# Evolution Tour (Journey)

The Evolution Tour was a concert tour by the American rock band Journey. The tour was in support of their 1979 album Evolution which peaked at #20 on the Billboard 200 like the previous album Infinity.

## Background

From this tour, the band would further commit themselves to more touring, they would perform shows in Japan after having made a considerable dent in the music scene there. Following that was a lengthy tour in the United States, with ticket and album sales at their highest ever. The tour also included the show at the 1979 World Series of Rock on July 28, 1979 in Cleveland, Ohio, where they would perform with headliners Aerosmith, Ted Nugent, Thin Lizzy, AC/DC and Scorpions. The show was notable for the violence with the rowdy audience, as well as the death of one person before the show started.
At the August 5 show in Chicago's Day in the Park festival, security was much tighter for the band as they performed alongside Santana. The festivities were peaceful, nearly 200 people were arrested for a variety of minor infractions.
At the conclusion of the tour on September 2, 1979, the band would take a bit of a rest before beginning work on their next album Departure. Despite the album and ticket sales they have made, the band were more received by British critics than the American critics. The band had expanded its operation to include a lighting and trucking operation for their future performances as the tour had grossed more than $5 million, making the band as popular as it had ever been in five years.

## Reception

John Quayle, who attended the Pittsburgh performance, stated in a review for the Observer-Reporter: "Primed by a hot Graham Parker and The Rumour, a near capacity crowd greeted Journey with open arms at the Stanley Theater and Journey responded very well, giving Pittsburgh a night of driving rock, sweetsung harmonies and a truly unforgettable performance." He concluded his review by stating that it was a 'fine concert', praising the setlist and noting on the approval of the audience.

## Tour dates

List of 1979 concerts :
| Date | City | Country | Venue |
| March 5, 1979 | London | England | Hammersmith Odeon |
| March 6, 1979 | London | England | Hammersmith Odeon |
| March 8, 1979 | Hamburg | West Germany | Audimax |
| March 9, 1979 | Cologne | West Germany | Sartory-Säle |
| March 10, 1979 | Neunkirchen am Brand | West Germany | Hemmerleinhalle |
| March 12, 1979 | Munich | West Germany | Deutsches Museum |
| March 13, 1979 | Mannheim | West Germany | Rosengarten |
| March 15, 1979 | Würzburg | West Germany | Frankenhalle |
| March 16, 1979 | Offenbach | West Germany | Stadthalle |
| March 19, 1979 | Paris | France | Le Stadium |
| March 21, 1979 | Manchester | England | Manchester Apollo |
| March 22, 1979 | Glasgow | Scotland | Apollo Theatre |
| March 23, 1979 | Newcastle | England | Mayfair Ballroom |
| March 24, 1979 | Sheffield | England | Sheffield City Hall |
| March 26, 1979 | London | England | Hammersmith Odeon |
| March 27, 1979 | Leicester | England | De Montfort Hall |
| March 28, 1979 | Birmingham | England | Birmingham Odeon |
| April 2, 1979 | The Hague | Netherlands | Congresgebouw |
| April 3, 1979 | Sittard | Netherlands | Stadsschouwburg |
| April 5, 1979 | Copenhagen | Denmark | Tivoli |
| April 7, 1979 | Stockholm | Sweden | Konserthuset |
| April 12, 1979 | Nagoya | Japan | Nagoya Kokai-do |
| April 14, 1979 | Osaka | Japan | Koseinenkin Hall |
| April 15, 1979 | Tokyo | Japan | Shibuya Kokai-do |
| April 16, 1979 | Osaka | Japan | Koseinenkin Hall |
| April 18, 1979 | Tokyo | Japan | Shibuya Kokai-do |
| May 2, 1979 | Medford | United States | Jackson County Fairgrounds |
| May 3, 1979 | Eugene | United States | McArthur Court |
| May 4, 1979 | Seattle | United States | Seattle Center Arena |
| May 5, 1979 | Portland | United States | Paramount Theatre |
| May 6, 1979 | Boise | United States | Fairgrounds Exposition Building |
| May 8, 1979 | Salt Lake City | United States | Terrace Ballroom |
| May 9, 1979 | Denver | United States | Rainbow Music Hall |
| May 10, 1979 | Denver | United States | Rainbow Music Hall |
| May 11, 1979 | Kansas City | United States | Memorial Hall |
| May 12, 1979 | Kansas City | United States | Memorial Hall |
| May 13, 1979 | St. Louis | United States | Kiel Auditorium |
| May 14, 1979 | Bloomington | United States | Metropolitan Sports Center |
| May 15, 1979 | Milwaukee | United States | Milwaukee Auditorium |
| May 16, 1979 | Chicago | United States | Aragon Ballroom |
| May 17, 1979 | Chicago | United States | Aragon Ballroom |
| May 18, 1979 | Chicago | United States | Aragon Ballroom |
| May 19, 1979 | Chicago | United States | Aragon Ballroom |
| May 20, 1979 | Chicago | United States | Aragon Ballroom |
| May 22, 1979 | Toledo | United States | Toledo Sports Arena |
| May 23, 1979 | Detroit | United States | Cobo Arena |
| May 24, 1979 | Detroit | United States | Cobo Arena |
| May 25, 1979 | Port Huron | United States | McMorran Arena |
| May 26, 1979 | Toledo | United States | Toledo Sports Arena |
| May 27, 1979 | Columbus | United States | Veterans Memorial Auditorium |
| May 28, 1979 | Flint | United States | IMA Auditorium |
| May 29, 1979 | Detroit | United States | Cobo Arena |
| May 30, 1979 | Cleveland | United States | Public Auditorium |
| May 31, 1979 | Cincinnati | United States | University of Cincinnati |
| June 1, 1979 | Buffalo | United States | Shea's Performing Arts Center |
| June 2, 1979 | Pittsburgh | United States | Stanley Theater |
| June 3, 1979 | Syracuse | United States | Onondaga War Memorial Auditorium |
| June 4, 1979 | Henrietta | United States | Dome Arena |
| June 5, 1979 | Buffalo | United States | Shea's Performing Arts Center |
| June 6, 1979 | Albany | United States | Palace Theatre |
| June 7, 1979 | Portland | United States | Cumberland County Civic Center |
| June 8, 1979 | Boston | United States | Orpheum Theatre |
| June 10, 1979 | Passaic | United States | Capitol Theatre |
| June 12, 1979 | Binghamton | United States | Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena |
| June 13, 1979 | Columbia | United States | Merriweather Post Pavilion |
| June 14, 1979 | Croton-on-Hudson | United States | Croton Point Park |
| June 15, 1979 | Saratoga Springs | United States | Saratoga Performing Arts Center |
| June 16, 1979 | Boston | United States | Orpheum Theatre |
| June 17, 1979 | Shelton | United States | Pinecrest Country Club |
| June 19, 1979 | Baltimore | United States | Baltimore Civic Center |
| June 20, 1979 | Fort Worth | United States | Tarrant County Convention Center |
| June 21, 1979 | Austin | United States | Municipal Auditorium |
| June 22, 1979 | San Antonio | United States | HemisFair Arena |
| June 23, 1979 | Houston | United States | Sam Houston Coliseum |
| June 24, 1979 | Corpus Christi | United States | Memorial Coliseum |
| June 26, 1979 | Albuquerque | United States | University Arena |
| June 27, 1979 | Phoenix | United States | Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum |
| June 29, 1979 | San Bernardino | United States | Swing Auditorium |
| June 30, 1979 | Long Beach | United States | Long Beach Arena |
| July 1, 1979 | Long Beach | United States | Long Beach Arena |
| July 2, 1979 | Oakland | United States | Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum (Day on the Green 1979) |
| July 3, 1979 | Oakland | United States | Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum (Day on the Green 1979) |
| July 4, 1979 | Oakland | United States | Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum (Day on the Green 1979) |
| July 6, 1979 | Reno | United States | Centennial Coliseum |
| July 12, 1979 | Valley Center | United States | Kansas Coliseum |
| July 13, 1979 | Tulsa | United States | Tulsa Assembly Center |
| July 14, 1979 | Oklahoma City | United States | Myriad Convention Center |
| July 15, 1979 | Little Rock | United States | Barton Coliseum |
| July 16, 1979 | Kansas City | United States | Municipal Auditorium |
| July 17, 1979 | Joplin | United States | Joplin Memorial Hall |
| July 18, 1979 | New Orleans | United States | The Warehouse |
| July 19, 1979 | Shreveport | United States | Hirsch Memorial Coliseum |
| July 21, 1979 | St. Petersburg | United States | Bayfront Center |
| July 22, 1979 | Miami | United States | Miami Jai-Alai Fronton |
| July 24, 1979 | Atlanta | United States | Fox Theater |
| July 25, 1979 | Nashville | United States | Nashville Municipal Auditorium |
| July 26, 1979 | Memphis | United States | Mid-South Coliseum |
| July 28, 1979 | Cleveland | United States | Cleveland Stadium (Worlds Series of Rock 1979) |
| July 29, 1979 | Grand Rapids | United States | George Welsh Civic Auditorium |
| July 30, 1979 | Saginaw | United States | Wendler Arena |
| August 1, 1979 | New York City | United States | Wollman Skating Rink (Dr. Pepper Summer Music Festival 1979) |
| August 2, 1979 | Springfield | United States | Hammons Center |
| August 3, 1979 | Indianapolis | United States | Indiana Convention Center |
| August 4, 1979 | St. Louis | United States | Checkerdome |
| August 5, 1979 | Chicago | United States | Comiskey Park |
| August 6, 1979 | Kalamazoo | United States | Wings Stadium |
| August 7, 1979 | Madison | United States | Dane County Coliseum |
| August 8, 1979 | East Troy | United States | Alpine Valley Music Theatre |
| August 10, 1979 | Lansing | United States | Lansing Civic Center |
| August 11, 1979 | Detroit | United States | Cobo Arena |
| August 12, 1979 | Detroit | United States | Cobo Arena |
| August 13, 1979 | Shelton | United States | Pinecrest Country Club |
| August 14, 1979 | New York City | United States | Central Park |
| August 17, 1979 | Las Vegas | United States | Convention Center |
| August 28, 1979 | San Antonio | United States | HemisFair Arena |
| August 29, 1979 | Corpus Christi | United States | Memorial Coliseum |
| August 30, 1979 | Houston | United States | Sam Houston Coliseum |
| September 2, 1979 | Oakland | United States | Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum |

### Box office score data

List of box office score data with date, city, venue, attendance, gross, references :
| Date (1979) | City | Venue | Attendance | Gross |
| May 11 | Kansas City, United States | Memorial Hall | 6,528 | $55,488 |
| May 12 | Kansas City, United States | Memorial Hall | 6,528 | $55,488 |
| May 13 | St. Louis, United States | Kiel Auditorium | 10,586 | $88,695 |
| July 4 | Oakland, United States | Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum | — | $632,684 |
| July 28 | Cleveland, United States | Cleveland Stadium | — | $834,690 |

## Personnel

* Steve Perry – lead vocals, keyboards
* Neal Schon – guitars, backing vocals
* Gregg Rolie – keyboards, backing vocals
* Ross Valory – bass, backing vocals
* Steve Smith – drums, percussion