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CONCERT REVIEW: JOURNEY & TOTO Take Denver On A Trip Down Rock N’ Roll History (April 11th, 2022)

Monday night at Denver’s Ball Arena felt like taking a big step back in time…and it felt good to me and nearly 20,000 others in attendance. The double bill of Toto and Journey was a smart pairing—two enduring arena rock bands that are both led by masterful, seasoned guitar players, feature a lineup with some unfamiliar faces, and sport a set-list packed with irresistible sing-along anthems, well known catchy rockers and beloved, and soaring ballads.

The nearly sold-out arena was packed to the rafters with nostalgic concertgoers who mostly left their masks behind to bask in the glory of a big night out like they relished in the years before COVID changed our sense of normal. They came to hear the hits from two radio friendly classic rock stalwarts…and they got them in spades. Each band came armed with a winning formula that frankly set them up for an easy win with the eager crowd…as long as they didn’t screw it up.

My least favorite moment of the set was the Beatles cover, “ With a Little Help from My Friends.” Given the time limitations imposed on an opening act, I would have much rather heard an original track like “Pamela,” “Straight for the Heart” or “Alone”, but it resonated with the crowd, who seemed to know the song better than most of the set.

Toto saved their hardest one-two punch for the end, pairing “Rosanna” with “Africa.” The former got everyone up on their feet, singing the catchy chorus and the latter was extended with an extended call and repeat section led by Williams that had everyone singing. Joseph Williams sounded solid and the band was tight. Despite the fact that most of the soul of the previous Toto lineups (Jeff, Mike and Steve Porcaro) are no longer alive or with the band, Luke’s new crew made a convincing case that the show can and still must go on.

Toto Set-list:

Orphan / Hold the Line / I’ll Be Over You / White Sister / Georgy Porgy / I Won’t Hold You Back / Home of the Brave / With a Little Help from My Friends (The Beatles cover) / Rosanna / Africa

Toto Photo Gallery (Images by Alan Cox):

While Toto was well received, there was no mistake from the first notes of the opener that the crowd was here first and foremost to see Journey . As they launched into “Only the Young,” the crowd jumped to its feet and threw their hands in the air in celebration of hearing those oh so-familiar songs they grew up with.

Like Toto , Journey has never been a critic’s darling, but they cracked a code for listeners in crafting blue-collar melodic anthems and ballads that captivated both the guys and the girls. And while the departure of Steve Perry was insufferable for some die-hard fans, the band has managed to overcome numerous obstacles, line-up changes and train wrecks in their personal lives because of two important factors. One, is the songs. They’re lodged in people’s brains, and the tunes are part of the soundtrack of many people’s lives. And two, is Arnel Pineda , who has somehow managed to step into the shoes of an absolutely iconic singer, perform an incredibly difficult catalog night after night, and still bring a charismatic youthful energy and vibrancy to the stage that is undeniable.

Photo by Mark Matson

There are still some who say, “No Perry, No Journey.” But the undeniable truth is that Steve Perry can no longer sing the songs of Journey the way Arnel can. And while there’s been some talk in the past that Arnel was struggling from road fatigue (not unlike Steve Augeri , who was let go because of vocal strains), his performance in the oxygen-thin mile high stadium absolutely accentuated that he truly is an amazing discovery. Quite honestly, he’s mostly the reason Neal Schon and Jonathan Cain can keep their Journey going and playing to packed houses.

That’s not to diminish the roles and merits of Schon and Cain , who remain the dynamic duo of building working class songs that people can’t forget. While the mix of Schon ’s playing was underwhelming at times, Journey is clearly still his stage to shine upon, and to throw his frenetic but melodic playing front and center. Many of his singable solos are essential components of the songs, and he commandingly captivated the audience throughout the night. His wide mouthed grin seemed to suggest he thought they were having a pretty good night as a band—and they were.

The iconic hit, “Don’t Stop Believing,” was front loaded in the set, coming earlier than the all too expected encore (of which there wasn’t one). Journey has plenty of other songs to cap off the night with a bang, and “Any Way You Want It” served the purpose well.

The band broke into an extended jam on the tail end of “Send Her My Love” that was incendiary and a welcome bit of instrumental prowess. I was very disappointed, however, to discover that they had been playing “Escape” on this tour, but dropped it in exchange for “City of Hope.” This to me was like trading a diamond for pretty stone, and I regret not being able to hear Schon ’s memorable solo from that track live.

Schon did, however, play a solid extended solo in “Who’s Crying Now” that helped me get over the unexpected set change. Arnel whipped up the crowd to sing “Woah oo woah oo woah oo whoa” in tandem to Schon ’s spot and it played well to a very vocal crowd.

Drummer Deen Castronovo took the spotlight and lead vocal of “Mother, Father” delivering a stunning performance while managing to pound the drums without it interfering with his singing delivery. Deen was out of Journey for a number of years, but his return is welcome with his powerful, precise hits, and he left no doubt that his vocal abilities are also top notch.

After the rollicking blues number, “Lovin’ Touchin’ Squeezin’,” everyone left the stage for Jonathan Cain to perform a piano solo that was laced with more classical elements. His red grand piano has been a signature visual of the Journey live show, and as he segued into the opening bars of “Open Arms,” the crowd erupted. Girls pulled their guys closer. And while I can honestly say I’ve never loved that song, Arnel Pineda absolutely killed it on that song. Strong, soaring and note for note on the money. It was a remarkable vocal performance that any “No Perry No Journey” fan with an open mind would concede was great.

Cain introduced “Faithfully” with a reference to the sacrifices made of the military, which garnered respectful applause, and Arnel again demonstrated his abilities with an audacious display of control and range.

Journey had a couple new faces in their lineup, namely bass player Todd Jensen and keyboard/vocalist b, who was given the lead vocal duties for “Girl Can’t Help It,” which came off as the saggiest part of the set. Jason ’s voice was competent, but his stage presence was lacking for a lead vocalist, and it seemed like an unnecessary choice when the pipes of Deen and Arnel were available.

Neal Schon then took a guitar solo that meandered a bit between control and chaos, that fired up some fans more when it devolved into the opening of “Wheel in the Sky,” which featured another crowd sing-along chorus that resonated with long time fans. Growing late into the evening, Journey ended with a hit-triplet of “Separate Ways,” “Be Good to Yourself” and “Any Way You Want It.”

It was a night of polished performances by two veteran bands who lack a lot of original members but can still bring solid execution of songs that have stood the test of time. It was, for those in attendance, exactly the way they wanted it. And it’s a tour worth seeing if it rolls into your town.

Journey Set-list:

Only the Young / Stone in Love / Don’t Stop Believin’ / Lights / Send Her My Love / Ask the Lonely / City of Hope / Who’s Crying Now / Mother, Father (Deen Castronovo on lead vocals) /       Lovin’, Touchin’, Squeezin’ / Jonathan Cain Piano Solo / Open Arms / Faithfully / Girl Can’t Help It (Jason Derlatka on lead vocals) / Neal Schon Guitar Solo / Wheel in the Sky / Separate Ways (Worlds Apart) / Be Good to Yourself / Any Way You Want It

Journey Photo Gallery (Images by Mark Matson ):

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Music | Review: Journey is good, but this opening act…

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Music | father, two children identified as victims in fiery fatal pleasanton car crash, music | review: journey is good, but this opening act is much better, toto tops journey in concert at chase center in san francisco.

Call the concert police, because Toto stole the show from Journey on Thursday night at Chase Center in San Francisco.

Sure, the hometown headliners were good, delivering remarkably faithful renditions of many of the hits from the group’s recording heyday of late ’70s and first half of the ’80s — despite now missing a number of the key players from that time period.

Yet, the opening act was nothing short of a revelation, wowing Journey fans — many of whom walked in only knowing the big Toto hits “Rosanna” and (in part due to Weezer) “Africa” — with a fully engaging set built from superb songs and even better musicianship.

The whole arena was abuzz between the two bands’ sets and you could hear Journey fans muttering in astonishment about how great Toto was onstage and the number of good songs the band delivered in its set.

In other words, if you decided to skip seeing the opener in order to avoid traffic on Thursday night, you definitely made the wrong decision.

Hopefully fans won’t make that mistake when the potent doubleheader checks into the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on April 1. (And, no, this is not some elaborate April Fools joke — Toto actually was that good.) For ticket information, visit golden1center.com .

Toto wasn’t even originally supposed to be at this show. Billy Idol was the scheduled opener when ducats originally went on sale back in November. But then Idol withdrew from the tour, reportedly due to the need to get sinus surgery, and Toto moved into the opening slot for both the Chase and Golden 1 dates. (Toto was already set to open the second half of Journey’s Freedom Tour.)

Toto kicked off the show in relatively recent territory, performing a head-turning take on “Orphan” — from “Toto XIV” — that served to announce that concertgoers were in for a treat. The seven-piece band was in superb form, led by the mighty guitar work of Steve Lukather — Toto’s sole continuous touring member.

Toto then zoomed back to the beginning as it touched upon its best single — the rocking “Hold the Line” — from its 1978 self-titled debut. It would later return to that same album, and find similar success, with a funkified take on “Georgy Porgy.”

The pure musicianship was extraordinary, with the blazing Lukather joined by bassist John Pierce, drummer Robert “Sput” Searight, keyboardists Steve Maggiora and Dominique “Xavier” Taplin, and multi-instrumentalist Warren Ham. Joseph Williams — son of film composer John Williams and actress Barbara Ruick — was a mighty force on vocals, as he has been since joining the band in the mid-’80s.

Toto included a phenomenal cover of the Beatles’ “With a Little Help from My Friends,” which was more Joe Cocker than Ringo Starr, but unfortunately left out its rendition of Weezer’s “Hash Pipe” (done in tribute to the alt-rock troupe famously covering “Africa”). The band closed the show with its two best-known songs — “Rosanna” and “Africa” — which resulted in mammoth sing-alongs in the crowd.

Journey opened its set with “Only the Young,” one of four numbers the band would perform from its 1983 offering “Frontiers.” In all, the group delivered 19 songs, with more than a third of them coming from its jam-packed seventh studio album — 1981’s “Escape.”

It was pretty much hit after hit after hit, yet the music didn’t sound nearly as vibrant — and definitely not as urgent — as what Toto delivered. That certainly wasn’t the fault of Neal Schon — the band’s only constant member — who was an absolute master on guitar, filling nearly every song with leads that impressed both with feel and technical ability.

I could listen to him play all day long. He’s the best part of Journey — musically speaking — and always has been.

Vocalist Arnel Pineda was an energetic front man, racing back and forth across the relatively simple stage setup and coaxing the crowd to respond to such songs as “Send Her My Love” and “Lovin’, Touchin’, Squeezin'” with even more energy.

The music sounded remarkably like what you hear on record, despite the absence of Steve Perry, Steve Smith, Ross Valory and so many others. Yet, it rarely felt bigger or better than that — which is really what you hope for when you go see a band in concert.

Still, fans certainly acted like they felt they got their money’s worth — and then some — as Journey brought the evening to a close with such longtime favorites as “Wheel in the Sky” and “Separate Ways (Worlds Apart).”

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Journey Takes a Break From Feuding, Returns for Harmonious Concert at Oklahoma Casino

"It's good to be back. All together again," the classic rock band's Jonathan Cain told the crowd.

By Steve Knopper

Steve Knopper

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Before playing his piano ballad “Faithfully” on Journey ‘s opening 2023 date at an Oklahoma casino theatre on Friday (Jan. 27), Jonathan Cain told about 3,000 fans: “It’s good to be back. All together again.”

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The sextet’s three focal points — frontman Arnel Pineda , Schon and Cain — dominated the spotlight. Pineda, who replaced long-departed frontman Steve Perry in 2008 and sounds exactly like him, was in constant motion, running, jumping, waving, pointing and leading singalongs. Schon soloed constantly, opening the first song “Only the Young” with a burst of noise on his PRS NS-15 guitar and improvising with hard rock power chords in unexpected ways at the ends of rock radio fixtures “Wheel In the Sky” and “Lovin’, Touchin’, Squeezin’,” and Cain anchored “Feeling That Way” and “Who’s Crying Now” on his red piano.

Journey’s live formula is simple: play the beloved hits from the ’70s and ’80s, even if Schon and Cain are the only remaining band members from that era. They dispatched with their signature “Don’t Stop Believin’,” which has nearly 1.5 billion plays on Spotify alone, as the third song, then closed with na-na-na-ing, whoa-oh-whoaing and general earworm-rocking with “Wheel In the Sky,” “Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)” and the finale “Any Way You Want It.”

Schon and Cain consistently kept roughly 20 yards of distance between them, as Cain, mostly stationary in a dark suit coat, held down stage right with four different keyboards. Schon spoke sparingly, but Cain told the story of writing “Faithfully” on a lonely 1981 bus ride, concluding, “We pay a price for a life like this,” then encouraging the crowd to support the U.S. armed forces. The two cooperated musically, especially on “Lovin’, Touchin’, Squeezin’,” when Cain played boogie-woogie runs and Schon dropped in sympathetic guitar riffs to augment the piano. With the exception of Schon, who sang minimally, all six band members harmonized on vocals, nicely backing Pineda’s impossibly high range on “Anytime.”

With Schon and Cain in separate corners, and drummer Deen Castronovo, bassist Todd Jensen and second keyboardist Jason Derlatka holding down the middle, it was Pineda’s job to enliven the crowd, which he did, energetically and enthusiastically. He was the one member of Journey who seemed happy to be there, jumping on a pedestal and throwing his head back to hit those high notes, patting Schon on the back, fist-bumping Cain, signing autographs as songs were going on and, long after the others had walked off stage, sticking around for crowd selfies. Rock stars may “pay a price” for the rock-star life, but, Pineda suggested, it’s fun, too.

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Journey and TOTO’s Freedom Tour Is Rock Anthem Overload

The songs still have weight after decades

It’s 2022, and Arena Rock is alive and well. Two giants of the sub-genre recently kicked off the Freedom Tour, which made it’s second stop at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia last night. Fans packed the venue to hear some of rock’s biggest anthems, proving that Journey and TOTO are two of the most enduring acts around.

TOTO kicked off the evening’s festivities with “‘Till The End” and launched right into “Hold The Line,” which still stands as one of the heaviest riffs in rock history. The band also broke out hits like “I’ll Be Over You,” “Georgy Porgy,” and “Rosanna,” among other fan favorites.

TOTO closed out the set with their seminal hit “Africa.” Fans were on their feet, singing every single word. While track has been a long-standing staple for the group, alt-rock champs Weezer breathed new life into it when they covered it back in 2018. While their catalog is filled with tremendous cuts, “Africa” always seems to be their signature.

After the rains came in Africa, Journey took the reigns on stage. The fired off the soaring “Only The Young,” and followed it up with “Stoned In Love.” Then in an interesting move, they pulled out their power ballad “Don’t Stop Believing,” which has always seemed more fit to be a show closer. Nonetheless, the fans were ecstatic, swaying back and forth while singing along.

At this point, every Journey set is a “greatest hits” set. Other noteworthy jams included “Faithfully,” Lights,” “Lovin’, Touchin’, Squeezin’,” “Wheel In The Sky,” “Open Arms,” and “Separate Ways (Worlds Apart).” About halfway through the set, the band introduced the crowd to their brand new single “The Way We Used To Be” from their upcoming album. It is the band’s first new piece of recorded material in more than a decade.

Journey brought the show to a close with their fist-pumping rocker “Any Way You Want It.”

The Freedom Tour rolls on through the spring, wrapping on on May 11 in Connecticut.

Journey: Live Photo Gallery

TOTO: Live Photo Gallery

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Music and Concerts | Concert review: If you showed up late to…

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Music and concerts, music and concerts | concert review: if you showed up late to journey’s concert monday at the x, you missed their biggest hit.

It’s tough for a long-running band like Journey to surprise their audience, but the classic rockers did just that Monday night when they headlined St. Paul’s Xcel Energy Center in front of a near-capacity crowd of more than 14,000.

After opening with semi-sloppy takes on “Only the Young” and “Stone in Love,” the band played “Don’t Stop Believin’” as the third song of the night.

Yes, Journey has a whole lot of other hits (more than you might remember), but “Don’t Stop Believin’” is on an entirely different level. First released in 1981, the song has somehow managed to get bigger and bigger. It continues to be used at major sporting events and has earned generations of new fans thanks to its use in “The Sopranos” finale and “Glee,” among many other films and television shows.

“Don’t Stop Believin'” stands as the biggest selling song from the 20th century in digital downloads. In 2021, it landed at No. 111 on Billboard’s year-end Global 200, which ranks the world’s top songs based on digital sales and streaming. It has long since become Journey’s signature song and, really, the band wouldn’t be as popular as they remain to this day if they hadn’t written it. And they played it third. Third!

The other surprise was that just two of the five men who originally performed “Don’t Stop Believin’” were on stage Monday night. Steve Perry, of course, hasn’t been in the band for decades. His quite able replacement Arnel Pineda has been on the job for 15 years now.

The big surprise was the absence of the longtime rhythm section of bassist Ross Valory and drummer Steve Smith. Just weeks before the pandemic shutdown, guitarist Neal Schon fired the pair, claiming they had “attempted corporate coup d’etat” and wanted to “hold the Journey name hostage.” (They settled last April.)

At the time, Schon announced the group had rehired former member Randy Jackson on bass (yes, the Randy Jackson from “American Idol”) and drummer Narada Michael Walden. Monday night, though, neither men were on stage. Jackson is recovering from back surgery and Schon has already let Walden go and hired drummer Deen Castronovo, who was previously in the band from 1998 to 2015. (Castronovo even got to perform lead vocals on the song “Mother, Father”.)

Despite all that, the show felt like others from the Pineda era, with Schon taking numerous solos as the band plowed through smashes like “Faithfully,” “Who’s Crying Now,” “Lovin’, Touchin’, Squeezin’,” “Open Arms,” “Wheel in the Sky” and the newly minted show-closer, “Any Way You Want It.”

Journey has a new album, “Freedom,” due out later this year. Schon has promised the band would play new material on this tour, which is named after the upcoming record. They didn’t air anything fresh Monday night, although the nostalgic crowd probably didn’t mind.

Fellow classic rockers Toto opened and proved that their time has passed, despite the recent reemergence of their 1982 hit “Africa” in pop culture. The group was formed by a group of session musicians and, unlike most bands, had multiple players take lead vocals. As such, they never really had a star in the lineup and are best remembered for exactly three big hits, “Hold the Line,” “Rosanna” and the aforementioned “Africa.”

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• April 9, 2022
• Reviews , Show Reviews

Journey & Toto Bring Arena Rock Splendor To Los Angeles (SHOW REVIEW/PHOTOS)

• By Andy J. Gordon

Journey is traveling across the United States on their Freedom Tour 2022. They were supposed to have support from Billy Idol, which was a debatable pairing. However, Idol bowed out to have surgery to treat a chronic sinus problem, and Toto, who was set to do the second half of the tour, agreed to fill in as the support act for all 40 shows. The two bands came to Crypto.com Arena (formerly Staples Center) in Downtown Los Angeles on April 5 and delivered a classic hits show that thrilled their adoring fans in attendance.

Pairing Toto with Journey makes much more sense stylistically. Both bands are led by guitar gods and have dynamic vocalists and multiple keyboard players that bring intensity to their arena rock sound. Each band has sold over 40 million albums. Journey was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2017 while Toto has won multiple Grammy Awards.

Bands that had their greatest success over 30 years ago and have gone through multiple lineup changes face distinct problems when they go on tour. The fans, remembering their radio hits and album tracks, expect to hear the same when they see them live. Toto has brilliant guitarist Steve Lukather from their original lineup, while the rest of the band members have joined over the years. They are talented musicians that accurately recreated the band’s characteristic sound at Crypto.com Arena. The group played the hits everyone expected and a few other deep tracks.

Joseph Williams’ powerful vocals paired with Lukather’s mesmerizing guitar solos highlighted the show. The band got expert support from keyboardist Dominique “Xavier” Taplin and drummer Robert “Sput” Searight who are also members of the modern funk band Ghost-Note. Lukather gave props to Xavier who rearranged “Georgy Porgy,” a track from Toto’s 1978 debut album. Xavier’s funky Nord organ line blended sweetly with Lukather and Williams’ vocals. Xavier, multi-instrumentalist Warren Ham, and Sput all provided supporting harmonies that made this new version of the song fresh and entertaining.  

The surprise of the show was when an original member, keyboardist David Paich came out for “Home of the Brave.” Paich was the band’s primary songwriter, but his health no longer allows him to travel on tour. The LA crowd was fortunate that he came out for his hometown show and provided expert electronic organ playing as well as fine vocals. He stayed for the remainder of the show which included a rousing version of “With A Little Help From My Friends,” as well as spot-on renderings of standards “Rosanna” and “Africa.” 

Like Toto, Journey is led by their extraordinary guitarist and only original member, Neal Schon. The most amazing thing about the current version of the band is how lead singer Arnel Pineda is able to reproduce the vocal stylings of Steve Perry, the original singer. Pineda has been with the band for 15 years and he has made the job his own. Not only are his vocals amazing, but he has a high-energy stage presence and constantly interacts with the audience. The other musicians that complete the band are also experts at their craft and help make the live show sound like the band did in the 70s and 80s.

Pineda and Schon led the band through a career retrospective of songs at the Los Angeles show. Early in the set, “Stone in Love,” “Don’t Stop Believin’” and “Lights” featured powerful and emotional vocals from Pineda as he strutted around the massive stage. Schon played sophisticated, appealing solos with a variety of guitar effects. Longtime keyboardist, backing guitarist, and vocalist Jonathan Cain played beautifully and provided sweet harmonies as did keyboardist Jason Derlatka. Cain’s familiarly haunting piano riff that opened “Who’s Crying Now” drew loud applause.

While Pineda was certainly the star vocalist of the show, other members had their moments. Drummer Deen Castronovo, who has been in and out of the group over the years, sang lead on “Mother, Father” and provided a thunderous backbeat. Jason Derlatka did a fine job on lead vocals for “Girl Can’t Help It.”  

Pineda had the crowd captivated during “Lovin’, Touchin’, Squeezin’” and led them through a series of “na na nas” at the end of the song. Cain played a melodic and moving Roland organ intro, then switched to the grand piano for the familiar riff that began a beautiful version of “Open Arms.” Pineda was brilliant on the moving version of the classic ballad. Once the song ended Cain said, “it’s good to be back in Southern California.” 

For another cosmic connection between Toto and Journey, Cain introduced “Faithfully” by dedicating it to his daughter Madison and future son-in-law Trev, who happens to be Steve Lukether’s son. Both offspring are musicians and they met at a Journey show. Near the end of the show, the band played inspiring versions of “Wheel in the Sky” and “Separate Ways (Worlds Apart).” Each song featured more explosive, yet melodic guitar solos by Schon.

“Be Good to Yourself” showcased Cain’s recognizable organ sequence and concluded with another exceptionally powerful Schon guitar solo. The show concluded with a rollicking version of “Any Way You Want It” as Pineda belted out the lyrics and bounced around the stage. Schon wailed on guitar and the other musicians harmonized superbly on the chorus as the crowd sang along. It was a successful culmination to a nostalgic show by two classic bands.

Live photos courtesy of Andy J. Gordon ©2022

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2 responses.

Some sample videos online are giving us a look at what I hope will be a commercial video set soon. Been following both since the beginning and what a pair up. Keep rocking.

Nice review and great photos

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Concert review: Journey proves that it’s doing something right in 2023

Neal Schon and the rest of Journey must be doing something right. And the group’s stellar rocking performance in Hartford proved that point. Neal Schon of…

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Utah Concert Review

Relive the Utah Concert Experience!

Journey w/ TOTO

Journey Freedom Tour w/ TOTO•March 24, 2022•Vivint Arena

Reviewed and Photographed by Kevin Rolfe

Preceding their album of the same name, Journey’s Freedom Tour is underway. It should come as no surprise that Vivint Arena in downtown Salt Lake City was packed for the rock n roll hall of famers. I can’t think of a Journey concert whether it be out at USANA Amphitheatre or here at Vivint Arena that wasn’t overflowing with fans. Journey is one of the most beloved bands in Utah.  People of all ages have taken to their music, and their concerts show it. With every song, I could hear the echo of the crowd’s collective voice singing along.  These guys have been doing it for years.  They’re true professionals.  I can’t imagine playing to an engaged audience like the one on Thursday, March 24 could ever get old.  

The evening began with legends themselves, TOTO taking the stage.  Billy Idol was originally scheduled to perform on this leg of Journey’s US tour. But had to cancel due to health concerns.  TOTO was already booked to open for Journey on the 2nd leg of the tour. So they committed to the rest of the dates. I have never seen Billy Idol.  I one day hope to. And I wish him good health.  Having TOTO open for Journey seemed so fitting.  We saw TOTO here in Utah when they headlined Eccles Theater.  It was great to have them back. 

The purpose of an opener is to warm up the crowd, right?  To get the energy up so when the headliner takes the stage the audience is ready to go.  Sometimes it’s fun to have an up and coming or unknown artist open a show.  It gives them a chance to perform in front of a new audience and gives the audience a chance to discover some new music.  In this case, I loved having TOTO, a band established for over 40 years, get things going.  Again, it was a really good fit for this show.  They did not mess around with getting the crowd (not always an easy thing to do at Vivint) on their feet.  Seconds into their second song, “Hold the Line”, the floor and lower bowl rose to their feet.  Many stayed there for the rest of the set.

Lead guitarist, Steve Lukather shared with the audience that it made sense for many reasons that TOTO would be touring with Journey.  Not only are they connected from back in the day, but Lukather’s son is engaged to Journey keyboardist, Jonathan Cain’s daughter.  Pretty cool. 

It felt like the TOTO set flew by.  Songs like “Georgy Porgy” and “ Home of the Brave” seemed to bring back a flood of memories for the TOTO fans in attendance.  Which were many.  Joseph Williams’ vocals sounded great.  In fact, the touring lineup TOTO has with them is stacked with amazing vocalists.  Whenever someone was given the chance to solo during a song, each guy seemed to sound better than the next!  

The set closed with a series of great songs.  First was TOTO’s cover of The Beatles’ “With a Little Help From My Friends”.  TOTO performed in the Joe Cocker style and I was so into it.  I love that version, and this version was a welcome surprise.  “Rosanna” followed, and it brought everyone back to their feet.  The crowd was in mid-show form already. What better way to finish things off than their mega-hit, “Africa”. Vivint Arena went wild for this song which has had a great resurgence in recent years. 

I feel like this resurgence has given TOTO a new pep in their step.  The song unsurprisingly sounded awesome.  TOTO was cheered on as they exited the stage.  I thought for a second they might even come back for an encore.  Something very uncommon for openers.  But their set was over and the road crew began to work quickly to get the stage ready for Journey.  

TOTO Setlist

Orphan Hold the Line I’ll Be Over You White Sister Georgy Porgy I Won’t Hold You Back Home of the Brave With a Little Help From My Friends Rosanna Africa

As I made my way through the crowd, back to the soundboard area where I would be taking photos I could see the anticipation in everyone’s eyes.  People were making hurried beer runs or souvenir stops so they could be sure to get back.  I could hear people talking about how many times they’ve seen Journey.  I heard a couple sharing that they’ve seen every incarnation of Journey together.  They did a breakdown of each lead vocalist.  It seems the common consensus is that people love Steve Perry, and would love to see him perform with Journey.  But the love for Arneil is strong.  Time was moving fast and it was almost time for the band to take the stage.  

What is it about Journey? Why do people like them so much?  Don’t get me wrong, I love them.  I’ve seen them on every Utah tour stop for the last decade.  When I look at other bands in their genre, or from their era who have had lineup changes, different frontmen, etc.  They don’t seem to be able to keep the same sustainability as Journey has.  Year after year, tour after tour, they just keep filling arenas and huge amphitheaters. 

Lead singer, Arniel Pineda has a ton of personality on stage, but when you look at Journey, there’s not a ton of personality.  At least overt personalities like the ones you might see in Red Hot Chili Peppers, or Foo Fighters (RIP Taylor 🙁 ).  Neal Schon and Jonathan Cain are both pretty laid-back performers.  So what is it?  It’s the music.  The songs are so popular, so infectious that we keep coming back to hear them and see this band live.  It’s such a simple answer, but it’s the absolute truth.  

I finished photographing after “Stone in Love” and made my way back to my seat.  And by “made my way”, I mean I was running.  I make a point of not looking at the setlist before the show. I like being surprised.  One of the Vivint staff was so surprised at the next song on the setlist that she couldn’t help but show me.  When I saw what song was next, I knew it wasn’t a song I should be making my way back to my seat to.  So I ran!

The third song on the setlist, yes, the third song of the night was, “Don’t Stop Believin”!  Can you believe that?  I could not.  That song is usually reserved for the end of a Journey concert.  But apparently, the boys wanted to mix things up.  I’m sure you can imagine the mix of shock and excitement coming from the audience.  It was a surprising move that totally paid off.  The crowd went nuts!

The streak of amazing songs didn’t stop there.  The next song began with Neal Schon telling us that Journey was going to take us back to San Francisco.  He asked us to “Light this place up!” as he began playing the intro to “Lights”.  Cell phone lights made Vivint Arena glow as we all joined with Arneil on the chorus.  

The first thing I notice was that Arniel Pineda’s vocals were in top form.  Those vocals are not easy! In fact, it’s fun to hear people try to sing along.  So often men have to drop it down an octave to be able to sing.  I don’t know Pineda does it night in and night out.  I’ve attended some shows where Arneil’s voice is a little tour tired. And who can blame him?  But on this night, he sounded fantastic.   What makes it all the more amazing is that he’s also running around the stage, jumping off monitors, and just constantly moving.  It’s impressive. 

Following a raucous, “Lovin, Touchin, Squeezin”, Jonathan Cain asked us about mid-show how we were linking the show so far.  I’ll let you guess how that response went. He joked that they “Followed the Biebs”.  Justin Bieber played Vivint Arena just a week or so prior.  Jonathan Cain must have been looking at the Vivint show calendar.   He shared with us that there’s an inspiration or story to every song.  Cain told us he wrote this next song while he was on a tour bus. Touring and separated from his family.  He dedicated “Faithfully” to the men and women of the military.  That dedication added an extra sentiment to an already very sentimental song.  

I enjoyed seeing Deen Castronovo back in the band.  Having to depart some years back due to some matters in his personal life, I was happy to see him looking well and in peak form. He and keyboardist Jason Derlatka each had a turn singing lead on a couple of songs.  Castronovo crushed it when taking lead vocals on “Mother, Father”.  And Derlatka sounded great on deep cut, “Suzanne” off of Raised on Radio . 

The beauty of having a catalog like Journey’s is you can play “Don’t Stop Believin” third, and still have so many great songs, that the setlist doesn’t suffer.  “Wheel in the Sky” got the crowd back on their feet.  “Wheel in the Sky” was followed by “Separate Ways”. A song Journey often opens with.  So they really moved things around in this show.  They kept me on my toes! At this point, the young people were still going strong, and the older fans were ready to use up the energy they had conserved by sitting down on the slow songs.  I loved the people around me.  I’d say they were in their late 50’s, but they might as well have been 21.  They were having such a good time.  I felt like their energy was contagious and the rest of our area was joining in.  

Instead of taking an encore break, Journey kept the momentum going with “Be Good to Yourself” an underrated Journey classic in my opinion.  And just when I didn’t think things could reach a new level, Journey closed the night with “Anyway You Want It”.  That might be my favorite Journey song.  I tried to sing along but by this time my voice was shot.  So I saved my pipes and only joined in to echo, “All Night!”. 

Journey left the stage, and again, for a minute, I wondered if they would come back.  The crowd sure tried.  But the night was over.  18 songs is a little short in my opinion, but to be fair, in the moment, I didn’t feel like it was a short show.  It’s easy to look at the setlist and be like, “That’s it?”.  But I was definitely satisfied with the night.  Journey simply doesn’t disappoint.  Journey is so polished in what they do. While some might criticize that it’s not raw enough, or polished isn’t rock n roll, I disagree with both sentiments.  I think the band knows what they’re doing.  They know what the fans want and they always deliver.  I know they’ll be back and I can’t wait.  

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ALBUM REVIEW: Journey – Live in Concert at Lollapalooza

Frontiers music s.r.l. - december 9th 2022.

24 December 2022 Mark Diggins

The cynical might suggest that Frontiers releasing yet another live Journey album without even mentioning the year in the title is a bit of a money grab (It was recorded in 2021). Let’s be honest we all know that Journey has a catalogue you can’t really go wrong with, but conversely you’ve probably heard absolutely everything here before on another live album.

This release I guess has the added spice of the being released whilst the band’s two main protagonists exchange pleasantries and Legals as the battle rages between original member Neal Schon and Jonathan Cain, who joined 7 years in. Both men seem to need to keep things going to fund those lifestyles. Both men of course clearly love money but all we really care about as fans is the wonderful music they have made over the years and personally rather than hear what we’ve all heard before a hundred times I’d rather they concentrate, or at least flirt a little with newer material. 

There’s an interesting part in the press release that reads: “ As the band’s legend continues to grow larger and their touring gets bigger, they recently released a new studio album, “Freedom” in July 2022. It was their first album of new material to be released in eleven years, since 2011’s “Eclipse”. The album was met with rave critical and fan reviews and charted in multiple countries around the globe. ” The irony is that ‘Freedom’ doesn’t get a sniff, nor does ‘Eclipse’: a s far as the setlist goes there’s NOTHING on here from the new album and NOTHING on here from the 2020’s, 2010’s 2000’s, or the 90’s. Why even bother mentioning a new album if the band themselves won’t even bother to play a single track. They obviously don’t rate it themselves it’s a wonder they even release anything new. It’s such a shame as the new material is actually rather good.

Just to give some perspective the newest track that gets an airing is ‘Raised on Radio’s’ Be Good to Yourself’. Raised on Radio was released in 1986 that’s a whopping 36 years ago.

As far as surprises go there are few. ‘Just the Same Way’ from ‘Evolution’ might be a surprise (but it’s not a great song) and so might be the turgid, and here, completely uninspiring  ‘Still They Ride’ from Escape. I was never a big fan of the title track from ‘Escape’ either but that too gets an outing here. Surely one of them could be replaced with something they’ve done in the last 36 years? OK I get that the majority of fans want to relive the past again and again and live in fading memories of youth but some of us don’t mind new music from our favourite artists.

So there you have it – the Lollapalooza performance from Chicago on July 31, 2021 gets the works – released on CD/DVD, Blu-ray, and Vinyl. Just to show how out of touch Rolling Stone is the press release also has the quote: “ “But for the young festival goers and indifferent onlookers who expected a weathered band of baby boomers to twiddle their thumbs for an hour before breaking out jukebox staples, they got to experience arguably the most underrated feeling a music festival can offer: discovering a different side to an artist’s discography that you overlooked up until then.” – Rolling Stone ” I’d argue that they got what you always get from Journey – pretty much the same setlist for the last 30 years. It makes you wonder if anyone at Rolling Stone has been to a Journey concert in the last few decades.

Look, all gripes aside the fifth official live album from the band sports a great set, and Pineda is now pretty much the last man standing with the 2020 sackings that essentially left Cain and Schon is control. That particular soap opera might just be as exciting as the news of a new Journey live album. 

Tracklisting: 1. Separate Ways (Worlds Apart) | 2. Only The Young | 3. Guitar Interlude | 4. Stone In Love | 5. Be Good To Yourself | 6. Just The Same Way | 7. Lights | 8. Still They Ride | 9. Escape | 10. La Do Da | 11. Piano Interlude | 12. Who’s Crying Now | 13. Guitar Interlude | 14. Wheel In The Sky | 15. Ask The Lonely | 16. Open Arms | 17. Lovin’ Touchin’ Squeezin’ | 18. Faithfully | 19. Any Way You Want It | 20. Don’t Stop Believin’

2/10 for originality 8/10 for the music

LINE-UP: Neal Schon – Guitars Jonathan Cain – Keyboards Arnel Pineda – Vocals Deen Castronovo – Drums Narada Michael Walden – Drums Marco Mendoza – Bass Jason Derlatka – Keyboards, Vocals

Journey Social Media: https://journeymusic.com/  ; https://www.facebook.com/journey  ; https://www.instagram.com/journeymusicofficial/  ; https://twitter.com/journeyofficial  ; https://www.youtube.com/journey  ;

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The Toto and Journey concert was a night to remember for fans of classic rock. Both bands took the stage to deliver an incredible for their 50th Anniversary Freedom Tour at the Bell Center in Montreal, Canada .

Toto kicked off the night with a powerful set that showcased their unique blend of rock, pop, and jazz. They played hits like “Hold the Line,” “Rosanna,” and “Africa,” each one eliciting cheers and applause from the crowd. The band’s musicianship was on full display, with each member delivering a virtuosic performance.

Next up was Journey , who wasted no time getting the audience pumped up with their energetic performance. Lead vocalist Arnel Pineda commanded the stage with his soaring vocals, while the rest of the band provided a tight and cohesive backing. Journey’s set was packed with hits like “Don’t Stop Believin’,” “Wheel in the Sky,” and “Open Arms,” which had the crowd singing along at the top of their lungs. There was a sense of nostalgia and warmth that permeates the atmosphere, and it’s clear that J ourney ‘s music holds a special place in the hearts of Canadians.

The drummer exhibited his singing abilities by performing ”Walks Like A Lady” to change things up, and his performance was exceptionally impressive. A highlight of the night was Arnel Pineda giving high fives to the people sitting in the first row as well as signing fans autographs.

Overall, the Toto and Journey concert was a night of pure rock and roll bliss. Both bands put on a show that was both polished and raw, with each song building upon the excitement of the last. If you’re a fan of classic rock, seeing these two iconic bands live is an absolute must.

Review by Marjorie Halle :  Website  //  Instagram Keep Up With Journey: Instagram  //  Twitter  //  Facebook  //  Website Keep Up With Toto: Instagram  //  Twitter  //  Facebook  //  Website

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The “spectacular performance” was essentially Toto’s doing and the fact that this band “opened” for Journey is the pinnacle of irony! The latter’s material simply cannot be compared to the former’s: it is weaker to say the least and this was highlighted by this opportunity to hear it right after Toto had played. Journey’s repertoire is ordinary at best, I felt like I had been listening to the same song (and the same intent- and structureless guitar solos!) for thirty minutes during the first part of their show. Pure loud and uninspired fast food music served to the masses and coated in overabundant visual and lighting effects (but I was there for the music)… They can count themselves immensely lucky to have been featured with Toto, a legendary rock band if there is one, who has accumulated numerous impressive and incomparable credentials during its career (I assume you know them). And the guys at the sound desk obviously didn’t know Toto’s repertoire as they were totally unable to showcase all the refined musical details featured in their songs (and treated their music like a grotesque hip hop acompaniment). But Toto was still worth the admission price!

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Montreal’s little misty offer their rendition of “scarlet town” by gillian welch, peruvian-canadian artist matías roden combines uptempo synth-pop production with dark lyrics on “great escape”, billie eilish announces hit me hard and soft tour, more like this related.

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Journey concert reviews and tour history

• reviews: 20
• rating: 78.9% (26)

Fans' concert reviews Read all

Tacoma dome in tacoma, us on fri, 19 aug 1983.

I attended this concert, WOW!

JFK Stadium in Philadelphia, US on Fri, 25 Sep 1981

Beautiful, sunny September day - back-up for the Rolling Stones. The absolute best - even from the last, back row, what a scene.

The Joint in Las Vegas, US on Fri, 15 May 2015

What an AMAZING weekend!!! First of all hats off to the Hard Rock Hotel for making JOURNEY feel so special. From the music playing, the tables wrapped in Journey's logo, drinks named after songs, special poker chips, staff members wearing Journey shirts...it made our stay sooo FUN!! And then JOURNEY itself, AMAZING shows!!! They are so energetic and exciting to watch everytime...loved every minute of both Friday and Saturday's show. I'm a longtime and true fan and thank everyone from the band to all the staff for continuing to share their music with the world.

First three choices ALL wrapped into ONE ...EXCITING..UNFORGETTABLE...a FULL 2.5 hours of time travel to my twenties and then THE NEW SONGS ARE ALL JOURNEY...Thank You All for allowing Me to be with you ONCE AGAIN. im in LOVE ALL OVER AGAIN WITH YOU GUYS...FAITHFULLY. MY glow stic STAR was dancing high and brightly for you....Thanks again...bought the cd set and the TShirt .

The Joint in Las Vegas, US on Sat, 16 May 2015

The best concert we've been too. It was the last day of a 9 day tour and we were amazed at how strong their voices were and the amount of energy they had. The band members seem to enjoy performing and Arnel interacts wonderfully with the fans.

The Joint in Las Vegas, US on Fri, 08 May 2015

Journey's longevity is a testament to their amazing talent. Such great showmanship. Greatfull for the opportunity to see them again.

Colonial Life Arena in Columbia, US on Wed, 11 Mar 2015

The show was FANTASTIC! Steve Miller Band was a great opener and Journey was insane! This concert was recommended to me by my Aunt who has seen them more than once and I was not at all disappointed!

The best bands ever...wonderful show by all !!!!!

VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, US on Thu, 12 Mar 2015

I can't wait to see them again I love that band Steve Miller band an journey journey will always be my top band I love them I got their tee shirts an jacket an sport them around as long as I'm breathing air love you guy journey please come back to Jacksonville again

Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre in Tinley Park, US on Wed, 10 Sep 2014

A truly epic night! My boyfriend and I were very excited to finally get to see Journey together, and it was a great night. The band delivered, and we loved every second of it. We were worried that it would be rained out again. So glad that this concert happened!

Rated concerts View all

• Colonial Life Arena in Columbia, US Wed, 11 Mar 2015 100% from 2 ratings
• The Joint in Las Vegas, US Fri, 15 May 2015 100% from 2 ratings
• Tacoma Dome in Tacoma, US Fri, 19 Aug 1983 100% from 1 rating
• JFK Stadium in Philadelphia, US Fri, 25 Sep 1981 100% from 1 rating
• Resorts World Arena in Birmingham, UK Tue, 28 May 2013 100% from 1 rating
• Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater in Wantagh, US Mon, 16 Jun 2014 100% from 1 rating
• Ruoff Music Center in Noblesville, US Sat, 28 Jun 2014 100% from 1 rating
• Huntington Center in Toledo, US Sun, 07 Sep 2014 95% from 2 ratings
• DTE Energy Music Theatre in Clarkston, US Wed, 09 Jul 2014 90% from 1 rating
• Cellairis Amphitheatre at Lakewood in Atlanta, US Fri, 30 May 2014 90% from 1 rating

Ratings View all

• one of the best: 10 42%
• fantastic: 9 38%
• great: 4 17%
• disappointing: 0 0%
• should've stayed at home: 1 4%

Biggest fans

Journey 2024 tour dates view all, journey tour history, about journey.

Journey is a group founded 51 years ago in 1973.

Based on our research data, it appears, that the first Journey concert happened 51 years ago on Mon, 31 Dec 1973 in Winterland - San Francisco, US and that the last Journey concert was 3 days ago on Sat, 27 Apr 2024 in Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza - Wilkes-barre, US.

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• official website
• Lynyrd Skynyrd
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• REO Speedwagon
• Steve Miller Band
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April 29, 2024

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Nostalgia acts take crowd on journey back to the 1980s

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There’s plenty of truth in the phrase “soundtrack to our lives,” which rock acts use as a justification to keep touring decades after their songs topped the charts.

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Bands such as Journey and Toto showed off many of those moments of nostalgia Monday night at the Canada Life Centre.

A study published in Psychology Today in June 2023 found people best recalled songs that were popular when they were between 10 and 30 years of age; these songs evoke the most vivid memories and defined who they are.

MIKE SAVOIA PHOTO

From left: Journey's Jonathan Cain, Arnel Pineda and Neal Schon perform in Providence, R.I. on Feb. 21.

For the many 50- and 60-year-olds in the crowd Monday night, hearing Rosanna and Africa , songs from 1982 that Toto performed during its hour-long opening set, no doubt evoked fond high school reminiscences, calling to mind a time long before families were formed, careers were built and retirement strategies were devised.

The same feelings were stirred afterward when Journey took the stage and played Don’t Stop Believin’ and Who’s Crying Now , the group’s 1981 mega-hits, early in its set.

Journey, which included Neal Schon and Jonathan Cain in its lineup Monday night, both of whom co-wrote Don’t Stop Believin’ with former lead singer Steve Perry, received thundering applause, even if it was Filipino vocalist Arnel Pineda singing the rock ballads rather than Perry at the microphone.

Concert review

Journey with Toto Monday, March 4 • Canada Life Centre • Attendance: 9,000 Four stars out of five

Their PR teams didn’t allow the Free Press — or any other media organization on their North American tour — to photograph the concert last night, lest images of Schon, 70, and Cain, 74, and the absence of Perry mess with the recollections of the crowd, who sang along with Don’t Stop Believin’ like they did when they listened to the group on their Sony Walkmans.

Pineda’s vocals were strong and his relatively youthful energy fit the show, as did Schon’s guitar skills, especially during his guitar-solo version of O Canada .

Pineda, who has been with Journey for 16 of its 50 years, was at his best during the band’s famous weepers, Open Arms and Faithfully while Schon seemed to have a lengthy solo for every occasion, including Any Way You Want It , the night’s finale.

Despite what the Psychology Today study revealed, life does goes on after the small-town girl and the city boy take the midnight train going anywhere and we do store more events in our memory banks after we hit the big 3-0.

And that’s a problem that afflicts the music industry in 2024. When Journey and Toto hit the road with their hits in the early 1980s, they only had to compete with their contemporaries.

Sure, the Rolling Stones toured off and on in football stadiums, but Led Zeppelin and the Eagles broke up in 1980 and the Beatles were just a baby-boomer memory.

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Compare that to today, when a rock act on the rise is squeezed for radio airplay by Taylor Swift and her budget-breaking Eras tour and for Winnipeggers later this year, visits by rock heavyweights Neil Young and Bruce Springsteen.

Today’s new rock and pop acts also compete with the growing popularity of country music — the genre’s biggest song of 2023 was Luke Combs’ version of Fast Car , Tracy Chapman’s folk-rock hit of 1988 — and legacy acts such as Journey and Toto, the latter of which featured an all-star-laden seven-piece band that has recorded with Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson and even T-Swizzle herself, delivering a note-perfect version of Africa that had the crowd dancing, singing, photographing and filming, all at the same time.

They were potent, yet delicate moments, to steal a phrase from Don Draper of TV’s Mad Men , which might, just might, become part of the lasting memories of what Winnipeg was like in the year 2024.

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Alan Small Reporter

Alan Small has been a journalist at the Free Press for more than 22 years in a variety of roles, the latest being a reporter in the Arts and Life section.

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NEAL SCHON And JONATHAN CAIN Reunite On Stage At JOURNEY's First Concert Of 2023

Legendary rockers JOURNEY played their first concert of 2023 last night (Friday, January 27) in Durant, Oklahoma. The two-hour performance at the 3,000-capacity Grand Theater at the Choctaw Casino & Resort marked the band's first appearance since JOURNEY guitarist Neal Schon and keyboardist Jonathan Cain publicly feuded over several issues, including Neal allegedly causing over $1 million in personal expenses to be charged to the band's shared American Express card and Schon demanding that Cain stop playing events for former U.S. president Donald Trump .

JOURNEY will play a second show in Durant tonight (Saturday, January 28),before officially kicking off the main portion of its 50th-anniversary tour on February 4 in Allentown, Pennsylvania, with TOTO once again on the bill.

JOURNEY 's setlist for last night's concert was as follows:

01. Only The Young 02. Stone In Love 03. Don't Stop Believin' 04. Lights 05. Send Her My Love 06. Feeling That Way 07. Anytime 08. Escape 09. Dead Or Alive 10. Who's Crying Now 11. Mother, Father' 12. Let It Rain 13. Lovin' Touchin' Squeezin' 14. Open Arms 15. Faithfully 16. Girl Can't Help It 17. Wheel In The Sky 18. Separate Ways (Worlds Apart) 19. Be Good To Yourself 20. Any Way You Want It

Earlier this month, Cain filed a lawsuit against Schon over the guitarist's personal expenses which were allegedly charged to the American Express card, including $400,000 in a single month last year.

Cain 's allegations come more than two months after Schon filed a lawsuit against his longtime bandmate, contending that he was being denied access to the American Express card.

In a countersuit filed in California state court, Cain said that during the first one-month billing cycle, after Schon obtained the AMEX card, Schon charged more than $50,000 in personal expenses for the billing period ending September 15, 2021. For the one-month billing period ending January 15, 2022, Schon allegedly charged more than $100,000 of his personal expenses on the AMEX card. For the one-month billing period ending February 13, 2022, Schon allegedly charged approximately $30,000 of his personal expenses on the AMEX card. For the one-month billing period ending March 16, 2022, Schon allegedly charged more than $400,000 of his personal expenses on the AMEX card. The charges allegedly included $42,000 to various PayPal accounts, over $104,000 to Chrome Hearts (jewelry and apparel),more than $31,000 to the Bergdorf Goodman department store in New York City, and over $54,000 for his personal insurance premiums.

According to Cain 's lawsuit, " Schon 's charges placed considerable pressure on JOURNEY and its ability to cover normal tour expenses. Schon was spending JOURNEY 's money, and Cain is the one who was and is ultimately liable for the AMEX Account and Schon 's charges on the AMEX Card. Even with the $30,000 limit on Schon 's card on the Nomota AMEX account," referring to the company Cain and Schon set up to operate the band, " Schon still managed to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars in additional, excessive personal expenses through other tour personnel and travel agents. For example, the budget allocated a maximum of $1,500 per night for hotel rooms for Schon and Cain . However, Schon demanded to stay in hotel suites that cost in excess of $5,000 per night. After the recent tour ended in Honolulu, Hawaii, Schon stayed an extra week in a hotel suite that cost $6,000 a night and charged more than $100,000 in expenses to the AMEX Account."

In a statement to Billboard , Schon 's attorney Skip Miller called allegations "ridiculous" and "as phony as a three dollar bill." He said the countersuit was merely "sour grapes" after a recent incident in which Schon demanded that Cain stop playing for Trump . "We want Cain to just focus on JOURNEY and its fans," Miller said.

Last month, Cain fired back at Schon when the JOURNEY guitarist called him a "hypocrite" for performing the band's 1981 hit song "Don't Stop Believin'" at Trump 's Mar-a-Lago property. Cain , whose wife, Paula White-Cain , is the former president's self-styled spiritual adviser, played the track in November with a backup chorus of U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene , Donald Trump Jr. 's fiancée Kimberly Guilfoyle and former Arizona gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake .

" Neal Schon should look in the mirror when he accuses me of causing harm to the JOURNEY brand," Cain said in a statement. "I have watched him damage our brand for years and am a victim of both his — and his wife's — bizarre behavior."

An attorney for Schon sent a cease-and-desist letter to Cain after he performed at Trump 's Florida estate.

The latest legal move came a few weeks after Schon filed his lawsuit against Cain . Cain , for his part, accused Schon of misusing the card, citing his "excessive spending and extravagant lifestyle."

A month earlier, former JOURNEY singer Steve Perry took legal action against both Schon and Cain , asking them to stop registering federal trademarks on the names of many of the band's hits.

Presented by AEG Presents , JOURNEY 's tour with TOTO will make stops in Austin, Montreal and Memphis before wrapping April 25 at the brand-new Acrisure Arena in Palm Springs, California.

The "Freedom Tour 2023" run includes rescheduled dates in Washington, D.C., plus Hartford, Toronto and Quebec, which were postponed last year due to the coronavirus.

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Music and Concerts | Journey’s 50th anniversary tour makes its way…

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Music and concerts, music and concerts | journey’s 50th anniversary tour makes its way to norfolk with a ‘dirty dozen’ in store.

Journey is back with its 50th-anniversary tour, headlining arenas this spring before spending a chunk of the summer on a stadium tour with Def Leppard.

Guitarist and founding member Neal Schon and keyboardist/guitarist Jonathan Cain say that today’s band has never played better.

“Finally, it sounds like the Journey everybody knows,” Cain said of the group, which formed in 1973 in San Francisco. “It’s back to the ’80s, that’s what it sounds like.”

Journey with special guest star Toto is coming to Scope Friday.

Schon and Cain are the two remaining members going back to the early 1980s when Journey was churning out hits like “Don’t Stop Believing,” “Any Way You Want It” and “Open Arms.” The two reflected on the band during a recent video interview, including on recent lawsuits, disputes and personnel changes, and regaining a level of popularity that has Journey back on the road.

But there were more issues to come – this time between Schon and Cain. Schon sent a cease-and-desist letter to Cain after Cain joined a sing-along of “Don’t Stop Believing” at a November 2022 event for former president Donald Trump. Cain’s wife, Paula, had worked as a spiritual advisor to Trump. Schon took offense to Cain’s performance, noting that Journey never was and never would be a political band.

Then last year, Schon and Cain traded lawsuits over a financial account for the group. The bandmates hashed out their differences without the courts, they said.

“All we really did was get fed up with the legal and having legals talk instead of us,” Schon said. “We talked for a couple of hours and we talked through it all. I think that’s what fixed everything.”

Now Schon and Cain are leading Journey (with Pineda, Castronovo and Jensen) on one of the band’s biggest touring years. Fans can expect to hear Journey’s biggest hits — the “Dirty Dozen” as the band has nicknamed them — with a handful of new or deeper cuts. This makes crafting set lists a challenge but it’s a problem many bands would welcome.

“We just have a massive catalog,” Cain said, “with so many great songs that we don’t get to.”

When: 7:30 p.m. Friday

Where: Scope, 201 E. Brambleton Ave., Norfolk

Tickets: Start at $49.50

Details:  sevenvenues.com

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The Rolling Stones Live Review: Stones shine with a new energy on opening night of Hackney Diamonds tour

Stones roll back the years as the hackney diamonds tour kicks off in houston, texas..

The Rolling Stones

NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas, April 28, 2024

BEFORE A RIFF HAS RUNG OUT, the opening night of the Rolling Stones’ Hackney Diamonds tour raises questions. Both now in their 80s, only Mick Jagger and Keith Richards remain of the line-up that defined rock and roll in the 1960s. Yet here we are on their first tour to promote an album of original material in almost twenty years. Is this beginning of something? Or is it the end of something? Is it the beginning of the end of something?

Or is it just the first date of the next Rolling Stones tour? The 18-song, two-hour set feels most like that: A legacy band - THE legacy band - playing its hits very well and with a renewed fervour.

READ MORE: The Rolling Stones on the making of Hackney Diamonds

Those expecting an acknowledgement of loss or the passing of time - a comment, say, on the death of drummer Charlie Watts in 2021 - do not find it on the menu tonight. Having endured death , dope, arrests, fights, falls from trees, cancer, and more death, the band’s status as the ultimate rock and roll survivors doesn’t play into the show beyond the skull stitched to Keith Richards ’ guitar strap. But for the sequins stitched onto Ronnie Wood ’s jacket, this is not a band that revels in reflection. It’s only rock & roll, and people like it.

Their movements are by now familiar, only with more sensible footwear: Jagger remains a perpetual motion machine; Richards hangs back by the drum kit; Wood engages with Richards at times, and occasionally wanders along the sprawling stage like a chicken that escaped its coop. The Stones do what they do as they have done for a very long time. As Jagger points out to his Houston crowd, the Stones first visited Texas 60 years ago: “Our first rodeo,” he says.

The band takes the stage with the familiar three-note ignition of Start Me Up . Two hours later they shut it down with Satisfaction . Between those bookends, they present a lean setlist designed to please. Fourteen of the 18 songs are core hits.

Aside from the merchandise being sold, the Stones barely come across as promoting a new album. Hackney Diamonds  is represented by just three songs: spirited lead single Angry , Mess It Up and a beguiling and grand Sweet Sounds Of Heaven , a song the band thinks enough of to let it share encore space with Satisfaction.

The Stones do, however, dig out a single deep cut for the archivist fan: Out Of Time from 1966’s  Aftermath , which, as Jagger points out, the band have never played in the States before.

As for the other 14 songs, they have a certain snap to them on this evening that feels like a renewal. Watts specifically selected Steve Jordan to fill his seat behind the drums when it became clear he could no longer tour, and Jordan plays sensitively with Watts’ original parts. He also proves even the best-known songs are malleable. Jordan’s left hand has the spring of a bear trap, and he hits even harder than Watts on Paint It Black , helping to turn a ‘60s garage rock song into something more grandly theatrical.

 A few rough spots in the show will no doubt get polished as the tour continues. The usually telepathic guitar interaction on Gimme Shelter is interrupted on this night. Jagger’s path back to the mic during Sympathy For The Devil gets blocked at one point pushing the vocal back a few seconds. But the product the Stones are selling sounds undiminished as the band navigates its seventh decade. Jagger’s voice retains its fluidity and range. Angry proves Richards still can sift through the ash tray to find dogend riffs worthy of lighting up.

The show feels like a Rolling Stones set disconnected from the emotional concerns about time we often affix to musicians nearing the finish line.  Hackney Diamonds  closes with Rolling Stone Blues , the Muddy Waters song that lent the band its name. A nod to their beginnings six decades ago, they don’t play it this evening. Perhaps it would’ve sounded like a farewell and these musicians don’t come across as sentimentalists until then they touch on their present in Sweet Sounds of Heaven: “Let the old still believe that they’re young.”

Who knows how the rest of the Stones’ story will play out, but it’s a mantra that tonight serves them, and us, very well indeed.

Start Me Up

Get Off of My Cloud

Out of Time

Beast of Burden

Tumbling Dice

You Can’t Always Get What You Want

Little T&A

Sympathy for the Devil

Gimme Shelter

Honky Tonk Women

Paint It Black

Jumpin’ Jack Flash

Sweet Sounds of Heaven

(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction

Photos: Kevin Mazur/Getty

Rolling Stones Kick-Start ‘Hackney Diamonds’ Tour With Thrilling Houston Concert

By Andy Greene

Andy Greene

Over the past couple of decades, the Rolling Stones have looked for any reason to hit the road besides the release of a new album of original songs. They’ve launched tours celebrating their 50th anniversary, reissues of select archival records, the 2016 covers LP Blue & Lonesome , and their 60th anniversary. Some years they headed out on the stadium circuit for no particular reason whatsoever, knowing a Stones tour is a major event in and of itself.

The first step was Houston’s NRG Stadium on Sunday night. After a strong opening set by Gary Clark Jr. that centered around his new LP, JPEG Raw , the band took the stage to the familiar opening notes of “Start Me Up.” This is the first time Mick Jagger has faced a stadium crowd since his 80th birthday last year, but his voice and body seem like they stopped aging sometime around Steel Wheels . It’s almost impossible to fully believe until you see it in person. (“People say Joe Biden is too old to be president,” an elderly woman behind me said early in the night. “They need to look at Mick!”)

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He wasn’t kidding. The 1965 Aftermath track wasn’t played live once until their 2022 European tour, and this was the first time it crossed the Atlantic. But it’s not something you hear much on classic rock radio, and the audience reaction was pretty muted at first. “I don’t think you really knew it,” Jagger said at the end. “But you got to know it as it went along.”

The Hackney Diamonds portion of the evening began at this point with leadoff single “Angry,” which popped onstage much like it did during their surprise album release show at the New York club Racket last year. “Beast of Burden” won the fan vote for the night, and it provided veteran backup Stones singer Bernard Fowler with a much-deserved spotlight moment. “You’ve got one more vote in November,” Jagger said. “Don’t forget to vote then too. What to play now? Something old … something new.”

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At the midway point of every Rolling Stones concert in recent memory, Jagger introduces the band one by one before heading offstage so Keith Richards can sing a couple of songs. For some reason, perhaps to squeeze more new songs into the set without cutting any of the standards, Richards was limited to just a single tune. He made it count by singing 1981’s “Little T & A” for the first time since 2016, though it was disappointing he didn’t get a chance to break out “Tell Me Straight” from Hackney Diamonds . It feels inevitable that’ll happen before this tour ends.

Jagger returned for “Sympathy for the Devil” and “Gimme Shelter,” which gave new background singer Chanel Haynes a chance to emerge from the wings and show off her stunning pipes. She first entered Stones World in 2022 when Sasha Allen, their previous background singer, couldn’t make a Milan show. Haynes was playing the lead role in the West End musical Tina at the time, and she parachuted in at the last second to save the show. This frustrated the producers of Tina , who fired her for handing the show off to her understudy that night when she wasn’t ill, but it impressed the Stones enough to hire her for this tour.

The main set wrapped up with “Honky Tonk Women,” “Miss You,” “Paint It Black,” and “Jumpin’ Jack Flash.” These are songs they’ve done hundreds and hundreds of times for good reason. The hardcores may yearn for deeper cuts like “Memory Motel” or “Moonlight Mile,” but Jagger knows they’d cause many people to sit down and start scrolling through Instagram. And when you have a song like “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” in your repertoire, you simply have to play it every time you do a gig.

“Sweet Sounds of Heaven,” one of the finest songs on Hackney Diamonds , kicked off the brief encore set. If it wasn’t challenging enough to channel Merry Clayton a few songs back, Haynes had to now deliver Lady Gaga’s soaring vocal parts from the original recording. Unsurprisingly, she crushed it. For a moment, it really felt like witnessing a scene from some alternate-universe version of A Star Is Born.

The night closed out with a joyous “Satisfaction,” meaning they played just three songs from Hackney Diamonds. That’s typical for a tour in support of a latter-day Rolling Stones album, but this one really deserved more. They dropped “Midnight Rambler,” one of the Richards songs, and the acoustic set to make room for the three new ones in the show, but it be worth further restructuring to squeeze in “Whole Wide World,” “Bite My Head Off,” and “Tell Me Straight.” These are stellar songs that deserve a spot in the set, even if it means tossing aside “Paint It Black” or “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” sometimes.

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The band’s 60th anniversary tour in 2022 seemed like it could be the end of the Rolling Stones saga, but we’re somehow now living through an entirely new era of their history. They even have a bunch of outtakes from Hackney Diamonds that they hope to release on a follow-up album. Whatever happens, they’re now in completely uncharted waters for a rock & roll band. It’s thrilling to witness.

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Review: sibling pop band ajr put on a fun show in st. paul, but not a good concert.

After rising from New York City street buskers to national club and festival giggers over the past nine years, sibling pop band AJR came to Xcel Energy Center on Wednesday practically screaming, "And now we are arena rockers!"

The band of brothers — Adam, Jack and Ryan Met — brought a large and impressive stage production with them to St. Paul, one loaded with clever visual stunts and a sprawling, kaleidoscope-like array of lighting. They also brought out an excited, youthful audience of more than 12,000 fans, a surprisingly high turnout for a cultishly loved act whose name still might get first mistaken for a discount airline.

There was one key missing ingredient in AJR's big coming out as an arena-rock act, though: the rock.

Of course, nobody expected these three ultra-straitlaced dudes — who sing about playing with toys ("Don't Throw Out My Legos") and have a song in a Wendy's commercial ("The Good Part") — to come out and crank it like Rage Against the Machine.

But between all their cuddly and cutesy songs and all the attention to staging and visual trickery, the "concert" seemed less like a rock show and more like a Disney Broadway staging — or even like a slightly more grown-up version of Nickelodeon's "Yo Gabba Gabba!" tour, which many of the attendees might've seen as toddlers 14 years ago.

The cartoony showmanship was apparent right away in the opening song, "The Maybe Man." About 10 stage crew members appeared at different spots of the big stage dressed like lead singer Jack Met, so it wasn't clear who the real Jack was at first. It helped that all the would-be Jacks' faces were shrouded by an Elmer Fudd-style, floppy-eared winter hat of the style that even most Minnesotans consider too goofy to wear, but the real Jack proceeded to wear it all night.

There were many more optical illusions like that army of Jacks to come. The real Jack performed as if falling through the sky in "Touchy Feely Fool." Then another fake version of Jack appeared as a shadow on the video backdrop to compete in a drum-off with him during "Bang!" No kidding, the prerecorded drum parts clearly topped Jack's live drumming.

There were a lot more prerecorded tracks used, too. In what are otherwise pretty simple, jangly, Ed Sheeran-on-Red-Bull pop songs, AJR heavily employed background vocals and other electronic enhancement alongside other instruments such as violin and trumpet — a mix that sometimes sounded overcomplicated and not well mixed at all.

Amid all the flash and showmanship, though, the Met boys stayed humble and sounded all aw-shucks between songs as they talked about playing to a full arena on tour.

"I truly don't know how this happened, how we got here," Jack Met told the crowd. "It's because of you."

Adam Met recounted their previous Twin Cities gigs at venues including the Garage in Burnsville and the Armory in Minneapolis. He forgot to mention them playing to a smaller crowd at the COVID-clouded Basilica Block Party in 2021 , though.

One of the more straight-up emotional and touching moments of the show came when Ryan Met sang the three-part chronicle of a failed relationship, "Turning Out." That abruptly gave way to one of the goofiest parts of the 100-minute show, when Jack and the rest of the band appeared high up in the nosebleed seats with other band members to perform their viral hit "World's Smallest Violin" while seated between fans.

It seemed like every time AJR's performance started to gain a little unfettered concert mojo, the musical energy came to a halt for another gimmicky showman stunt.

The sharpest lull came when the brothers gave a loooong demonstration about how they produce music at home right after playing the night's most high-energy tune, the politely groovy rouser "Burn the House Down." How rocking was the rockiest song of the night? On a scale of 1 to 10, it was about a 311.

Compared with AJR's ultra-cheery vibe, opening act Dean Lewis came off like something of a party pooper.

The Australian pop strummer — a little more soulful and a lot more dramatic than AJR — played an inordinate number of heartache-y downers in his 10-song set. One was a genuine tearjerker that discernibly impacted the many early arrival fans, "How Do I Say Goodbye," written about his ailing father. "Half a Man" and a couple more edged on whiny, though, with his sometimes pitchy, crackly voice adding a wince factor.

Dean was quite a fun charmer between songs, though, and threw in covers of Taylor Swift's "Cruel Summer" and the Goo Goo Dolls' "Iris" to lighten the mood with big audience singalongs. He also mentioned he's going out on his own after the AJR tour — but he, too, forgot to mention the Basilica Block Party, which he's slated to hit Aug. 2 .

Chris Riemenschneider has been covering the Twin Cities music scene since 2001, long enough for Prince to shout him out during "Play That Funky Music (White Boy)." The St. Paul native authored the book "First Avenue: Minnesota's Mainroom" and previously worked as a music critic at the Austin American-Statesman in Texas.

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Bon Jovi docuseries 'Thank You, Goodnight' is an argument for respect

Eric Deggans

Jon Bon Jovi at the Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Conn., in 2013. David Bergman/Hulu hide caption

Jon Bon Jovi at the Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Conn., in 2013.

Hulu's docuseries Thank You, Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story , spends a lot of time building up the Bon Jovi legend — exploring the band's almost unbelievable 40-plus-year run from playing hardscrabble rock clubs in New Jersey to earning platinum albums and entry into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

But what moved me most in the four-part series was something more revealing: its close look at the struggle by lead singer Jon Bon Jovi to overcome vocal problems which nearly led him to quit the band.

Footage of the singer croaking through vocal exercises, undergoing laser treatments, enduring acupuncture and finally turning to surgery is sprinkled throughout the series, which toggles back and forth between his problems in 2022 and a chronological story of the band's triumphs and tragedies from its earliest days.

Refusing to be Fat Elvis

Jon Bon Jovi was interviewed for Thank You, Goodnight . Disney/Hulu hide caption

Jon Bon Jovi was interviewed for Thank You, Goodnight .

Through it all, a question hangs: Will Bon Jovi ever recover enough vocal strength to lead a 40th anniversary tour?

"If I can't be the very best I can be, I'm out," he tells the cameras, still looking a bit boyish despite his voluminous gray hair at age 62. "I'm not here to drag down the legacy, I'm not here for the 'Where are they now?' tour ... I'm not ever gonna be the Fat Elvis ... That ain't happening."

Filmmaker Gotham Chopra — who has also directed docuseries about his father, spiritualist Deepak Chopra, and star quarterback Tom Brady — digs deeply into the band's history, aided by boatloads of pictures, video footage and early recordings provided by the group.

Former Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora in Thank You, Goodnight Disney/Hulu hide caption

Former Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora in Thank You, Goodnight

Chopra gets folks from the group's tight inner circle to speak up, including former manager Doc McGhee and guitarist Richie Sambora, who quit the band in 2013. ("Are we telling the truth, or are we going to lie, what are we going to do?" Sambora cracks to his offscreen interviewer. "Let's figure it out.")

But anyone expecting gossipy dish will walk away disappointed. Even major scandals in the band's history are handled with care, including the firing of founding bassist Alec John Such in 1994 (and the admission that his replacement, Hugh McDonald, already had been secretly playing bass parts on their albums for years), drummer Tico Torres' stint in addiction treatment and Sambora's decision to quit midway through a tour in 2013, with no notice to bandmates he had performed alongside for 30 years.

Alec John Such, a founding member of Bon Jovi, dies at 70

Sambora's explanation: When issues with substance use and family problems led him to miss recording sessions, Bon Jovi got producer John Shanks to play more guitar on their 2013 record What About Now . And Sambora was hurt.

"[Bon Jovi] had the whole thing kinda planned out," Sambora says, "which basically was telling me, um, 'I can do it without you.'"

Building a band on rock anthems

Jon Bon Jovi with guitarist Phil X. Disney/Hulu hide caption

Jon Bon Jovi with guitarist Phil X.

The docuseries shows how young New Jersey native John Bongiovi turned a job as a gofer at legendary recording studio The Power Station – owned by a cousin — into a recording of his first hit in the early 1980s, Runaway . His song eventually caught the ear of another little-known artist from New Jersey called Bruce Springsteen.

"The first demo I got of Jon's was a good song," says Springsteen, a longtime friend of Bon Jovi. "I mean, Jon's great talent is these big, powerful pop rock choruses that just demand to be sung by, you know, 20,000 people in an arena."

Music Interviews

Rock star jon bon jovi comes full 'circle'.

Thank You, Goodnight shows the band really took off by honing those rock anthems with songwriter Desmond Child, while simultaneously developing videos that showcased their status as a fun, rollicking live band. Hits like You Give Love a Bad Name, Livin' on a Prayer and Wanted: Dead or Alive made them MTV darlings and rock superstars.

Through it all, the singer and bandleader is shown as the group's visionary and spark plug, open about how strategically he pushed the band to write hit songs and positioned them for commercial success.

"It wasn't as though I woke up one morning and was the best singer in the school, or on the block, or in my house," he tells the camera, laughing. "I just had a desire and a work ethic that was always the driving force."

I saw that dynamic up close in the mid-1990s when I worked as a music critic in New Jersey, spending time with Jon Bon Jovi and the band. Back then, his mother ran the group's fan club and was always trying to convince the local rock critic to write about her superstar son – I was fascinated by how the band shrugged off criticisms of being uncool and survived changing musical trends, led by a frontman who worked hard to stay grounded.

Bon Jovi was always gracious and willing to talk; he even introduced me to then-New Jersey Gov. Christine Todd Whitman at one of his legendary Christmas charity concerts. (And in a crazy coincidence, the band's backup singer Everett Bradley is an old friend from college.)

I think the docuseries captures Bon Jovi's skill at leading the group through challenges musical and otherwise — from metal's slow fade off the pop charts to the rise of grunge rock — something the singer rarely gets credit for achieving.

Still, much of Thank You, Goodnight feels like an extended celebration of the band and its charismatic frontman, leavened by his earnest effort to regain control of his voice. If you're not a Bon Jovi fan, four episodes of this story may feel like a bit much (I'd recommend at least watching the first and last episodes.)

More than anything, the docuseries feels like an extended argument for something Bon Jovi has struggled to achieve, even amid million selling records and top-grossing concert tours – respect as a legendary rock band.

The audio and digital versions of this story were edited by Jennifer Vanasco .