Journey is a guilty pleasure of many college students, especially those whose with parents were fans of the band during their heyday in the early ’80s. For these students, the mere mention of a Journey performance is likely to incite a rock riot.

The audience can expect to feel nostalgia hearing such memorable songs as “Separate Ways,” “Open Arms” and “Who’s Crying Now,” as well as an electric atmosphere from their high-octane performance.

Journey was last in the Tampa Bay area in 2002, when the band performed in St. Petersburg.

Journey formed in the mid-’70s as a Santana-influenced, all-instrumental band. Journey knew mainstream success laid just around the corner if they could find a talented singer and and songwriting collaborator to help them make the transition in style. When they heard a demo by singer Steve Perry, they decided it was time to take their band to the next step. Perry delivered, and his soaring tenor vocals are instantly recognizable even today.

Journey had numerous hits throughout the ’80s but, after releasing Raised on Radio, broke up in ’87. In other notable claims to fame, Journey’s video for “Separate Ways” was made fun of by Beavis and Butthead in a classic segment of the old MTV cartoon, and Mariah Carey covered “Open Arms,” introducing the song to those too young to remember the original.

The current band line up features new frontman Steve Augeri. When Journey reunited in 1996 for the album Trial By Fire — which had a brand-new Top-10 hit, “When You Love A Woman”– the rest of the band was eager to immediately go on tour. Perry, however, following his doctor’s orders, decided he didn’t want to go on tour at that time due to health concerns.

Knowing that it was important for the band to tour while there was a demand for it, Journey found a new lead singer in a curly-haired Augeri. Fan response to Augeri was surprisingly positive. However, it helps that Augeri’s voice is almost indistinguishable from Perry’s, which means he has what it takes to belt out those classic Journey tunes.

The band has also started writing new songs with Augeri. While there are no solid plans for a new album, they released an album called Arrival in 2001, and an EP called Red 13 in 2002, both featuring Augeri singing lead.