Journey Brings 50 Years Of Memories to Phoenix!

Fifteen minutes before the show began, fans were already taking out their phones and recording themselves with their loved ones. Fans of all ages, both young and old, all came here to this concert in unison to watch this legendary band play possibly one last time.

Immediately as the timer struck two minutes before showtime, the lights went out. Fans started screaming as the sound engineers put on the famous song, “Baba O’Riley,” as a warm-up. Then, the generationally famous logo appeared on screen.

Journey's logo entrance was very reminiscent of a space rock opera; the gradual crescendo of the logo completely dominated the arena, with its very Star Trek-esque theme, surrounded by space visuals and recurring themes of the Final Frontier. Arnel Pineda, the frontman and singer of the band since 2007, immediately jump-started the night.

"Be Good To Yourself” started the night strong, with fans dancing up and down. With no openers, the night roared on with 2+ hours of pure Journey performance. The show played out in waves, from the highs of Chain Reaction to the melancholic softness of one of my personal favorite tracks, "Lights." Throughout the show, the show was playfully chaotic: Arnel jumping up and down in glee and Sir Neal Schon performing his ever-iconic, face-melting guitar solos with an awesome galaxy double exposure visual of him.

Another awesome moment was a mind-boggling, four-minute drum solo from Deen Castronovo that heavily reminded me of a Woodstock drum solo from Santana’s drummer all the way back in 1969. Some of the backstage staff also threw out a couple of promotional T-shirts, which made every person excitedly stand up on their feet instantaneously.

What I did not expect, however, was a quiet and grandiose three-and-a-half-minute piano solo from Sir Jonathan Cain. The audience was completely glued to the performance, as Jonathan Cain smoothly played throughout all of his notes perfectly. He playfully teased the audience, smiling and looking towards his audience several times. The audience cheered him on as Jonathan started to play his final notes and naturally transitioned into the legendary song, "Faithfully."

Suddenly, the entire crowd shot up on their feet. I, too, was one of the crowd members who were very excited. The LCD Screen faded from an alien planet to a very rainy, cloudy atmosphere along with Arnel singing the first lyrics of the song. Almost immediately, the entire crowd (myself included) pulled out their phones; with some waving their lighters to the beat of the song.

But the night was not over. After the track finished, mega-hits such as my personal favorite, “Open Arms,” had the crowd completely singing with Arnel. Then the song that defined Journey as a multi-generational icon appeared next: “Don’t Stop Believin.” Fans of all ages, some with their parents and couples with their husbands/wives, all sang in unison for the iconic lyrics. The visuals sported an All-American theme, with red, white, and blue stars surrounding members Neal Schon, Deen Castroan DeFrancescnovo and Jonathan Cain (who also just sported a Phoenix Suns jersey on top of his cowboy-inspired attire).

After playing 23 tracks of their setlist, they closed out the night with their two remaining hits, "Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)" and “Any Way You Want It." The final outro of the night was magical; as their band’s final hoorah, the stadium exploded with confetti during the outro of "Any Way You Want It." The audience suddenly paralyzed, as the eyes of children and adults all looked up at the ceiling, starstruck by the ethereal beauty of the moment.

As all of the layers of the confetti started to die down, all the band members lined up towards the very front of the stage and took a bow. One by one, Arnel highlighted every single band member, with the audience giving a standing ovation to each member. Giving a very heartfelt performance to the Southwest, Journey continues to prove why they are one of the most iconic bands of all time. From 1973 all the way here to 2026, this final concert felt like a personal swansong for their Phoenix audience.

Whether you are a veteran of Journey and have listened to them all the way in their early days or if you are newer to their classic catalog of songs, Journey will always remain as a cultural phenomenon that resonates with multiple generations forever and ever more.