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When Republicans held their multimillion-dollar pep rally in Tampa this past August, “Any Way You Want It” arena-rock group Journey snuck into the Gulf Coast city to pick up a $500,000 paycheck. After the band performed a 90-minute set — consisting of two songs everybody knows and 78 minutes of deep cuts — for so-called VIPs at the Liberty Plaza, a temporary concert venue erected specifically for GOP hobnobbing, the Journey crew casually jumped back on tour with Pat Benatar and Loverboy. Only, you know, a half-million dollars richer. Former Journey lead singer Steve Perry, of course, missed out on the cash. He hasn’t been with the band since the mid-’90s, much to the chagrin of Journey guitarist Neal Schon. “We didn’t kick Steve out,” Schon recently told music website Ultimate Classic Rock. “He walked… I hope that someday we can get to the point where I can pick up the telephone and I can talk to him without talking through management and attorneys.” Until that day comes, however, Schon is happy to tour and play music with his other bandmates. “I don’t see that there’s any end to this band right now — we’re so strong,” he said. “Everybody’s getting older, but we still have so much energy and we’re doing great out here.”
