Mario Tarradell

The idea of a Filipino singer becoming the main voice of American pop-rock band Journey might initially sound like a joke. This is the group from San Francisco, the one that made its name cranking out soaring rockers and ballads for mainstream U.S. radio in the '70s and '80s.

But there's no punch line here. Arnel Pineda took the stage Sunday night at Superpages.com Center with a fierce vengeance. The diminutive vocalist with the jet-black hair tore into Journey classics as well as new material from the gold-selling Revelation like his future depended on it.

In a way, it does. Surely, this is the big break for the 40-year-old performer who was influenced by, among others, Steve Perry, the best-known and longest-running lead singer of Journey. Oh, and the band discovered him on YouTube. How's that for a modern-day kicker?

The show Sunday night, which also featured rocking, passionate performances by Heart and Cheap Trick, was before a mammoth sold-out crowd. It was also a pure blast. Journey's catalog remains the epitome of melodies, hooks and rhythm. There is no denying staples such as "Only the Young," "Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)," "Don't Stop Believin'," "Faithfully" and "Open Arms."

What's more, the fresh tunes, particularly "Never Walk Away" and "After All These Years" sounded as though they came from the repertoire of the band's heyday. Mr. Pineda delivered them all with intensity. He was a ball of energy, working both sides of the stage, sweating up a storm and still hitting all the high notes.

The guy looked genuinely ecstatic to be in the role he's in. Who could blame him? He lucked into a rock 'n' roll group with a solid history that's still selling out concerts 35 years after its inception.