Journey and Europe with nostalgia and rock in Tivoli Friheden

With the umbrella in one hand and a pint of beer in the other, I stood with 2000 other concertgoers in Tivoli Friheden on Saturday night and waited for huge hits like "Don't Stop Believin'", "Send Her My Love" and "The Final Countdown" .

As a child of the 80s who ripped open many cassette tapes of iconic 80s hits, I was excited to experience the legendary rock bands Journey and Europe in Friheden with world-famous hits.

Europe started the party

Exactly at 19, the five Swedish rock boys from Europe stepped on stage and kicked off the concert. Age had taken its toll, but the mood and energy were at their peak with these old glam rockers, and they opened with a bang with the song "On Broken Dreams". Everyone clapped and there, standing with the photographer, we got carried away by the energy from the stage, raised our arms and clapped along.

This energy continued for the next 45 minutes as they delivered both nostalgic hits and their new song “Hold Your Head Up”. The microphone was thrown and grabbed in true rock style, and during several songs Joey Tempest shouted "come on" as a call to everyone to join the concert. As the perfect ending, and the moment I had been waiting for, they played “The Final Countdown” as the last song of tonight's concert.

Although we're all 40 years older and time has put years on the Swedish rockers' voices, the band, and especially lead singer Joey Tempest, were as energetic as it was 1986. From the moment they stepped on stage, it was clear that they were deeply grateful to still be able to share their music through live performances. It was a pleasure to experience their joy and presence, and even though Europe was "only" warming up, they proved that they can still rock with the best.

Journey takes over

After a much-needed break at the bars and toilets, it was time for the evening's headliner, Journey, who celebrated their 50th anniversary with the Freedom Tour. Everyone was ready for a journey through the ages with these legends. Merchandise, jerseys and caps had been bought. Hands were full of beer and shots, and everywhere families and groups of friends were ready to party.

I stood behind and enjoyed the sight of people my own age getting ready for another party. Many gathered in front of the stage, while others stood back, put their arms around each other and smiled, as this was a great experience for many. Now Journey was going to play.

The concert started with "Only the Young", and lead singer Arnel Pineda quickly got everyone involved in creating a wave effect with their hands. The music blasted over the audience, and it was clear that this was a band that had control over the music and the interplay. 50 years of experience says something anyway.

Pineda, who has been the lead singer of Journey since 2007, is now 56 years old and his voice showed no sign of weakness. He still hit the notes flawlessly. The party was underway despite a sudden downpour that caused people to wrap themselves in raincoats. Journey tried to keep the party going for the rest of the concert, but the rain seemed to wash the energy out of the crowd.

Journey delivered an evening with a mixed playlist of both new songs and old classics, where "Don't Stop Believin'" especially made many people take out their mobile phones. Despite the well-received performance, the concert took on a commercial feel at times, and the combination of the onset of cold and increasing rain caused some audience members to leave the event after the first 45 minutes.

This evening was made for the mature crowd, a generation that knows about Walkmans, Lacoste shirts and Miami Vice. A generation that still plays air guitar or finger keyboard when "The Final Countdown" or "Don't Stop Believin'" comes on the radio.
It was clear to see on the lawn in the rain and with rock signs. We were given a journey through nostalgia with well-known rock hits from the 70s and 80s.
Was it worth a ticket price of over DKK 700 for Journey and Europe? It is an individual opinion, but for me it was a little too much for the experience I had in Tivoli Friheden on Saturday evening.

But I'm still humming "The Final Countdown" and secretly doing some air guitar.