late January this year.
Fittingly, Neal Schon came over to my studio in October to play some guitar on the new Journey album (due out next April) before I had the place taken apart. Pictured is the two of us on the last day of the recording session. As we hugged that afternoon, I got caught up in emotion recalling the memorable musical events that had taken place there. Not only did we crank out Neal’s Beyond the Thunder, and Soul Sirkus there—I recorded and mixed 8 solo albums—spanning genres from pop to jazz to new age. Elvin Bishop, Greg Allman, and yes-- even Steve Perry-- all sang there. This was the space that Neal and I put Journey back together in 1997. A clubhouse that we could create in Wildhorse proved to be a needed tool for us to continue to hone our sound.
In June, with Kevin Shirley at the helm as producer, the recording for the new Journey album began at Fantasy Studios over in Berkeley, where we did Escape and Frontiers. We laid down the basic tracks that Neal and I had created during the early part of 2010. It was inspiring being back in the studio we had so much success in the 80’s. Not much had changed except that the old console had been replaced by a newer SSL. The tracking went quickly as Neal and I brought in several new songs we demoed on the weekends at Wildhorse to add to the mix. The staff was friendly and helpful during the time we were there and I even got to see some Giants games right over the Bay Bridge at AT+T Park. A concept album--the new release is a departure from what we have done in the past. It has a hard-hitting rock edge with soul-searching lyrics. Arnel soars along with some of Neal’s best playing -- the band is solid as ever. I look forward to next spring when we will release it—probably at Walmart.
It has been nice to have the year off the road—giving me the time to accomplish the many tasks of moving. It felt like I’ve had one foot in California and the other in Nashville – wrapping of the sale of the house and creating the new Journey CD. Life in Nashville has been fun and productive. I started the year performing with my daughter, Madison at the ‘Blue Bird Café” where we shared the stage with other talented singer/songwriters. In the spring I was asked to be part of “Tin Pan South” a songwriter’s event that lasts for about a week. I was asked to be special guest performer as I kicked off the event at the Rutledge. ASCAP asked me to perform at the Hard Rock Café with Brett James and JD Souther, for a sold out crowd. It has been fun to attend the various events in Nashville, walking the red carpet with Madison at the CMA and CMT award shows. We recently attended the ASCAP award show where they honor songwriters who have had big songs played by famous country artists like Carrie Underwood, Brad Paisley and others.
I will have my first official Nashville release on the upcoming Pure Country 2 soundtrack album, “I Found In You” a duet I sang and composed with Sara Darling and Jimmy Nichols (legendary keyboardist for Faith Hill and many others). Next spring another talented and pretty singer-songwriter, Lindsey Hagar will release a song I wrote with her titled “Skin Deep.”
Our daughter Madison has been singing at various charity events for ARF, NAMM and TJ Martel. She has been writing some terrific new songs here with an incredible pool of amazing writers. I have been fortunate to be part of a couple of them myself. Madison has a terrific manager,Scott Simon and has a new website, www.madisoncain.net. She is scheduled to go into the studio soon to record with famed producer Paul Worley who produced the Dixie Chicks and most recently Lady Antebelum.
Our other teen-agers Weston and Liza, the twins have taken to Nashville quite well. They love their new school and have made some great new friends. Weston spent a couple of weeks playing in the JAM program. Kids form bands and rehearse all week and perform a concert on Friday and Saturday nights. Wes also played drums at the NAMM show with Miles Schon and Madison for the Governor’s charity downtown. It was Father’s Day and I jammed with them on a version of Lovin Touchin’--incredible experience! Weston practices his drums daily in our new studio and is really getting quite good. Liza has been taking piano, guitar and voice lessons. She will probably end up playing and singing with her sister on the road…sound familiar?
My wine venture, delaCain has been making some noise in the Nashville market. I partnered up with Horizon Wine and Spirits and have had wine socials. I have personally gone around meeting wine shop owners and to let them taste our wines. Once my partner, Dennis DeLaMontanya wraps up his harvest we will blend and bottle our 2008 Napa cabernet from Atlas Peak in a couple of weeks. Chanconne, our pinot noir, will also be blended and bottled.
I might have sold my house but not my heart. Wes and I recently went out to the World Series in San Francisco at AT+T Park. It was on my bucket list and to be in the stands while the Giants clobbered the Texas Rangers was awesome. The PA was cranked and the orange and black was flowing everywhere you looked. I got to say hello to my friend, Brian Murphy from Murph and Mack on KNBR, the sports station in the Bay Area. Finally, I believe I finished my memoir I have been working on for the last four years. “Mixed Blessings” is a coming of age story set in the Italian neighborhood where I grew up in Chicago back in the Fifties. I hope to find a publisher soon.
All of us look forward to next year—a tour that spans South America, Europe, The States and Asia. Plans are to begin in April. See you all then!
Regards,
Jonathan Cain
PS: Here is a picture taking at the opening of Dolly Parton's musical "9 to 5".
Here is Paulo Fazioli, Jonathan and the "Faz".
Here is a shot I found with Michael Bolton and Anita Baker. TJ Martell Gala on March 22, 2010; I and gave Bolton an award for all the work in his foundation.
08/17/10: Madison Cain and Jonathan Cain did an online interview last night with Bob Merrick and in studio guest Pauly David. The Baub Show can be found at www.thebaubshow.com, scroll down to "Listen Here" and choose "Select a past episode". Madison and Jonathan are on episode 55.
05/18/10: Here is a link to part of Jonathan's speech advocating for music education on Capital Hill at NAMM's Congressional Reception held on May 12 at the Capitol Visitor Center; Taylor Dayne was also in attendance. Video Link
Jonathan’s Fazioli!
Jon with "The Faz"
We recently had the chance to visit with Jon in the studio. He has a new baby in the house. A 7.6 foot black Fazioli grand piano. “The Faz” hails from Italy and when Jon plays it, this piano just sings with the smoothest tones you can imagine.
The Fazioli Sound can be summarized as follows:
CLEAR: A sound which harmonic components are evenly present throughout.
UNIFORM: A timber that presents equal characteristics in every area of the keyboard.
WIDE DYNAMIC RANGE: A sound that goes from ppp (pianissimo) to fff (fortissimo), without any distortion in fff (fortissimo)
LONG DURATION: The duration of the sound is extremely important for the legato and cantabile playing thus the sound must not decay rapidly.
SELECTIVE: This means the pianist is able to achieve distinction of the single parts (voices), especially during the performance of polyphonic works.
The Faz looks forward to meeting all of you on the road this summer! You can check out other Fazioli's at www.fazioli.com.
There is no sheet music available for the "Bridal March". Here is an mp3 that you can right click on the link and download to your computer. Bridal March
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