# Infinity Tour

The Infinity Tour was a concert tour by the American rock band Journey. The tour was in support of their 1978 album Infinity which peaked at #21 on the Billboard 200.

## Background

Sales for the album and the band's stature began to grow upon the beginning of the tour on January 20, 1978. Throughout March and April, the band would tour with both hard rock bands Van Halen and Montrose. Steve Perry remembered: "Van Halen was the opening act for the tour, they were a brand new band back then. We were doing 3,000-seat auditoriums and they were killing us every night. It was eye-opening. We were keeping up with them, but they were certainly making us be a better band. They were so musically simple." Tom Broderick, a sound mixer for Van Halen recalled that the members of Journey were off-put by Van Halen's meteoric performances on tour with them and began to undermine them by sabotaging the PA.
The members of Journey would eventually end up meeting Montrose's drummer, Steve Smith, which released reports that there was tensions between Aynsley Dunbar and the band due to the change in music direction from the jazz fusion sound. Aynsley was also noted to have started playing erratically and talking derogatorily about the other members of Journey according to the band's manager Herbie Herbert. Reflecting on the tensions between Dunbar and the band, Neal Schon commented: "We would talk about it, and he'd say he'd be willing to simplify things. But we'd get out there, and after five shows he wasn't doing that at all."
The band would fly over to Europe to perform at the Pinkpop Festival in Holland. Critics who had watched the performance criticized the unfamiliar stage equipment, and called the performance 'shallow', commenting that Steve Perry's vocals were barely audible, and Aynsley's drum solo was 'clumsy' and 'boring'. Following the show in the Netherlands, the band embarked on a three-month tour, where they performed as headliners for the first time. As part of an artist development program by Columbia Records, the band would later perform a free concert to 33,000 fans at the performing arts center in Saratoga Springs on June 9.
The tour ended on September 2, 1978, which was the last time Aynsley Dunbar performed with the band. Montrose's drummer, Steve Smith, joined the band following Dunbar's departure. His first performance with Journey was in November at Super Jam II. The band later finished the year with a hometown gig on New Year's Eve with Blondie and Stoneground as supporting acts. It is one of their most successful tours to date, with notable performances like the show in Chicago with The Rolling Stones, the 1978 World Series of Rock Festival with Emerson, Lake & Palmer and Foreigner, and the show in California with Ted Nugent and AC/DC.

## Reception

Reviewing the January 27–29 performances at the Old Waldorf, Jack McDonough noted the band as one of the most exciting English-influenced bands in San Francisco which was becoming extremely popular. He praised the band's sound as melodic, with an "enveloping rainbow feel", sounding almost a lot like both Queen and The Beatles, with a variety of songs from the album Infinity and the albums before. He took notice on the audience, which each show drawing out 3,600 fans.

## Tour dates

List of 1978 concerts :
| Date | City | Country | Venue |
| January 20, 1978 | Chicago | United States | Riviera Theatre |
| January 27, 1978 | San Francisco | United States | The Old Waldorf |
| January 28, 1978 | San Francisco | United States | The Old Waldorf |
| January 29, 1978 | San Francisco | United States | The Old Waldorf |
| February 10, 1978 | Davis | United States | Freeborn Hall |
| February 12, 1978 | Concord | United States | Concord Pavilion |
| February 17, 1978 | Arcata | United States | East Gym |
| February 18, 1978 | Salinas | United States | Sherwood Hall |
| February 19, 1978 | Fresno | United States | Selland Arena |
| February 21, 1978 | Stockton | United States | Stockton Memorial Civic Auditorium |
| February 24, 1978 | Santa Barbara | United States | Arlington Theatre |
| February 25, 1978 | Los Angeles | United States | Burt Sugarmans' Midnight Special (TV appearance) |
| February 26, 1978 | Fresno | United States | Selland Arena |
| March 1, 1978 | Racine | United States | Racine Memorial Hall |
| March 2, 1978 | Davenport | United States | RKO Orpheum Theatre |
| March 3, 1978 | Chicago | United States | Aragon Ballroom |
| March 4, 1978 | Springfield | United States | Nelson Center |
| March 5, 1978 | Indianapolis | United States | Indiana Convention Center |
| March 7, 1978 | Madison | United States | Shuffle Inn |
| March 9, 1978 | Milwaukee | United States | Riverside Theater |
| March 10, 1978 | Detroit | United States | Masonic Temple Theater |
| March 11, 1978 | Trotwood | United States | Hara Arena |
| March 12, 1978 | Homestead | United States | Leona Theater |
| March 14, 1978 | Toronto | Canada | Massey Hall |
| March 15, 1978 | Cleveland | United States | Cleveland Music Hall |
| March 16, 1978 | Columbus | United States | Columbus Veterans Memorial Auditorium |
| March 17, 1978 | Louisville | United States | Louisville Gardens |
| March 18, 1978 | Evansville | United States | Evansville Coliseum |
| March 19, 1978 | South Bend | United States | Morris Civic Auditorium |
| March 20, 1978 | Schaumburg | United States | B'Ginnings |
| March 21, 1978 | Utica | United States | Utica Memorial Auditorium |
| March 22, 1978 | Albany | United States | Palace Theatre |
| March 23, 1978 | Buffalo | United States | New Century Theatre |
| March 24, 1978 | Upper Darby Township | United States | Tower Theater |
| March 25, 1978 | New York City | United States | Palladium |
| March 26, 1978 | Hempstead | United States | Calderone Concert Hall |
| March 27, 1978 | Boston | United States | Paradise Theater |
| March 29, 1978 | Duluth | United States | Duluth Auditorium |
| March 30, 1978 | Saint Paul | United States | St. Paul Civic Center Theater |
| March 31, 1978 | Kansas City | United States | Memorial Hall |
| April 1, 1978 | St. Louis | United States | Kiel Opera House |
| April 2, 1978 | Omaha | United States | Omaha Music Hall |
| April 3, 1978 | Wichita | United States | Pogo's |
| April 4, 1978 | Tulsa | United States | Cain's Ballroom |
| April 5, 1978 | Indianapolis | United States | Murat Temple Theater |
| April 6, 1978 | Flint | United States | IMA Auditorium |
| April 7, 1978 | Nashville | United States | War Memorial Auditorium |
| April 8, 1978 | Murray | United States | MSU Field House |
| April 9, 1978 | Birmingham | United States | Boutwell Memorial Auditorium |
| April 11, 1978 | Corpus Christi | United States | Corpus Christi Memorial Coliseum |
| April 12, 1978 | Austin | United States | Austin Municipal Auditorium |
| April 13, 1978 | Shreveport | United States | Shreveport Memorial Auditorium |
| April 14, 1978 | Fort Worth | United States | Will Rogers Memorial Auditorium |
| April 15, 1978 | Houston | United States | Houston Music Hall |
| April 16, 1978 | New Orleans | United States | The Warehouse |
| April 18, 1978 | Memphis | United States | Ellis Memorial Auditorium |
| April 20, 1978 | Tallahassee | United States | Ruby Diamond Auditorium |
| April 21, 1978 | Pembroke Pines | United States | Hollywood Sportatorium |
| April 22, 1978 | Tampa | United States | Curtis Hixon Hall |
| April 23, 1978 | Atlanta | United States | Fox Theatre |
| April 25, 1978 | Virginia Beach | United States | Rogues' Gallery |
| April 26, 1978 | Virginia Beach | United States | Rogues' Gallery |
| April 27, 1978 | Norfolk | United States | The Scope |
| April 28, 1978 | New York City | United States | Palladium |
| April 29, 1978 | Johnson City | United States | Freedom Hall Civic Center |
| April 30, 1978 | Huntington | United States | Huntington Civic Center |
| May 1, 1978 | Toledo | United States | Toledo Sports Arena |
| May 3, 1978 | Cleveland | United States | Cleveland Music Hall |
| May 5, 1978 | Rochester | United States | Rochester Community War Memorial |
| May 6, 1978 | Boston | United States | Orpheum Theatre |
| May 10, 1978 | Salt Lake City | United States | Salt Palace |
| May 11, 1978 | Casper | United States | J Flag Indoor Arena |
| May 13, 1978 | Boulder | United States | Folsom Field |
| May 15, 1978 | Geleen | Netherlands | Burgemeester Damen Sportpark (Pinkpop 1978) |
| May 18, 1978 | Tucson | United States | Tucson Convention Center |
| May 20, 1978 | Long Beach | United States | Long Beach Arena |
| May 23, 1978 | Seattle | United States | Seattle Center Arena |
| May 24, 1978 | Portland | United States | Paramount Theatre |
| May 25, 1978 | Spokane | United States | Spokane Coliseum |
| May 27, 1978 | Medford | United States | Medford Armory |
| May 29, 1978 | Concord | United States | Concord Pavilion |
| May 30, 1978 | San Diego | United States | California Theatre |
| June 9, 1978 | Saratoga Springs | United States | Saratoga Performing Arts Center |
| June 10, 1978 | Passaic | United States | Capitol Theatre |
| June 14, 1978 | Upper Darby | United States | Tower Theatre |
| June 15, 1978 | Pittsburgh | United States | Civic Arena |
| June 16, 1978 | Saginaw | United States | Wendler Arena |
| June 17, 1978 | Lansing | United States | Lansing Civic Center |
| June 18, 1978 | Cincinnati | United States | Riverfront Coliseum |
| June 24, 1978 | Toronto | Canada | Maple Leaf Gardens |
| June 30, 1978 | Milwaukee | United States | Milwaukee County Stadium |
| July 1, 1978 | Dallas | United States | Cotton Bowl (Texxas Jam 1978) |
| July 2, 1978 | Houston | United States | The Summit |
| July 4, 1978 | Orchard Park | United States | Rich Stadium |
| July 5, 1978 | Milwaukee | United States | Henry W. Maier Festival Park |
| July 8, 1978 | Chicago | United States | Soldier Field |
| July 9, 1978 | Chicago | United States | Aragon Ballroom |
| July 11, 1978 | Clinton | United States | Riverview Park |
| July 12, 1978 | Detroit | United States | Cobo Arena |
| July 13, 1978 | Nashville | United States | Municipal Auditorium |
| July 15, 1978 | Cleveland | United States | Cleveland Stadium (World Series of Rock 1978) |
| July 16, 1978 | Davenport | United States | Credit Island Park (Mississippi River Jam 1978) |
| July 17, 1978 | La Crosse | United States | Mary E. Sawyer Auditorium |
| July 18, 1978 | Seymour | United States | Outagamie County Fairgrounds |
| July 20, 1978 | Tulsa | United States | Tulsa Assembly Center |
| July 21, 1978 | Jackson | United States | Civic Center |
| July 23, 1978 | Louisville | United States | Kentucky Fair and Exposition Center |
| July 25, 1978 | Jackson | United States | Mississippi Coliseum |
| July 27, 1978 | Springfield | United States | Springfield Civic Center |
| July 28, 1978 | New Haven | United States | New Haven Veterans Memorial Coliseum |
| July 29, 1978 | Binghamton | United States | Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena |
| July 30, 1978 | Portland | United States | Cumberland County Civic Center |
| August 3, 1978 | Indianapolis | United States | Market Square Arena |
| August 5, 1978 | Tiffin | United States | St. John's Hollow |
| August 6, 1978 | East Rutherford | United States | Giants Stadium |
| August 8, 1978 | Chicago | United States | Navy Pier (ChicagoFest 1978) |
| August 9, 1978 | St. Louis | United States | Kiel Auditorium |
| August 12, 1978 | Honolulu | United States | Neal S. Blaisdell Arena |
| August 18, 1978 | Sacramento | United States | California Exposition & State Fair |
| August 26, 1978 | Anaheim | United States | Anaheim Stadium |
| September 2, 1978 | Oakland | United States | Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum (Day on the Green 1978) |
| November 22, 1978 | San Francisco | United States | Winterland Arena (Super Jam II) |
| December 31, 1978 | Oakland | United States | Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum (Bay Area New Year's Eve 1978) |
Information
* ^Note 1 Aynsley Dunbar's final performance with Journey.
* ^Note 2 Steve Smith's debut performance as Journey's drummer.

### Box office score data

List of box office score data with date, city, venue, attendance, gross, references :
| Date (1978) | City | Venue | Attendance | Gross |
| February 21 | Stockton, United States | Civic Auditorium | 3,669 | $25,109 |
| July 13 | Nashville, United States | Municipal Auditorium | 9,900 | $70,364 |
| July 15 | Cleveland, United States | Cleveland Stadium | 60,505 | $672,964 |
| July 25 | Jackson, United States | Coliseum | 10,116 | $62,213 |
| July 27 | Springfield, United States | Civic Center | 9,789 | $67,836 |
| July 28 | New Haven, United States | Coliseum | 10,590 | $76,580 |
| July 30 | Portland, United States | Cumberland County Civic Center | 9,100 | $67,950 |
| August 9 | St. Louis, United States | Kiel Auditorium | 8,050 | $59,607 |
| December 31 | Oakland, United States | Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum | 12,988 | $136,887 |

## Personnel

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