Chuck Klosterman IV: A Decade of Curious People and Dangerous Ideas

by Chuck Klosterman

Journey: Christened in 1973 (via a radio contest on KSAN-FM in San Francisco), Journey began as a primarily instrumental jazz collective. Steve Perry joined in 1977; by 1980, they were rich. In that ephemeral era between Fleetwood Mac’s Tusk and Van Halen’s 1984, it could be argued that Journey was the world’s most popular arena rock band. However, Journey is not very good at remaining Journey. Perry left the group twice (once in 1986 and again in 1996) and released solo tracks like “Oh, Sherry.” While on hiatus in the mid-’80s, guitarist Neal Schon and keyboardist Gregg Rolie formed a band with John Waite called Bad English. Eight years ago, a re-formed version of Journey added vocalist Steve Augeri, a man who sings like Steve Perry, looks like Steve Perry, talks like Steve Perry, and is (weirdly) even named “Steve.” Journey is, far and away, the most popular band on this cruise ship. I spot two shirtless guys drinking low-carb Michelob Ultra and listening to Journey through a boom box on the ninth-floor sundeck. One of them, forty-five-year-old mechanical contractor Larry Zuccari, has seen Journey thirty-one times; his wedding song was the Journey ballad “Faithfully.” However, his bride is not on this boat. “Both our wives allow us to have this time to ourselves,” Zuccari explains, gesturing to boyhood friend Bill Hagan. “We don’t own bass boats. We don’t bowl. We don’t hang out in bars. We follow Journey. I saw Journey perform at a Wet ’n’ Wild amusement park next to a ...