JOURNEY Recruits DEF LEPPARD's Manager MIKE KOBAYASHI To Take Over For JONATHAN CAIN And NEAL SCHON
December 8, 2022, a year ago
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Billboard is reporting that Journey's new manager, Mike Kobayashi, confirmed late Tuesday he was “just hired,” taking over from player-managers Neal Schon and Jonathan Cain after a roller-coaster year. Kobayashi also manages Def Leppard.
The classic rock fixture sold 363,000 tickets and grossed $39.9 million across 42 North American shows on its 2022 arena tour, according to Billboard Boxscore, doubling the revenue pace of its previous headlining tour, in 2017, which grossed $31.7 million over 67 shows.
But the band ended 2022 with an internal squabble over an American Express card: Lead guitarist Schon sued keyboardist Cain last month for refusing to give Cain access to an account representing “millions in Journey funds”; Cain responded that Schon was “running up enormous personal charges” on the account.
Read more at Billboard.
Frontiers Music Srl is set to release Journey's Lollapalooza performance from Chicago, IL, which took place on July 31, 2021. Live In Concert At Lollapalooza will arrive on Friday, December 9.
The set, which will be released on CD/DVD, Blu-ray, and Vinyl, serves as a testament not only to the band's enduring legacy, but their relevance to a whole new generation of rock 'n roll fans.
Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2018, Journey have 25 gold and platinum albums, including the fifteen million selling Greatest Hits collection, with total sales adding up to 80 million records around the world.
As the band’s legend continues to grow larger and their touring gets bigger, they recently released a new studio album, Freedom, in July 2022. It was their first album of new material to be released in eleven years, since 2011’s Eclipse.
Pre-order / save Live In Concert At Lollapalooza" here.
Tracklisting:
"Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)"
"Only The Young"
Guitar Interlude
"Stone In Love"
"Be Good To Yourself"
"Just The Same Way"
"Lights"
"Still They Ride"
"Escape"
"La Do Da"
Piano Interlude
"Who's Crying Now"
Guitar Interlude
"Wheel In The Sky"
"Ask The Lonely"
"Open Arms"
"Lovin' Touchin' Squeezin'"
"Faithfully"
"Any Way You Want It"
"Don't Stop Believin'"
"Any Way You Want It" video:
"Be Good To Yourself" video:
Journey is continuing their 50th anniversary celebration and has unveiled their 2023 tour dates. The spring leg of the tour kicks off on February 4 in Allentown, Pennsylvania, with stops in Washington, DC, Fresno, CA and more before wrapping in Palm Springs on April 25. Toto will be joining Journey for the newly announced tour dates.
“We are all thankful and overwhelmed by the success of our Journey Freedom Tour 202 this year and have added a new run of dates for 2023,” Journey founder Neal Schoon said in a statement. “We are looking forward to hitting the road again with our very good friends Toto! Come join us for a special evening full of fun and Rockin’ good memories.”
Along with the newly-announced tour dates, several shows that previously needed to be rescheduled, including Washington, DC, Hartford, CO, Toronto and Quebec, have also been announced.
“Excited to perform for our fans as we tour next year with Toto,” Jonathan Cain said in a statement. “The combined hits of both bands represent a couple of decades of excellence that have become a soundtrack for people’s lives. The music of Journey along with the music of Toto is an example of ‘certain music’ during ‘uncertain times.'”
Journey has been celebrating their 50th anniversary all year, the band releasing their newest album, Freedom, earlier this year. Highlights from their ongoing run include selling out Canadaigua, New York’s Constellation Brands on Aug. 8, grossing $753,988, according to reports submitted to Pollstar’s Boxoffice. The band also raked in $906,895 for their two shows at The Theatre at Resorts World Las Vegas on July 22 and 23 and $847,096 at the same venue on July 15 and 16.
“On behalf of myself and the band, we are very honored and excited to do this tour with our old and dear friends Journey,” Toto’s Steve Lukather said in a statement. “Gonna be a great night of music, and as all the guys are lifelong friends… a blast off stage as well.”
Freedom Tour 2023 dates:
February
4 - PPL Center - Allentown, PA
5 - John Paul Jones Arena - Charlottesville, VA
8 - Enmarket Arena - Savannah, GA
10 - Colonial Life Arena - Columbia, SC
11 - Greensboro Coliseum - Greensboro, NC
14 - Rupp Arena Lexington, KY
17 - Thompson-Boling Arena - Knoxville, TN
19 - Brookshire Grocery Arena - Bossier City, LA
22 - Moody Center - Austin, TX
23 - Cajundome - Lafayette, LA
26 - Vystar Veterans Memorial Arena Jacksonville, FL
March
1 - Capital One Arena - Washington, DC
3 - Bryce Jordan Center - State College, PA
4 - XL Center - Hartford, CT
8 - Bell Centre - Montreal, QC
9 - Videotron Centre - Quebec, QC
12 - Scotiabank Arena - Toronto, ON
13 - Canadian Tire Centre - Ottawa, ON
16 - KeyBank KCenter - Buffalo, NY
17 - Boardwalk Hall - Atlantic City, NJ
20 - State Farm Center - Champaign, IL
21 - Vibrant Arena at The MARK - Moline, IL
24 - Denny Sanford PREMIER Center - Sioux Falls, SD
25 - Pinnacle Bank Arena - Lincoln, NE
28 - Wells Fargo Arena - Des Moines, IA
31 - BOK Center - Tulsa, OK
April
1 - FedExForum - Memphis, TN
4 - AT&T Center - San Antonio, TX
7 - Great Southern Bank Arena - Springfield, MO
8 - INTRUST Bank Arena - Wichita, KS
11 - Ford Wyoming Center - Casper, WY
13 - ExtraMile Arena - Boise, ID
14 - Spokane Arena - Spokane, WA
17 - Matthew Kight Arena - Eugene, OR
19 - Stockton Arena - Stockton, CA
22 - Mechanics Bank Arena - Bakersfield, CA
23 - SaveMart Center - Fresno, CA
25 - Acrisure Arena - Palm Springs, CA