steve perry neal schon journey

Journey's Neal Schon says he and Steve Perry are 'in a good place' before band's 50th anniversary

On the cusp of turning 50, the band that etched “Don’t Stop Believin’ ” and “Faithfully” into lighters-up lore is entering “a cleaned-up chapter of Journey.”

That’s according to Neal Schon, the band’s ace guitarist, lone original constant and de facto CEO.

Despite decades of fluctuating lineups and  snarly lawsuits among band members , Journey endures.

On July 8, the band released “Freedom,” its first new album in 11 years that also presents the return of Randy Jackson (as in "American Idol") on bass. The 15-song collection is steeped with vintage-sounding ballads (“Still Believe in Love,” “Live to Love Again”) and soaring melodic rockers (“United We Stand,” “You Got the Best of Me”).

Journey – including longtime keyboardist Jonathan Cain,  peppy singer Arnel Pineda , drummer Deen Castronovo and keyboardist Jason Derlatka, adding bassist Todd Jensen for live shows – will hit Resorts World Las Vegas  this month for shows backed by a symphony orchestra before rolling through more arena dates this summer and in early 2023, the band’s official 50th year.

Journey in pop culture: Quarantined family perfectly re-creates 'Separate Ways' music video at home

Regular road warriors who consistently pack arenas and stadiums – their 27 shows this year grossed $28 million, according to Billboard Boxscore – Journey relies on a solid catalog of mega-hits and a devoted fan base that appreciates the familiarity.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Famers also received a boost from Netflix’s ’80s-centered “Stranger Things” when the show used “Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)” in the trailer for the just-ended season, launching the song onto Billboard’s Rock Digital Songs chart. The affable Schon, 68, talked with USA TODAY about the band’s complicated legacy, his relationship with former frontman Steve Perry and plans for Journey's golden anniversary.

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Question: Are you amazed at how the Journey train keeps rolling after almost 50 years?

Neal Schon: It’s quite an accomplishment and I’m very proud of what we’ve done and how we’ve gotten through emotional and personnel changes and survived. It’s pretty mind-boggling but also a lot of hard work.

Q: Does the title “Freedom” refer to anything specifically?

Schon: Our ex-manager Herbie Herbert  wanted to call the (1986) “Raised on Radio” album “Freedom” because he always came up with these one-word titles. Steve (Perry) fought him on that and got his way, so we sat on it for many years. When we got through the lawsuit with the ex-bandmates, we made the new LLC Freedom (JN) and when we were tossing around album titles said, why not just call the whole thing “Freedom?" It's for the times right now.

Q: There’s been a bit of a revolving door in the rhythm section. Deen Castronovo is back for the live shows, but Narada Michael Walden played drums on the album, and Randy Jackson is back in the band, at least on record?

Schon: Deen is singing and playing his butt off. He’s such a musical sponge, this guy. He’s been like my little brother for close to three decades and is such a joy to work with. Randy, he’d been working with me diligently this whole time. He’s so many things beyond being an amazing musician and bass player.

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Q: Will Randy play at any of the upcoming live shows or is Todd Jensen handling those duties?

Schon: Randy is still recovering from some surgery and he stays very busy and Todd fits like a glove. Having said that, I think with our 50th anniversary next year, there’s room for everybody to jump in if they want to participate. We did go through an ugly divorce with (Steve Smith and Ross Valory) with the court proceedings (in 2021, Schon and Cain settled a $10 million trademark lawsuit with the band’s former drummer and bassist). But definitely, if Steve Perry wanted to come on and sing a song, yes. If (original Journey singer) Gregg Rolie wanted to come sing a couple of songs, yes. Randy Jackson (can) come sit in on some of the material – he played on a lot of hits on “Raised on Radio.”

Q: Do you talk much with Steve Perry?

Schon: We are in contact. It’s not about him coming out with us, but we’re speaking on different levels. That’s a start, even if it’s all business. And I’m not having to go through his attorney! We’ve been texting and emailing. He’s a real private guy and he wants to keep it that way. We’re in a good place.

Q: Do you think, after 15 years, that people have accepted Arnel?

Schon: I was diligent in that I wanted to show the massive size of our audience, so I hired photogs to come out every show and shoot the audience and show the size of the crowd to make everybody see, what am I missing? From putting up the different photos every night and the reviews from the fans online, I saw very little of “This is not Journey, man.” I think we just shut everybody up.

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The Most Joyous and Romantic of Journey, According to Neal Schon

The shadow of “ Don’t Stop Believin ’” looms large, quite literally, over the “funky little office” in Neal Schon’s home. We’re just starting our video call in the lead-up to Freedom, Journey ’s newest album in more than a decade , but there are two pieces of wall paraphernalia that require further explanation (for this writer’s fuzzy eyes, anyway): There’s a framed Escape record to commemorate its diamond status and … is that a floating green orb? Spotify’s logo? Ah, yes, it’s a poster for the billion streams “Don’t Stop Believin’” has commanded over the years, and it looks mighty fantastic floating over Schon’s head. “I usually don’t put anything up on my walls in the house that represent my accomplishments because I look at my career like you’re only as good as your last day, so that way you can keep moving forward and not rest on your laurels,” he explains. “But this is my office, and I realized it was kind of bland, so I put those behind me.”

Freedom, out July 8, encapsulates the scorching spirit that listeners have always loved about Journey, whose wheels keep churning out stadium-ready anthems and ballads after nearly five decades together. Sure, there might be a sonic Ship of Theseus comparison to make — Schon, on lead guitar, is the sole member who has remained since the band’s formation in 1973 — but we got the likes of “Any Way You Want It,” “Faithfully,” “Separate Ways,” and the song about streetlights, peopleeeEEEeeeeEEEE, over that time period, so let’s call it even. Steve Perry’s vocal range should probably be studied for scientific reasons; so should Jonathan Cain’s fingers, for how nimbly they go between keyboards and rhythm guitar. (To give you a sense of the ship’s size, that trio, as well as bassist Ross Valery, drummer Aynsley Dunbar, vocalist Gregg Rolie, and drummer Steve Smith were all inducted into the Rock Hall of Fame for their Journey tenures. Yeah, two drummers!)

Despite Schon’s forward-looking mentality, he was happy to be our latest Superlatives subject; we talked for well over an hour about Journey’s evolution, melodies, and the cringeworthy spectacle of one music video.

That’s a tough question. I’d probably go with a song that has more of a sentimental feel to me because I wrote it with my father. “Mother, Father” is very orchestral and very musical compared to our more pop-oriented rock songs. With “Mother, Father,” I had these classical chord changes that I came up with, and I wrote the whole song musically. And then my father, while he was living, wrote really interesting notes for it on the piano. I showed him the chord changes, and he came up with the interlude that the guitar and piano play. It pulled the whole song together. I like the sentiment of what Steve and Jonathan wrote lyrically about the song. I usually don’t come from that area. There’s a few songs that I’ve written choruses on, but I don’t really consider myself a lyricist. So I felt that, where they came from — about family in general, disjointed families, and how they fight to stay together — it’s something real that everybody deals with. I thought it fit perfectly for the music. I also like our deeper musical cuts that are a bit more involved musically. I tend to like the more orchestral songs like “Still They Ride,” “Mother, Father,” or “Winds of March.”

Heaviest song

“You’re on Your Own.” That’s heavy. Or songs like “Of a Lifetime” and “Kohoutek.” That early material was very much more progressive and heavier, in a sense. I feel people are misled by our albums a lot — like, they haven’t seen us live. Our band tends to be heavier live than the albums are. So “Separate Ways” is heavy in another way. It sounds like Motown or like it could be a Four Tops song, for Christ’s sake. But then you put the electricity of the guitar and the blues mixed with the melody, and it becomes a lot heavier. I don’t think we have anything that’s heavy, heavy, like metal. We’ve never tapped into that type of music.

When Jonathan came into the band, there was immediately a push to go bigger in an organic way. This goes back to my point of people maybe not being familiar with us live or the heavier side of the band: If you only listen to AM radio, you’re going to consider us soft rock. I don’t consider us soft rock. We have a broad spectrum. We show our dexterity and diversity on all of our albums. We’ve traveled the spectrum musically from A to Z . There’s still a lot of territory we can go in, but I think we made a very good album with Freedom, which helps keep us relevant and up to speed, yet also influencing the younger audience to come with us.

There are kids that come to see us who look like 16 or 17 at most. They know all the songs and are completely open-minded to the most outside things we’re going to lay on them. It reminds me of when I would go see my favorite bands as a kid. I would go and see Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, the Who, or Jeff Beck with Rod Stewart. They were all up the wall compared to what was on the radio. The entire audience loved all that music, but they would sit down at concerts in that era! So I would sit on the floor and observe and listen. Then at the end of the night, we would all get up and go nuts. I believe that the musical statement you make, people don’t have to go nuts after every song per se. It’s an overall experience and how you take people on it. I think the more you lay on them, the better.

Song you experience the most joy performing live

It wasn’t something that was a huge single: “Lights.” A simple, bluesy stroll song. The second song I ever wrote with Steve Perry was “Lights.” It’s become a freakin’ anthem. More people in the audience light up and sing that song louder than anything else. It used to be lighters, but now it’s cell phones. It wasn’t pushed out there by the label; it just happened in an organic way. It had a different feel to it when Steve first showed it to me. It was more old-school blues, but when I put that rolling rhythm around it — a Curtis Mayfield– or Jimi Hendrix–type thing — it took on a whole different perspective than what Steve started with. He had the melody; he had the bass. I was like, “What if we did this?” Then I wrote the bridge. A lot of nights, I can’t even hear the band onstage because of the audience.

Song that’s always evolving, even in 2022

A song that we continually jam on, open up, and switch up a bit is “Wheel in the Sky.” It’s an early song that I wrote with Robert Fleischman. The lyrical content came from a poem that Ross Valory’s ex-wife wrote and handed me on a napkin years ago. She had written down, “Wheels are turning on my mind.” In one of our long station-wagon hikes we did when we were traveling as a band — like nine guys in a station wagon in those days — at one point, everybody had to take a restroom break, and the driver needed a candy bar to wake up. I pulled out the acoustic guitar, sat on the hood of the car, and I banged out that song. I came up with the chorus. Her napkin poem sat in my mind and I came up with “Wheel in the sky keeps on turning, I don’t know where I’ll be tomorrow.” I’ve since ripped that song apart and put it back together. I keep reinventing “Wheels,” and it ends up being a big and powerful highlight in our shows. That’s another song that wasn’t a huge hit single but has since become an organic hit within our Journey audience.

Most romantic ballad

It depends on what era you want to go in. There’s a lot of romance. It depends on what type of romance you’re talking about. I think the ones that are obvious picks are “Faithfully” and “Open Arms.” They probably get played more at weddings than any song ever. “Send Her My Love” is very romantic in a different way. I love that song. It has such a great melody and I love that it’s not too radio-friendly. It’s coming from a deeper place. “Faithfully,” though, is a beautiful song. Jonathan hit it out of the park with that one. We were in the studio and Mike Stone, our producer at the time, said, “I think you guys are missing a really big power ballad.” We were doing a lot of experimenting for that album — trying to get a bit heavier and do some things that we hadn’t done before.

With “Faithfully,” it started off more off the wall. It was like a Police song twisted up sideways. It had an interesting drum beat. Jonathan came in the next day and he played this song for us and it didn’t sound anything like what we made it sound like. It sounded like a beautiful country ballad. I couldn’t quite imagine what it would sound like with us playing it. I couldn’t imagine “Open Arms,” either. I fought hard on “Open Arms.” At the time I was not getting it and didn’t want to get it. Now I enjoy it. [ Laughs .] But when he showed us “Faithfully,” I wrote out a little chart because I don’t really read music. We ran through the song once, and I just free-formed my way through it. Steve was not singing. At the time, there was no singing and we were just trying to get the basic track done. In those days, I pretty much would play off the cuff — the first thing I’m hearing in my head, this is what I’m hearing, whether it’s wrong or right. I played one guitar through the whole song, that’s it. What you hear on that track is the second take we did.

I came up with a line that sounds like a French horn. It’s like me singing the Who with John Entwistle playing the French horn. I like the sound of that instrument. I had attuned my ear to symphonic music and classical music when I was younger. I played oboe in school. It was a great way to pass the time because I was not into school at all. I liked music and I liked art. I was always in the art room or playing something. So that kind of came out and I improvised my “Faithfully” parts through the end, not knowing what the vocals were going to do. I couldn’t decipher how someone like Steve would interpret it. So it was interesting how it came about when we cut the song. We all did it together. No fixing. What I do recall is that Steve wanted everybody to leave the studio — he wanted to have his time with the song to experiment with it and put himself in it. Jonathan wanted to be in the studio and Steve refused. He said, “No, you got to leave.” So coming back into the studio and hearing what Steve did, I was like, “Oh my God! Amazing.”

Guitar work that’s your melodic masterpiece

I try to make most of my solos, especially with the more radio-oriented songs. They’re extensions of the vocals. If there’s a guitar solo, it needs to convey a strong melody. You learned to love melody. I mean, the Beatles taught us all about that a long time ago. I still hear the sound that Roy Thomas Baker got when he mic’d up my old Marshall with a Fender Stratocaster on “Lights.” He had me set up in a closet and the amp was cranked to ten, and the mic was sitting in the back of the very echoey room. So “Lights” would be a masterpiece. “Who’s Crying Now,” probably another.

Funny enough, I absolutely hated my “Who’s Crying Now” guitar work when I did it at first. It was true frustration with that song because it didn’t come out immediately. It was another new type of song that Jonathan had brought in and I didn’t know what to do with it. I was trying to be more demanding with myself. We’d get off to a good start, and then I’d have nowhere to go. It was just kind of plotting along and doing this pop thing. So the producers and the whole band were getting frustrated with me because I wasn’t giving up. I probably did about, I don’t know, 15 takes, and it was going nowhere slow. Usually the best stuff comes out of me on the first or second take and then it goes downhill. When I’m not thinking, it comes out. When I start thinking, it never comes out. So out of pure frustration, I played the simplest thing, just kind of being like a smart-ass. I was in the studio and I thought, Oh, this will shut them up . And I played it, and I went, “There you go. That’s what you want.” And they go, “It’s fucking perfect.” [ Laughs .] Now, the audience loves singing it.

“Don’t Stop Believin’” is also important to me. The chorus is such a crazy arrangement when you think about it. The fact that it’s become this massive hit, this many years later, nobody in the band ever pictured that happening. It didn’t soar that high on the radio when we released it. I remember when I heard it during the final mixes, I told the guys, “I think this song is going to be massive.” The way it’s structured is unusual — it’s not your usual verse, chorus, verse, chorus. It really is so cliché, what they considered a format for radio. The song never got to the fucking chorus until the end! I came up with the “strangers waiting” lyrics and how the arrangement went back to another verse, except the verse doesn’t happen. It does a little symphonic instead. It sounded to me like something that would happen in an orchestra. I sped up the arpeggio and started playing around and realized, Oh, that’s cool. We’re going to leave that and write lyrics around that. That’s how they came up with “She took the midnight train going anywhere.” Because it actually sounded like a train! So it came together like that, and then it came time for a little guitar solo. Nobody had heard the chorus yet, so the obvious thing to do was to play the melody in the chorus. I was going to implant it in their heads before it was even sung.

Guitar solo that doubles as the greatest endurance test

I have no signs of tendinitis. [ Laughs .] I play almost every day, even when I’m at home. I play because that’s how things don’t freeze up on you. It’s a muscle; you have to use it. I really don’t practice scales. I don’t know scales; I never wanted to. I play all by ear. What I practice at home is just following the flow of whatever vibe I’m in. There’s a lot of guitar players who watch my social-media videos and they like the fact that they have nothing to do with a song — it’s off the cuff every day. And then you have guitarists who are kind of jazz bros. I love jazz. Some jazz cats can be really snooty though. Someone will be like, “Dude, what are you doing? You’re playing the same chord in every song. Every day you sound the same.” And I go, “B.B. King did the same, ever heard of him?

I fell into that a long time ago. My former manager said to me, “Why are you worried about sounding different on every song and pressing yourself so hard to sound like somebody different? You’re just going to confuse people. People know what you sound like, don’t be afraid of sounding the same every time.” Now I have this style that’s stuck with me, and he was correct. That’s a hard thing to do and I don’t see a lot of younger guitarists doing it. I don’t see a lot of personality. I had B.B., Howlin’ Wolf, Buddy Guy, Albert King, and Michael Bloomfield to look up to. Then I had all of the electric guitars from overseas, like Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck, and Eric Clapton. I listened. You don’t see that kind of voice coming out of people anymore.

That’s where I come from — it’s a natural place and more of an organic blues background. While we were down in this pandemic, I spent time experimenting a lot as a guitarist. I consider myself a real musician. I’m always going to strive to get better and learn more because you never learn everything about any instrument. You never reach the peak, and when you reach the peak, it’s over, man, you’re done. You might as well just go and never try to create any new stuff. I know I can emulate myself. I can play exactly what I did back in 1973. I won in that regard. It’s just embedded in me. So I strive to move to new places all the time because that’s what motivates me with music.

Most endearing Steve Perry memory

We were very, very tight. We’re talking and getting to know each other again — though not trying to get together musically again, but he’s learning who I am now, through a portion of our business that I’m kind of controlling now. I’m talking about a Journey trademark that I’ve obtained, as we’ve never owned our own trademark. All these years, many people lied to us. My wife and I finally got to the bottom of it after investigating for years. We were fought hard by everybody, but we managed to obtain the trademark. So we’re talking about that and figuring out the future of that, but we’re talking.

I have great memories of when Steve and I first met. We hung out all the time, man. We were like brothers. We were crazy. We spent a lot of nights out way too late doing things we shouldn’t be doing. Drinking and whatnot. We overindulged in a lot of stuff. But bottom line, we had a really good time for many, many years. Lots of enduring moments onstage and offstage. He was a really funny guy. I saw a fraction of a moment of it when we got together before the Rock Hall of Fame induction . I managed to get into his room, which was locked down like Fort Knox. We had a good hang in there. I felt like I still knew this guy and we were still really great friends.

I felt good about what was going to partake on the stage. He was always invited to come and perform at the ceremony, but he declined to do anything besides a speech. I understood why. During that induction, when certain individuals went up and took a really long time with their speeches, there are a few pictures that you can find where I’m talking into Steve’s ears and he’s laughing like hell. Some people like to feel like they’re more important because they have to talk longer. Or they feel like they don’t get the attention they need so they want to talk longer. So, that’s my long way of saying that I hope that we can become even better friends in the future.

Rating the “Separate Ways” video from 1 to 10 on the cringe scale

Oh my God! You know what a lot of people don’t understand? This was the very beginning of MTV. Nobody was making $200,000 videos or $500,000 videos or $3 million videos. Some people were paying a million and a half for a music video because they had a movie producer backing them financially. What a freakin’ rip-off. I mean, that’s what it became. But back when we did this, our manager came to us and said, “Look, we need to get a music video. Who should we use?” I suggested the director Wayne Isham. He came in and put together the storyboard. It was going to be in New Orleans, on a pier. Is it terrible? The air guitar and keyboards are cheesy as hell. I give it a 10 on the cringe scale. It’s so silly, man. Journey was not a band that did well with videos that had story lines. “ After the Fall ” was terrible. “ Chain Reaction ” was a little more fun. Steve and I were pushing each other around for that one, and I’m in his face. I think the only videos that really worked for Journey were when live concert footage was used. It was like a live performance — showing the audience, showing us onstage.

How The Sopranos ’ use of “Don’t Stop Believin’” changed the meaning of the song for you

Well, I don’t think it changed the meaning of what the song is about, which is just to have faith in yourself. That’s the message it’s conveying — it’s an uplifter for people who may be second-guessing themselves in their lives. I absolutely watched The Sopranos during its run. I loved it. I remember getting an email about using the song about six or so months before it aired. They were thinking about using it but didn’t give any context. I honestly didn’t think anything of it. I went, “Oh, that’s nice, whatever. If they use it, great.” I could have never imagined it was going to be the blackout scene in the last episode. It just rocketed the tune to a whole different spectrum. I mean, how could you ever even imagine that? I thought the final scene was amazing. I received a lot of phone calls that week, that’s for sure.

You know what? I kind of interpreted the ending … weirdly, it goes back a long way to a memory I have of Steve and I sitting in a pizza parlor. We were on tour and hadn’t had a song on the radio yet. I remember Steve went back and looked through the jukebox and I’m sitting at the table waiting for a Coke and pizza. He went back and dropped a couple quarters in there and played a couple tunes, and on came “Wheel in the Sky.” We looked at each other and laughed like hell. I remember saying, “I can’t believe this.” We were both jumping up and down. So I looked at that Sopranos scene with that memory in mind because they were sitting at a diner table and had the little diner jukebox there, and Tony Soprano presses it, and the song comes on. I don’t know if Steve had talked to the show’s team about that experience we shared together, but it was very similar to what actually happened with him and me. How beautiful is that?

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Journey guitarist Neal Schon says he and Steve Perry are "getting to know each other again"

As Journey prepares to release its latest studio album, Freedom , this Friday, founding guitarist Neal Schon reveals he's working on becoming friends again with the group's famous former lead singer, Steve Perry , who parted ways with Journey in 1998.

In a new interview, Schon tells Vulture that he and Perry have had the chance to connect more since he recently took a more active role in Journey's business dealings.

"We're talking and getting to know each other again -- though not trying to get together musically again," Schon says. "But he's learning who I am now, through a portion of our business that I'm kind of controlling now. I'm talking about a Journey trademark that I've obtained, as we've never owned our own trademark."

Schon continues, "All these years, many people lied to us [with regard to Journey's business]. My wife and I finally got to the bottom of it after investigating for years. We were fought hard by everybody, but we managed to obtain the trademark. So we're talking about that and figuring out the future of that, but we're talking."

Schon says that he and Perry were "very, very tight" during Perry's early years with the band.

"I have great memories of when Steve and I first met," he notes. "We hung out all the time, man. We were like brothers. We were crazy. We spent a lot of nights out way too late doing things we shouldn't be doing. Drinking and whatnot … But bottom line, we had a really good time for many, many years … He was a really funny guy."

Schon also mentions how well he got along with Perry during the 2017 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony, adding, "I hope that we can become even better friends in the future."

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Neal Schon Says Journey Will Play Stadiums for 50th Anniversary, Doesn’t Rule Out Steve Perry Return

The year 2023 will be a big one for Journey , who will celebrate their 50th anniversary as a band and in a rather significant way — guitarist Neal Schon has suggested the group will play stadiums next year in what is still quite a secretive operation. And he didn't rule out the return of two classic members either.

His comments came in an interview with  Entertainment Tonight , which also touched on Journey's new album Freedom and their Las Vegas residency shows which feature a symphony orchestra. Schon even laughed a bit when he was asked how many times Journey rehearsed with the orchestra before opening night and replied, "One day."

The interview then put the focus on the future and what lies ahead beyond the Vegas gigs as Journey prepare to celebrate 50 years as a band. "We're going back into stadiums with someone I can't really talk about right now," commented Schon, playing things close to the vest while managing to tease what appears to be quite a massive forthcoming announcement.

The guitarist was also asked about the likelihood of singer Steve Perry and keyboardist Gregg Rolie, who split with the group in 1998 and 1980, respectively. "You know, I think that those two guys were a big part of the band and I think if [it] permits - the city permits - the fans would overall love it," says Schon, though it's uncertain exactly what he meant in regards to the city permits — perhaps securing stadium locations and complying with local noise ordinances, but that remains unconfirmed.

Schon didn't rule out the return of either member and those comments follow recent remarks where the guitarist claimed he and Perry are "talking and getting to know each other again" but cautioned that they "are not trying to get together musically again."

Earlier this year, in May, the lone remaining Journey founder told UCR , "We’re going to celebrate the 50th anniversary and then celebrate it again in ‘24,” Schon tells UCR. “It’s my 50th year with Journey and I’m the only original member left there. You know, Jon [Jonathan Cain] is 40 years with us. Deen [Castronovo] has a good two decades and Arnel [Pineda] is now 15 years, the longest run of any singer [with Journey]."

He even has his eyes on sharing the bill with Carlos Santana and revealed in that same conversation, "I talked to Carlos and I talked to his manager about it the other day. He says Carlos definitely wants to do some stuff. I said, what about the latter part of ‘23? We could possibly go from big arenas in Europe to stadiums and finish out ‘23 in the stadiums, in South America and all of that."

Journey Interview With  Entertainment Tonight

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Steve Perry Drops Trademark Lawsuit Against Journey

by Tina Benitez-Eves January 9, 2023, 9:25 am

In the middle of an ongoing court battle between Journey bandmates, guitarist Neal Schon and keyboardist Jonathan Cain, over the band’s spending account and records, former singer Steve Perry has withdrawn his legal claim against the band over the trademarking of 20 of Journey’s songs.

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Schon shared a copy of the letter from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), which confirmed that Perry dropped the case. “Petitioner, without the written consent of Respondent, filed a withdrawal of the petition for cancellation on January 4, 2023,” read a portion of the letter. “In view thereof … the petition for cancellation is denied with prejudice.” Using the phrase “with prejudice” means that Perry cannot restart the claim.

Perry, who permanently left Journey in 1996, filed the lawsuit in September 2022 over the use of 20 of the band’s songs as registered trademarks. Schon and Cain, who own the trademarks under their Freedom JN LLC banner, were granted trademarks for some of the band’s biggest hits, including “Anyway You Want It,” “ Separate Ways ,” and “ Open Arms ” for use in merchandising items like shirts, hats, jackets and more without Perry’s consent.

“Now we can talk as we were,” wrote Schon on Twitter, referencing the band’s strained relations with Perry over the years.

In his tweet, Schon also took a jab at Cain. “So much for [Cain] trying to throw me under the bus as he claimed I was blatantly trying to rip off [Perry] while collecting the checks for the very diligent work my wife and I did to protect our Merch,” added Schon. “Time for coffee.”

So much for JC trying to throw me under the bus as he claimed I was blatantly trying to rip off SP while collecting the checks for the very diligent work my wife and I did to protect our Merch. Time for coffee 👍🏽 pic.twitter.com/xsGQBr0wob — NEAL SCHON MUSIC (@NealSchonMusic) January 7, 2023

Schon and Cain, the last two original members of Journey’s original classic lineup, are currently in the middle of a court battle . The guitarist alleges that he was denied access to the band’s American Express card and records and recently filed a cease-and-desist claim against Cain’s wife, who he says improperly accessed the band’s bank accounts.

Though Cain and Schon have yet to settle this case, Journey is still set to embark on their 2023 tour, which will kick off on Jan. 27 and run through Feb. 22. Original keyboardist Gregg Rolie, who was with the band from their 1975 self-title debut through their sixth album, Departure , in 1980, will also join the band on this tour.

“We’ve written great music,” said Schon in response to one fan’s comment on how he will perform alongside Cain on the upcoming tour. “Gregg Rolie will be there also. Channel the great music. Honor it.”

Photo: Myriam Santos / btpr

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Neal Schon Shares Why Steve Perry’s Last Journey Album Flopped

via Professor of Rock / Youtube

For the most dedicated fans of the popular American rock band Journey, the 1996 album Trial By Fire , could be characterized as a nostalgic return to the band’s peak from the 1980s. 

Regrettably, the music on this album harks back to the band’s post-fame ’80s era rather than their superior sound from the late ’70s before they achieved fame. Nonetheless, it marked the first time in twelve years that the original five-member lineup responsible for Journey’s greatest success reunited to create an album.

So when Journey fan and podcast host Gary Cooper Stuckey took to Twitter to discuss Trial By Fire and remind people of how good it was, Neal Schon replied and shed light on the reasons why the last album which featured vocalist Steve Perry may not have received the recognition that many believe it deserves.

“I think mainly because we couldn’t support it,” the guitarist briefly explained the ‘failure’ of the 27-year-old album.

Trial By Fire didn’t get the support it deserved

Schon was referring to how the band failed to accompany Trial By Fire with a tour, which is something all of their other albums had.

The podcast host recently brought attention to the album’s significance with a tweet: “The Journey reunion album and the last one with Steve Perry, ‘Trial By Fire,’ was released 27 years ago today. This album deserves a lot more credit than it has received. Go back and listen to the tracks ‘One More’ and ‘Trial by Fire’… Phenomenal! What is your favorite from the album, and don’t say all of them!”

This tweet prompted a response from Schon, who revealed the primary reason for the album’s underappreciated status was the lack of a supporting tour.

However, what prevented them from touring? It appears that Perry’s hip injury and the ensuing internal disputes prevented the band from a decision.

I think mainly because we couldn’t support it — NEAL SCHON MUSIC (@NealSchonMusic) October 22, 2023

Perry hurt his hip which led to the disruption of tour plans and the singer’s departure

Trial by Fire is the sole Journey album that did not have a corresponding supporting tour. This omission stemmed from internal disagreements regarding a tour originally slated for the summer and fall of 1997. And it’s all due to Perry hurting his hip while on a Hawaii trip in 1996.

This led to the discovery of a degenerative bone condition requiring hip replacement surgery. This health issue not only delayed the album’s release but also derailed any tour plans.

As the band waited for Perry’s decision regarding a potential tour, other members pursued solo projects, and their patience wore thin over time. Eventually, Perry announced his departure. Rumors circulated, with some attributing Perry’s exit to Schon.

However, in a 2003 interview, Schon dismissed these claims, stating that the decision for Perry to leave the band was not his: “Steve Perry was an amazing singer, and I hope to hear from him again. I hope that he puts out a solo record because I know a lot of people miss his vocals, and everybody blames me for him not being in this band, but I just got to laugh at it because it really wasn’t my decision for him not to be in this band.”

Steve Perry of Journey performing at the Rosemont Horizon in Rosemont, Illinois, May 21, 1982. Photo by Paul Natkin. pic.twitter.com/SyBpbmViJG — Classic Rock In Pics (@crockpics) July 25, 2023

The former Journey vocalist later shared his perspective on the entire situation in an interview with GQ Magazine in 2008. Perry revealed that former bandmate Jonathan Cain had frequently inquired about his health and when he would be ready to resume touring. 

These inquiries didn’t particularly bother Steve. However, when Cain disclosed that they had been holding auditions to replace him with other vocalists, it marked a breaking point for Perry.

“Jon was telling me, ‘We want to know what you wanna do. We’ve tried out a few singers. And we need to know what you wanna do.’ I said, ‘You’ve tried out some singers?’ And he said yes. His exact words were, ‘You’re some big shoes to fill, but we wanna get out there. We wanna know when you’re going into surgery because we want to tour.’ And you know, I didn’t feel like major surgery was a band decision,” the rock singer shared.

Following this conversation, Steve Perry promptly contacted his lawyer to initiate a separation from Journey. He was disheartened by the band’s quest for alternative vocalists, especially considering that it was initially Perry who had wanted the band to reunite for new projects. 

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Steve Perry Withdraws Lawsuit Against Journey Over Band’s Trademarks

By Daniel Kreps

Daniel Kreps

Former Journey frontman Steve Perry has withdrawn his lawsuit against his ex-bandmates over the trademarks to 20 of the group’s biggest songs.

In Sept. 2022, Perry, who permanently exited the band in 1998, filed legal papers to prevent Freedom JN LLC — a company headed by Journey’s Neal Schon and Jonathan Cain which holds the Journey trademarks — from using those trademarks on apparel and other merchandise.

Perry claimed that he, Cain and Schon had an agreement that required unanimous consent for any business decision related to the trademarks and that he had not authorized said consent. Perry went on to accuse the duo of “fraud on the trademark office” by what he claims is inaccurate information about the trademark.

So much for JC trying to throw me under the bus as he claimed I was blatantly trying to rip off SP while collecting the checks for the very diligent work my wife and I did to protect our Merch. Time for coffee 👍🏽 pic.twitter.com/xsGQBr0wob — NEAL SCHON MUSIC (@NealSchonMusic) January 7, 2023

Schon — who has been entangled in a lengthy legal battle with Cain, from bickering over the use of the band’s credit card to cease-and-desists — blamed Perry’s filing of the lawsuit on Cain, tweeting Friday, “So much for [Cain] trying to throw me under the bus as he claimed I was blatantly trying to rip off [Perry] while collecting the checks for the very diligent work my wife and I did to protect our Merch.”

Reps for Cain, Schon and Perry did not respond to Rolling Stone ’s request for comment as press time.

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Somehow, despite all the in-fighting between the longtime bandmates, Journey — with Schon and Cain in tow — will put their differences aside when the band embarks on their Freedom Tour starting Jan. 27 in Durant, Oklahoma. When asked by a fan on Twitter how the duo could possibly perform together amid the tumultuous legal situation, Schon responded , “We’ve written great music… Channel the great music. Honor it.” 

Schon also noted that Santana and original Journey keyboardist/lead singer Gregg Rolie would rejoin the band for the first time in 43 years for the upcoming tour; upon Rolie’s exit in 1980, Cain joined the lineup, and has remained a member alongside Schon ever since. (However, as Schon posted on Facebook , even Rolie’s involvement could result in more legal issues.)

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Steve Perry Explains the Real Reason He's Avoiding Neal Schon

By Andrew Magnotta

October 8, 2018

Former Journey frontman Steve Perry explained the real reason he's so reluctant to rekindle his friendship with Neal Schon   — despite Schon's best efforts to do so.

Schon has suggested in numerous interviews this year and on his personal social media, that he and Perry could write music together again beyond the purview of Journey. 

But Perry isn't convinced.

The singer told Rolling Stone in a recent interview that he believes it impossible for a Schon/Perry collaboration to be properly conveyed to Journey fans.

"I'm not sure that's possible without stirring up hopes of a reunion," Perry said. "Please listen to me. I left the band 31 f***ing years ago, my friend. You can still love someone, but not want to work with them. And if they only love you because they want to work with you, that doesn't feel good to me."

Perry hasn't shied away from questions about Journey since his return from a two-decade long hiatus . The singer has reflected fondly on his time with the band; he's been frank about his feelings about Journey continuing without him in the '90s; and he's trying his best to get the word out that he'll never reunite with the band .

For his part, Schon said this summer that he wouldn't press anymore publicly for a reunion with Perry (though he wouldn't deny his hopes about it). The guitarist added that Perry knows where to find him if he wants to reconnect.

In a recent series of Tweets , Schon responded to Perry, reiterating that the chemistry between the two as a songwriting duo is undeniable, and emphasizing that he doesn't just want to write music with the frontman; he wants to be friends again. 

"I also just hoped to rekindle our friendship with 0 pressure — music," Schon wrote.

And as fraught as Perry's history with Schon may be — he would at least address it.

Rolling Stone reports that when Perry was asked about Journey keyboardist Jonathan Cain 's memoir Don't Stop Believin' , "a look of disgust" came over the singer's face and he refused to even discuss Cain.

"I don't really care to read Jonathan's book," Perry said. "And I'd appreciate if you didn't tell me about it. I don't need to know. It's none of my business."

Given Schon's recent history with Cain , it seems the guitarist got some measure of satisfaction from reading that.

Schon later responded to a fan, agreeing that the autobiographic album artwork for Traces "speaks volumes." 

The guitarist then retweeted the exchange where fans noted a dove on the headstock of a guitar and broken piano keys depicted on the cover of Traces , presumed references to Perry's true feelings on Schon and Cain. 

Perry's,  Traces , is available now . 

Photo: Getty Images

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Steve Perry Sues Neal Schon and Jonathan Cain Over Journey Songs

Steve Perry has filed a petition to cancel trademark registrations for 20 Journey songs filed by former bandmates Jonathan Cain and Neal Schon .

The motion involves some of the group's best-known radio favorites, including "Separate Ways," "Open Arms," "Anyway You Want It," "Who's Crying Now," "When You Love a Woman" and others. Perry's petition says Cain and Schon filed to register the songs in 2020 through Freedom JN LLC for use on hats, T-shirts, athletic jackets and other paraphernalia.

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office issued the registrations between February and May. Perry says they violate an earlier agreement that stipulates decisions like these must be made with "prior, written unanimous consent of all partners in each instance."

Those guidelines remain in place on songs where Perry is the sole credited songwriter (including "Hopelessly in Love," "Stay Awhile" and "Lovin', Touchin', Squeezin'" from the filing) as well as on group compositions like "Stone in Love," "Girl Can't Help It" and "Send Her My Love." Perry had no hand in writing "Wheel in the Sky," which is also included in his petition. Songwriting credits for each track are broken down by percentage in the filing.

This latest legal dispute follows a huge rift  involving former bassist Ross Valory and drummer Steve Smith, which briefly led to competing lawsuits over control of the band. Cain and Schon have already sold their song ownership interests to Hipgnosis, in June 2019 and February 2020, respectively.

Perry's petition, executed by Krane & Smith APC, also charges Cain and Schon with using "false or misleading information" in securing the trademarks.

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Ex-JOURNEY Singer STEVE PERRY Was 'Emotionally Stunned' By 'Don't Stop Believin'' Achievement

Former JOURNEY singer Steve Perry has reacted to the news that the band's timeless rock anthem "Don't Stop Believin'" has officially been declared the "Biggest Song Of All Time" by Forbes . According to the RIAA ( Recording Industry Association of America ),the hit rock song likely heard by everyone around the world is now an 18-times-platinum-certified single.

Earlier today (Wednesday, March 20), Perry shared a link to the Forbes article and he included the following message: "When this 'Don't Stop Believin'' , 'The Biggest Song of ALL Time' article came out yesterday {3/19/24}I was so emotionally stunned. To be part of such a moment as this made me reflect on my parents. By that I mean, though I lost them both years ago, I was so happy for them because they are truly the reason this is happening. My dad was a singer and both of them were very musical. So on behalf of my Mom and Dad, I thank every one of you for so many years of support."

JOURNEY co-founder and lead guitarist Neal Schon was one of the musicians who commented below Perry 's post on Instagram , writing: "That's great Steve . God Bless. I myself reflect on the great time we had writing this song. Respectfully Neal Schon ".

You've heard "Don't Stop Believin'" literally everywhere since the 1980s: on the radio of every car you've ever owned, at every major sporting event you've attended in the last 20 years (including a live performance by the band at this year's NFC Championship Game between the Detroit Lions and San Francisco 49ers ),sung by Tom Cruise , Alec Baldwin and Mary J. Blige in the film "Rock Of Ages" , and covered by the cast of the TV show "Glee" . You heard it and then stared at a black screen in horror for a full 10 seconds wondering whether your DVR wasn't set to record the full episode, and then had it running through your head while you argued with friends over whether Tony Soprano got whacked in the diner or not.

Released in October 1981 for JOURNEY 's seventh studio album "Escape" through Columbia Records , "Don't Stop Believin'" quickly became the band's signature song. Critical acclaim was instant, with Billboard praising the "fluid guitar and vocal." AllMusic declared "Don't Stop Believin'" a "perfect rock song" and an "anthem", featuring "one of the best opening keyboard riffs in rock." Schon wrote the instantly recognizable bass line, and keyboardist and rhythm guitar Jonathan Cain had kept the song title from encouragement his father gave him as a struggling musician living on Sunset Boulevard. Decades after its release, the song became the best-selling digital track from the twentieth century, with over seven million downloads.

In a 2009 interview with CBC 's "Q" cultural affairs show, Perry said he always thought "Don't Stop Believin'" had potential as a single. It was always a hit with live audiences, though it didn't get great radio play at the time it was issued, he said.

"When we were doing the song in 1981, I knew something was happening, but honestly, when I saw it in the film 'Monster' with Patty Jenkins , I started think, 'Oh my goodness there's really something.'"

He added: "The lyric is a strong lyric about not giving up, but it's also about being young, it's also about hanging out, not giving up and looking for that emotion hiding somewhere in the dark that we're all looking for. It's about having hope and not quitting when things get tough, because I'm telling you things get tough for everybody."

Current JOURNEY singer Arnel Pineda , who has been fronting the band for 17 years, told CBS News in 2012, "Even before I discovered 'Don't Stop Believin'' , it has been my motto — you know, to never stop believing in myself. The life that I've gone through, all those hardships, I never stopped believing that someday there is something magical that will happen in my life."

In 2020, at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, "Don't Stop Believin'" became a rallying call for patients recovering from COVID-19 at two hospitals in New York and Michigan. The 1981 hit was being played at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, Michigan and the New York-Presbyterian Queens Hospital during celebrations for patients prevailing over the coronavirus.

Perry reunited with JOURNEY for the first time in years as they were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in April 2017. The iconic singer appeared onstage with his former bandmates as they each gave speeches, but did not perform with the group later in the event.

Perry 's final full concert with JOURNEY took place in early 1987. He later rejoined his bandmates for a brief performance in 1991 to honor late concert promoter Bill Graham . He also appeared with JOURNEY when they received a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame in 2005.

JOURNEY will team up with DEF LEPPARD for a 2024 stadium concert tour of North America. The 23-city tour opens July 6 at Busch Stadium in St. Louis and concludes September 8 at Coors Field in Denver. The opening act for most of the tour dates will be fellow Rock And Roll Hall Of Famer Steve Miller and his band. Two other Rock Hall inductees will alternate as opening acts for the seven shows Miller is not playing — CHEAP TRICK and HEART .

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Steve Perry (@steveperrymusic)

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Journey at the Sphere? ‘We would absolutely destroy that place’

Neal Schon of Journey says the Sphere was made for jam bands, but his band would crush it, too.

Neal Schon says, “We would absolutely destroy that place.”

“We” would be Journey , and the place is the Sphere.

Schon has studied the Sphere from afar, online clips as he’s been on tour. He said in a text, “I’m not sure there’s even a possibility, but what I do know from evaluating all the bands that have played there and seen what it’s about. We would absolutely destroy that place if we played everything from our first album on.”

The 70-year-old guitar legend jumped on a fan post on the Live For Live Music Facebook page. He commented of Journey’s potential “all that early material would be explosive, with the hits.”

In March, Journey recently wiped out Michelob Ultra Arena, with Toto opening. The band also played the F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix opening party and has headlined the Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel, the Colosseum at Caesars Palace and Resorts World Theatre in the past several years.

Journey is continuing its “Freedom Tour” with co-headliners Def Leppard and an alternating lineup of Cheap Trick, Heart and Steve Miller Band.

Schon rose to fame during his appearance with Santana at Woodstock some 55 years ago. Grateful Dead played the festival, of course, the original jam band.

Phish, following the Dead’s tradition as a venerable jam band with a fervent following, followed U2 into the Sphere. Schon had anticipated Phish would blow minds at the Sphere, and they did .

“I predicted that it would become a jam-band place, as I feel that’s what it’s set up best for visually,” Schon said. “U2 is cool, but I thought it was over the top for them … I also predicted Phish would be playing there, and funny enough, one of their jams sounded like ‘Wheel In the Sky.’”

“Lights” would crush, too. “Don’t Stop Believin’,” “Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)” and “Faithfully” would soar with the Sphere’s audio-visual technology.

There has been no formal talk of Journey playing the Sphere. But Dead and Company — featuring Woodstock alumni Bob Weir and Mickey Hart — is headlining the venue beginning May 16. At the Sphere, one can always dream.

Westgate es en fuego

Westgate has picked up some ancillary pub from its superstar headliners at International Theater.

Barry Manilow has now performed more concerts at Radio City Music Hall than anyone. He sold out the room five times April 17 through Sunday. He’s back at Westgate from May 1-3 and May 9-11.

And Kool & The Gang was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the band’s first year of eligibility. The R&B pioneers are back May 24-25. Robert “Kool” Bell told Rolling Stone he was having a party at his house when Ryan Seacrest announced the inductees on Sunday’s “American Idol” telecast.

“When they said “Kool and the Gang,” we all sang ‘Celebration,’” Bell said. “It was like, ‘Celebrate good times, come on!’” This spirit is shared by Kool & The Gang’s fans, who enter International Theater in full groove.

Tease this …

Artwork related to upcoming headliners at the Sphere will be displayed at a prominent gallery on the Las Vegas Strip.

What Works in Vegas

Mentalist Frederic Da Silva’s “Paranormal” is usually sold out, or on its way there, at Imagine Showroom at Horseshoe Las Vegas. Da Silva’s mind-reading/hypnosis presentation plays at 4 p.m., tickets often starting at $28 (without fees).

Da Silva has been running for 11 years in the second-floor theater, originally Windows and later The Magic Attic. A decade in one place in VegasVille is its own brand of magic.

Cue the crew

The Cue Club at Historic Commercial Center is celebrating its 60th anniversary from 6 p.m.-10 p.m. with the Celebrity Pro/Am Scotch Doubles Tournament. The event is co-hosted by Damian Costa’s Pompey Entertainment, which manages The Composers Room across the parking lot, and also Jimmy Kimmel’s Comedy Club.

The event is a benefit for Autism Coalition of Nevada (ACON). the $60 admission fee online ($70 at the door) includes entry; a wine bar, soda and water; chicken skewers with Thai sauce; beef wellington bites; shrimp cocktail; and charcuterie cups. This is very nearly a buffet.

Local celebs or (in my case) those often near celebs are paired with professional players. The Venue at Orleans magicians Doug “Lefty” Leferovich, John Shaw, Hollie England and Bizzaro of “Late Night Magic”; and Matthew Pomeroy and Natasha Lamb of “The Conjurors” are set to appear. Magician tandem Farrell Dillon and his wife, Amanda, represent Kimmel’s Club.

The format is 8-ball scotch doubles, and we understand a few competitors (starting with Shaw) are out for blood. Go to eventbrite.com too book.

Cool Hang Alert

Sax star Justin Young plays the just-launched jazz and bubbles brunch on the terrace of Ocean Prime from 11 am.-3 p.m. Sunday. It’s smoking riffs along with smoked salmon with Young, who recently played for Usher at Aria (the superstar was just walking by the lounge and hung for a bit).

Valet is included during brunch at Ocean Prime, which sits on the upper level of the 63 hospitality fortress on the corner of Harmon Avenue and the Strip.

John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section. His “PodKats!” podcast can be found at reviewjournal.com/podcasts . Contact him at [email protected]. Follow @johnnykats on X, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.

The Golden Knights’ dragon has no name, but it has already made an impact. The 15-foot-tall, 34-foot-wide dragon has replaced Elvis the Helmet at the VGK castle.

Bruno Mars told a packed house Saturday, “At the end of the night, The Pinky Ring turns into a strip club!” He was speaking euphemistically.

Taylor Swift, Travis Kelce, and Patrick and Brittany Mahomes were in town for the 15 and the Mahomies Foundation Vegas Golf Classic.

The Golden Knights crank up the siren before the first, second and third periods. The folks who crank the siren might seem randomly selected, but there is a strategy.

Vegas musician Nina Di Gregorio spent years learning Eddie Van Halen’s epic guitar solo on a customized violin.

At 84, Smokey Robinson is still fit and a master of his performances.

The closing of “Love,” enforced by construction as Mirage turns into Hard Rock Las Vegas, has initiated rumors “Ka” will be the next Cirque production to shut down.

Kyle Mitrione fractured his C6 vertebrae while performing in “O” on June 28. A new segment had been added to the show two weeks prior, according to the lawsuit.

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Celine Dion tells Vogue France, of her battle with SPS: “I have to learn to live with it now and stop questioning myself.”

Neal Schon Hints Journey Could Be Planning a Las Vegas Residency at Sphere

J ourney’s Neal Schon is hinting that his famous band may be one of the next artists to schedule play a residency at the new Sphere venue in Las Vegas.

Schon posted a message on his social media sites that reads, “How many [of] you would like [to see] a Journey Through Time Type concept concert playing our music spanning from beginning to now at Sphere?” His post also links to an article about jam band Phish’s recent Sphere residency, which features photos of the impressive multimedia presentation that accompanied those shows.

[Buy Journey Concert Tickets]

In a separate note, Schon wrote, “I called this a long [time] ago after evaluating Sphere. The whole thing is built for a jam band. I see … Journey doing it as I did with Journey [Through Time.] all that early material would be explosive with the hits.”

When one fan asked Schon on Facebook, “[I]s this a hint?” the guitarist responded, “[Y]es to Sphere.”

[RELATED: Don’t Stop Believin’: Journey Greatest Hits Album Reaches Rare Milestone]

About Journey Through Time

Schon’s mention of Journey Through Time is a reference to the short-lived group he put together a few years ago that focused on material from Journey’s early albums. The band, which also included founding Journey singer/keyboardist Gregg Rolie, current Journey drummer Deen Castronovo, and veteran rock bassist Marco Mendoza, that played a handful of shows in 2018 and 2019.

Fans Respond to Schon’s Sphere Residency Tease

Schon’s post garnered positive responses from plenty of fans, who posted their reactions in the comments section of his Facebook message .

“Me!!!!!!!!” one fan enthused. “We saw U2 there & after their short residency, I said, ‘We need an epic band to come play here, like JOURNEY!!’ Boy, I hope this is true!!!”

Another wrote, “I would absolutely love that idea!!!!! I wasn’t able to see [Journey Through Time] and I have never heard some of the songs that were sung there live before.”

A third fan commented, “Wish you would bring back the Journey Thru Time lineup w Rolie and make it a full blown tour!”

New Journey Photo Shoot

In other Journey news, Schon revealed that the group was in New York City on April 21 shooting new band photos with Prince’s main photographer, Brian Ach.

“We did 8 locations in 6 hours!” Schon reported. He added, “We are excited to play our last 4 shows with [Toto] before our [co-headlining] tour with [Def Leppard].”

Journey’s Upcoming Tour Plans

The current North American leg of Journey’s 50th anniversary tour, which features Toto as the opening, is mapped out through an April 29 show in Bridgeport, Connecticut.

In early June, the band will head to Scandinavia for a series of shows.

After that, Journey will team up with Def Leppard for The Summer Stadium Tour. The expansive North American trek runs from a July 6 concert in St. Louis through a September 8 performance in Denver. Cheap Trick, the Steve Miller Band, and Heart also will perform on select dates.

Journey will finish the year with a series of October shows in Japan, followed by a fall tour of Ireland and the U.K.

Tickets to Journey’s 2024 concerts are available now via various outlets, including StubHub .

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The post Neal Schon Hints Journey Could Be Planning a Las Vegas Residency at Sphere appeared first on American Songwriter .

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