‘Celebration of everything we built’: Journey brings final tour through Spokane

After more than five decades of steady touring with some of the most iconic stadium anthems, Journey has departed on its final tour.

Before the hits and global identity, Journey was founded in San Francisco when members of multiple bands decided to join forces in 1973. Of those founding members, former Santana member Neal Schon took on the role of the band’s lead guitarist when they were known as the Golden Gate Rhythm section.

Fast forward five years and add a vocalist by the name of Steve Perry, Journey found momentum with albums like “Infinity” and “Evolution.” Tack on another five years with records like “Escape” and “Frontiers,” the band was on top of the world.

With multiplatinum classics like “Any Way You Want It,” “Don’t Stop Believin’,” “Faithfully,” “Lights,” and many more, Journey has become one of the single most recognizable and highest-grossing groups to ever grace the charts. With more than 100 million records sold globally (including the diamond-certified “Greatest Hits” album), the band continues to grow with one of the best-selling discographies of all time.

Now, as Journey rolls into Spokane on the “Final Frontier Tour” and looks to end their momentous run with their names already well etched in history, Schon remains as the only founding member still with the band after all these years.

“This tour feels like a celebration of everything we’ve built over the last five decades. I started this band as a teenager with a guitar and a dream, and somehow those songs are still connecting with people all over the world,” Schon said. “‘Final Frontier’ isn’t an ending to me – it’s about pushing forward, playing better than ever, and honoring the fans who’ve kept us alive all these years. It’s gratitude, history, and heart all rolled into one.”

With the “Final Frontier Tour,” Journey seeks to provide an experience made for the audience members that simply haven’t been able to avoid their slew of hits along with the die-hard fans that have been with the band every step of the way.

“This tour is our heartfelt thank you to the fans who’ve been with us every step of the way – through every song, every era, every high and low,” Schon also said in a news release. “We’re pulling out all the stops with a brand-new production – the hits, the deep cuts, the energy, the spectacle. It’s a full-circle celebration of the music that’s brought us all together.”

One of the biggest changes Journey has endured was current lead vocalist Arnel Pineda famously taking over after Schon found his cover of “Faithfully” on YouTube in 2007. The band didn’t just endure, but hit a new sense of stride thanks to Pineda’s striking voice, sense of stage presence, and obvious love for Journey.

Perhaps this deep passion for Journey is what led Pineda to enjoy performing the band’s deeper cuts just a bit more than the hits, such as tracks like “Patiently,” “Stay Awhile,” and “Still They Ride” – which is originally sung by current drummer Deen Castronovo.

“I never get tired of performing the songs I rarely get to sing,” Pineda said. “Those moments always feel special.”