It’s not likely teenage guitarist Neal Schon imagined Journey’s journey would last so long when he co-founded the band in San Francisco. The initial lineup was meant to be versatile, at home on its own as well as backing other artists à la Booker T. and the M.G.’s.
More than 50 years since Journey’s first live gig, New Year’s Eve 1973 at the Winterland Ballroom, the band continues to celebrate its golden anniversary with a concert itinerary featuring classic rock tourmates such as current Freedom Tour 2024 opening act Toto.
Journey is slated to share stages throughout the rest of the year with Steve Miller Band, Heart and Cheap Trick, but stands above them all on the legacy band circuit. Only Schon remains from Journey’s original lineup, with keyboardist Jonathan Cain and singer Arnel Pineda joined by Schon’s Bad English bandmate Deen Castronovo on drums and touring bassist Todd Jensen.
The latter two have long relationships with Journey, which entered its golden age of hitmaking when Steve Perry joined the lineup. Perry had a voice reminiscent of Sam Cooke’s but capable of filling the arenas and stadiums Journey increasingly played after the release of 1978’s Infinity. Album track “Lights,” a favorite of Schon’s, would beget an iconic audience tradition of holding lighters aloft.
Perry’s voice would be filling stadiums by the time they were playing “Anyway You Want It” from 1980’s Departure live. Cain replaced keyboardist Gregg Rolie that year and supplied the song that caused Journey’s to reach its radio-friendly zenith with “Don’t Stop Believin’” from 1981’s Escape.
While Journey has been around longer, Toto broke out at the same time Perry began voicing Journey’s hits. Guitarist Steve Lukather led keyboardist David Paich, singer Bobby Kimball and the Porcaro brothers through a hitmaking era that lasted from 1978’s “Hold the Line” through Grammy-winning 1982 album Toto IV, with “Rosanna” and “Africa” cementing their place in the pop music pantheon.
Lukather’s most well-known guitar playing is likely his power chord contributions to Michael Jackson’s “Beat It,” but aside from informal hiatuses he’s never fully put the brakes on Toto much as Schon keeps Journey moving on its path forward. That path includes a 15th studio album release in 2022’s Freedom, which featured contributions from former bassist Randy Jackson and prolific jazz drummer Narada Michael Walden.
Castronovo and Jensen are in the lineup now in an era in which cell phone flashes have replaced lighters. Journey returns to stadiums this summer with co-headliner Def Leppard in the wake of “Don’t Stop Believin’” reaching a billion streams on Spotify.
The song has also been declared platinum 18 times over by the Recording Association of America, with Journey’s Greatest Hits recently reentering the Top 10 of Billboard’s vinyl albums chart.
That might have something to do with Journey performing at this year’s NFC championship between the San Francisco 49ers and Detroit Lions. “South Detroit” was changed to “San Francisco” in the lyrics to Don’t Stop Believin’.” The 49ers won that game, of course.
Mandalay Bay, 7:30 p.m. March 16, starting at $35 plus tax and fee. axs.com
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