LOS ANGELES, California—The crowd at the Greek Theatre, constantly on its feet, cheered and whistled its appreciation for Journey as the band performed for the first time in the LA area with its new vocalist, Arnel Pineda.

A second show was added on Tuesday to accommodate the overwhelming demand for tickets to the first show last Sunday.

We never saw so many Filipinos in a rock concert in Los Angeles. But despite the large turnout of Pinoys at the open-air, over-5,000 capacity venue, the audience was still predominantly white. Right from the opening number, "Never Walk Away," the band's new lead singer from the Philippines was embraced with open arms by the cheering crowd.

Blessed with a powerful voice, a higher pitch than former front man Steve Perry and able to sustain difficult notes, Arnel instantly laid to rest any doubts on whether he deserved the lead vocalist spot. The verdict is in: After a parade of replacements for Steve, Arnel is turning out to be the most effective and successful.

Bouncing all over the stage, making scissor kicks in mid-air, playfully fist-bumping with people in the front-row, the former Olongapo-based musician looked comfortable already in the role.

The short singer sure can sound like a giant. His band mates, guitarist and Journey founder Neal Schon, keyboardist-guitarist Jonathan Cain, drummer Deen Castronovo and bass player Ross Valory also appeared relaxed and happy with their choice. They smiled appreciatively at the new kid on the block as his solid voice reverberated throughout the outdoor setting. The Sampaloc, Manila native was offstage only during a number or two so he can rest his voice.

Early on, the audience lapped up the band's new songs—"Only the Young," "After All These Years" and "Change for the Better." So imagine how the house broke loose when Journey launched into its chestnuts like "Lights," "Open Arms," "Don't Stop Believin'" and "Faithfully." The largely middle-aged crowd, which attended proms that blared these anthems, embraced their spouses, dates and partners; they danced, exchanged high fives with seat mates, raised and swayed their arms, sang along and screamed their approval of Arnel and his band mates while standing throughout most of the remaining set.

No flashy gimmicks

With such pop-rock classics, Journey didn't need any flashy gimmicks onstage. Save for a giant video screen, it was a no-frills, straightforward show. The songs were the centerpiece, especially since there is new appreciation for these '80s rock hits, which were once commonly described as "cheesy."

Journey and their front acts, Heart (Ann Wilson showed she still has those impressive pipes) and Cheap Trick, are all benefiting from the resurgence of music from their era. A new set of fans, whose parents played these bands' albums when they were kids, is invigorating the careers of these groups.

And the infusion of new blood into the bands, like Arnel's admission into Journey, has sparked new interest. (We're sure that many of Journey's fans will be surprised to learn that the long-haired and "baby-faced" rocker is not twentysomething but a veteran of Asia's live music scene at 41.)

The band announced onstage at the Sunday show that "Revelation" is Journey's best-selling new album since 1986's "Raised on Radio."

The audience, of course, wouldn't leave without hearing an encore. The band came back with "Lovin' Touchin' Squeezin'"-the crowd chanting along, swaying their bodies and exchanging friendly nods and smiles with fellow spectators.

If people at the show in LA are this enthusiastic for Arnel (as well as Journey again), how much more when the rocker living a Cinderella dream, a former street urchin who slept in Manila's parks, goes home to perform with the band next year? We predict that there won't be a dry eye left in the house as Filipinos see in person one of their own, a kababayan who may be short in height but is now walking and singing tall in the global rock scene.

E-mail the columnist at rvnepales_5585@yahoo.com and read his blog, "The Nepales Report," on http://blogs.inquirer.net/nepalesreport.