Last night two rock sensations brought their classic hits and their unstoppable energy to Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles one night after performing at the Honda Center in Anaheim. In a nutshell, the concert ROCKED! Although, we did miss Billy Idol who had to cancel his appearance on this tour due to a sinus infection.
Toto opened up the night with founding members Steve Lukather and David Paich, longtime member Joseph Williams, and touring members John Pierce (bass), Robert “Sput” Searight (drums), Dominique “Xavier” Taplin (keyboards and vocals), Steve Maggiora (keyboards and vocals) and Warren Ham (horns and vocals). The band brought their pop, progressive, jazzy, and rock sounds to the stage bringing the entire audience off their feat, especially during some of their greatest hits including Hold The Line and Rosanna. They even performed a cover of Joe Cocker’s version of The Beatles’ With A Little Help From My Friends. As expected (but never rejected), Toto closed their set with their iconic 1982 hit Africa, which everybody in the crowd sang along to.
Journey closed out the night with a set that seemed to reflect a “Greatest Hits” record. While most would have expected Don’t Stop Believin’ (perhaps one of the most well-known classic rock songs and most famous sing-along tunes of all time) to have been the finale, Journey surprised the audience by throwing the song in early as the third tune of the set. Guitarist Neal Schon has been the only consistent member throughout the “journey” of the band which formed in 1973, but their current lineup still is impressive with keyboardists Jonathan Cain and Jason Derlatka, drummer Deen Castronovo, and vocalist Arnel Pineda. With his high kicks, jumps, and dance moves, Pineda shines on stage and amplifies Journey’s energy with his soaring vocals and on-stage enthusiasm. Although some still refer to Pineda as the “new guy,” it was noted last night that he has been with the band for 15 years since original vocalist Steve Perry will no longer perform with the band.
Journey made their way through rockers like Separate Ways and Wheel In The Sky along with beautiful ballads including Open Arms and Faithfully. The audience was on their feet the entire night singing along to all the hit songs we know and love. The night with closed with the classic Anyway You Want It with confetti and streamers filling the entire room.
If you missed the show, be sure to check out this recap on our TikTok!
