Thanks to the inclusion of “Don’t Stop Believin” in the final episode of The Sopranos, Journey’s commercial appeal has received a shot in the arm. On Saturday, August 9, the classic rock outfit will return to the Verizon Wireless Music Center with fellow Arena Rock stalwarts Cheap Trick. Currently, Journey is touring in support of Revelation, a double-disc collection offering new material and re-recorded versions of the band’s greatest hits. Speaking by phone from his hotel room in Council Bluffs, Iowa, Journey keyboardist/guitarist Jonathan Cain catches up with the Weekly’s Brent Thompson.

BT: Jonathan, we’re looking forward to Journey’s return to Birmingham.

JC: We enjoy going to Birmingham - it’s one of our favorite towns. It’s always a pleasure.

BT: How is the tour going so far?

JC: It’s unbelievable - we’ve had six sellouts in eight shows. It’s nice to be loved I guess. It’s sort of a renaissance for us - this music is red hot right now.

BT: For the recording of the new CD, Revelation, you’ve re-recorded songs from your back catalog. Given the size of the band’s catalog, was it difficult to choose the material to be recorded?

JC: We looked at the greatest hits and added one song that’s not on there, “Stone In Love.” We thought we’d stay true to what we had done back in the ’80s.

BT: Obviously, there are certain songs the band is expected to play at each performance. How do songs stay fresh for you when you’ve literally performed them thousands of times before?

JC: You’ve got to play them to the audience that’s standing in front of you. You’ve got to realize that there are people there that have never heard these songs before. You’ve got to get past your own self. Playing the greatest hits is really about being in the “now” and there’s a lot of kids that have never heard Journey play “Don’t Stop Believin” and that’s who you play it for. This is [singer] Arnel’s [Pineda] first time in the states, so we’re giving them something brand new. Every night for me is a different performance. You’ve got to say, “You’ve heard it, but you haven’t heard it like this.”

BT: You’ve seen tremendous changes in the music business during your career. In the age of iTunes, ring tones, satellite radio, [websites] myspace and YouTube, how do you view the advantages of technology coupled with the fact that anyone can now distribute their music and call themselves a “professional” musician?

JC: I think it balances each other out. What you’re going to get is discovery of real talent. With the tools we have today, it’s much easier to expose real talent. There’s something for everybody and I think it’s good for the pop music art form. I think the technology is in favor of it, not against it. I think what’s suffering is the song - people are layering stuff on top of each other, but they’re missing the song. It’s kind of like seeing a movie where there’s no plot. I went to see Batman last night and I was like, “What the hell was that?” There was no story - it was a bunch of effects and great acting for nothing. In music, you get great textures and layers, but is it a song? Songwriting is still about communication and great songs are still few and far between for me. That’s what I see in the business - it’s all fluff and there’s no substance to it. We have to get back to the song. In Journey, my job is to keep the integrity alive as a lyricist and this album is about renewal and rediscovering who you are.

BT: It’s my understanding that you found your new lead singer Arnel Pineda, then living in the Philippines, through the help of technology.

JC: We sure did. Neal and I were both looking on the Internet and we knew we needed to make a change. We knew the brand was going to suffer if we didn’t. As much as [former vocalist] Jeff Scott Soto helped us out, he wasn’t the future for us. We needed to find someone who was going to take us into the next 10 years. We didn’t want a Steve Perry clone or a tribute band singer - we wanted somebody fresh. Neal found Arnel one night and called me up. I turned it on and said, “Damn, he’s good. How do we get him over here?” The logistics of getting his visa took weeks. He sang “Wheel In The Sky” for some guy in the embassy in the Philippines. They guy said, “You’re going to be in Journey? Sing ‘Wheel In The Sky.” Arnel did, and the guy said, “Get out of here and get to America.”

Tickets for the 7:30 p.m. show are $25-$75 and can be purchased at www.ticketmaster.com.

Atlanta-based singer/songwriter Shawn Mullins has enjoyed success as both a solo artist and member of the modern-day supergroup The Thorns. Currently, Mullins is touring in support of Honeydew, his latest release on Vanguard Records. On Friday, May 23, Mullins will appear at the Verizon Wireless Music Center as the supporting act for Sheryl Crow. Recently, Mullins took time to speak with the Weekly about his new album and the current state of the music industry.

BW: Shawn, it’s great to hear from you. How is this leg of the tour going so far?

SM: I’ve had a little time at home in Atlanta, which has been wonderful. I don’t know if I’ve ever had so much time off. We went to Amelia Island for a few days and we’ve just been hanging loose. Now we’re back on the road.

BW: We’re really enjoying the new album, Honeydew. Did the body of material come to you in a burst of creativity or had the songs been laying around in various phases of completion?

SM: My mom had been struggling with breast cancer for almost a decade and she was nearing the end of her fight. At first, it was hard for me to create anything because that was on my mind first and foremost. Once my mom passed away and I had time to get it together again, a lot of these songs poured out. I’ve always heard that grief can do that, but I’d never really experienced it before then. But a few of the songs had been laying around for a couple of years. “All In My Head” and “Homeless Joe” are both older songs.

BW: It must have been cathartic to deal with that grief in a creative manner instead of keeping it inside.

SM: That’s exactly what this record is. Even the title of the album is a tribute to her - honeydew was my mom’s favorite fruit and we grew up eating it all the time.

BW: Your band with Matthew Sweet and Pete Droge - The Thorns - released an album in 2003. How did that project come to life? Is there any chance that the group will release another album in the future?

SM: My manager, Russell Carter, also manages Matthew Sweet. He and Greg Latterman - the guy that started Aware Records - got to talking one night about getting me and Matthew together. I think Greg pulled in Pete - they wanted to see if we would write songs well together. That’s how it started - we got together to write songs. When we demoed the songs, everyone flipped out and loved the way it sounded. We ended up doing a one-record deal for Columbia. Even though it sold a couple of hundred thousand copies, it didn’t sell like Columbia had wanted. I think we will do another record - I think it might happen one day. I love hanging out with Matthew. He’s like a big kid and he’s fun to be around.

BW: How do you feel about the climate of the music industry in the age of iTunes, Internet and satellite radio?

SM: Honestly, it depends on the mood I’m in (laughs). Some days, I’m feeling really hopeful about being in a pioneer age in music. Other days, when I’m feeling like it’s an uphill struggle, I feel like it’s harder than ever to sell records. But overall, you’ve got to take what we’ve been given and go with it the best you can.

Showtime is 8 p.m. Tickets are $26.00-$58.50 and can be purchased at www.ticketmaster.com.