The Total Mortgage Arena in Bridgeport, Connecticut, is not known for its concerts. The arena typically hosts the American Hockey League’s Bridgeport Islanders and is overshadowed by the Hartford Healthcare Amphitheater which sits steps away from the entrance. During the summer months, the Amphitheater gets all the big names like Neil Young, Queens of the Stone Age, Santana and Ghost. But, once or twice a year the Total Mortgage Arena gets one or two “big hitters” in the music sphere to balance it out.
This year, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame band Journey closed out their “Freedom” tour in Bridgeport ahead of their run of stadium shows with Def Leppard beginning in the summer. Journey’s tour is in support of their new record, Freedom, which was released back in 2022. Fans packed the arena ahead of the 7:30 p.m. start time and the anticipation was high. The last time the band was in the area was last March in the state capital of Hartford at the XL Center.
The Los Angeles native band Toto was again brought out on the road with Journey as their support act. On the first leg of the “Freedom” tour, Toto was also opening for Journey so fans who missed the show last year finally got to see it in a slightly smaller, more intimate venue. As fans were still filing into the arena and finding their seats, the band plugged in their instruments and started with their first song of the night, “Girl Goodbye,” off of their debut self-titled record. Toto played a total of nine songs that had the entire audience dancing and singing along.
Toto has seven band members and brings so much power and energy to the band’s live performances. The band features Warren Ham on percussion and saxophone, Steve Maggiora on the keyboards and Shannon Forrest – who has recorded with the likes of Taylor Swift, and Willie Nelson – on the drums. Joining those three is John Pierce from Huey Lewis and the News on bass, and Greg Phillinganes on keyboard. For those who don’t know Phillinganes, his extensive career consists of touring with the likes of Stevie Wonder and was the musical director for Michael Jackson. The final two and arguably biggest stars of the band is Steve Lukather on guitar who was heavily involved in Jackson’s Thriller album and played on Oliva Newton-John’s Physical album. Lastly on vocals is Joseph Williams who was the adult singing voice for Simba in Disney’s The Lion King.
Toto was an excellent opener for Journey, even if Lukather once screamed “Pittsburg!” instead of Bridgeport. They did a great job readying the crowd for the heavy hitters in the rock and roll sphere. Once the clock struck 9 p.m. the house lights dimmed and lead guitarist Neal Schon appeared on stage with guitar in hand. Immediately after, the rest of the band jumped on stage and jumped into “Only the Young.” The one noticeable thing between Journey and Toto was the excellent vocals and how strong they sounded as a band. It’s not very often that bands from the 80s still sound like they did when they debut but both of these bands still do.
Joining Schon in Journey is Jonathan Cain on piano and guitar, Deen Castronovo on drums, Jason Derlatka on keyboards, Todd Jensen on the bass with Arnel Pineda on lead vocals. Pineda has been in the band for 17 years now after Schon saw him singing on YouTube and asked him to audition.
From the very beginning of the show, it was clear just how energetic the band was. Pineda from the jump was running, dancing and jumping all around the stage. Multiple times throughout the show, he would go up to the front of the crowd and interact with fans in the first few rows. He even hopped off the stage during one song and ran through the crowd high fiving the audience.
Journey delivered all of their greatest hits at this show. Early on they played the smash hit “Don’t Stop Believin’” off of 1981’s Escape. Their powerful set included other hits like “Stone in Love,” “Faithfully,” and “Separate Ways (Worlds Apart).” At the start of each song, it brought a thunderous cheer from the jam-packed arena.
The band was able to feed off the lively energy from the crowd. From the moment the doors opened, a recognizable buzz ran through the building. During “Lovin, Touchin’, Squeezin’,” two fans tossed a banner that said “The Journey Junkies” to Pineda to signify their love for the classic rock group. During “Open Arms,” strangers and friends embraced each other while other fans in the first few rows took out their lighters and lit them just like in the band’s golden years.
After Cain thanked the service men and women for protecting the country and the band returned to the stage, he was wearing a Bridgeport Islanders hockey jersey that got a cheer from the audience. The band – now in the home stretch of the show – started “Wheel in the Sky.” Pineda again took to the crowd and jumped in front of the guard rail separating the first row from the stage to embrace more fans.
While confetti and streamers were shot from the stage at the end of the last song, “Any Way You Want It,” fans were all cheering and applauding for the band as they will not be returning to the state on their next tour. Journey put on an amazing show and did not miss one fan-favorite tune. If you haven’t had the opportunity to see them yet, you must as they make one stop at Citi Field in Queens, New York. Journey is a band that continues to put on amazing shows and it’s clear why they pack stadiums across the globe. Their energy is unmatched and the fans’ appreciation in response to their hard work and dedication.
Toto setlist: Girl Goodbye, Hold the Line, 99, Dying on My Feet, I’ll Be Over You, Home of the Brave, With a Little Help From My Friends, Rosanna, Africa
Journey setlist: Only the Young, Stone in Love, Keep on Runnin’, Don’t Stop Believin’, Lights, Send Her My Love, Who’s Crying Now, Just the Same Way, Escape, Let it Rain, Lovin, Touchin’, Squeezin’, Open Arms, Faithfully, Girl Can’t Help It, Wheel in the Sky, Separate Ways (Worlds Apart), Be Good to Yourself, Any Way You Want It
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