Rock and Roll Hall of Famers Journey brought their Final Frontier Tour (An Evening With) to the State Farm Arena in downtown Atlanta, Georgia, on Monday evening, delivering a celebration of classic rock built around one of the genre’s most recognizable songbooks. The expansive, multi-level arena, home to the Atlanta Hawks and a major destination for touring artists, provided a fitting backdrop for a band whose music was practically tailor-made for large-scale venues. With more than five decades of history behind them, Journey arrived with a catalog that transcends generations, pairing melodic guitar work, soaring vocals, and massive choruses with familiar radio anthems that turn a concert into a collective singalong.
With a capacity crowd on hand, the arena lights went down around 7:45 p.m. as the band launched into “Be Good to Yourself,” from its ninth studio album, Raised on Radio (1986). I last caught Journey on their co-headlining Stadium Tour with Def Leppard in July 2024, and while that 16-song performance largely stuck to the hits, Monday night’s large-scale production gave the band a chance to showcase its own stage presentation. The Grammy-nominated group demonstrated the breadth of its catalog, balancing familiar radio staples with deeper cuts that reflected Journey’s evolution across different eras.
Founding guitarist Neal Schon remained the driving instrumental force, delivering the fluid leads and expressive solos that have helped define Journey’s sound since the 1970s. Jonathan Cain supplied the signature keyboard textures and melodic foundation, while vocalist Arnel Pineda brought renewed energy to songs forever associated with the band’s celebrated past. Backed by drummer and vocalist Deen Castronovo, keyboardist and vocalist Jason Derlatka, and bassist Todd Jensen, the six-piece lineup drew on its collective musical firepower to revisit the band’s extensive musical history.
The performance’s emotional center, however, rested in the songs that have remained fixtures of classic rock radio for decades. Numbers in the latter half of the set, including “Wheel in the Sky,” “Separate Ways (Worlds Apart),” and “Any Way You Want It,” showcased the band’s harder-driving side, while “Open Arms” and “Faithfully” offered a more reflective counterpoint. During the latter, Cain, sporting a custom Atlanta Hawks jersey bearing “CAIN” and the number 26, emotionally dedicated that song to our troops. Schon’s guitar work and Cain’s instantly recognizable keyboard arrangements connected these contrasting moods, while the interplay among the band’s vocalists helped bring the material to life. Ever the charismatic frontman, Pineda also made his way around the arena floor during “Wheel in the Sky,” fist-bumping fans and slapping hands along the way. And of course, no Journey concert would have felt complete without “Don’t Stop Believin’,” the enduring anthem that has carried the band’s music well beyond its original era. In fact, as a bit of trivia, Monday night also marked the 45th anniversary of the release of that iconic song.
For fans gathered at State Farm Arena, Monday night offered an opportunity to celebrate a legacy built on songs that have outlasted changing musical trends and connected generations of listeners. The familiar choruses transformed the crowd from spectators into participants, reinforcing the communal spirit at the heart of Journey’s enduring appeal. As confetti fell to mark the evening’s conclusion, the spectacle served as a fitting reminder of the staying power of arena rock at its most melodic and memorable.
Journey’s Final Frontier Tour continues on toward its scheduled conclusion on Saturday, November 28, at the Chase Center in San Francisco, California.
Journey
Neal Schon — Lead guitar, backing vocals
Jonathan Cain — Keyboards, backing vocals, rhythm guitar, harmonica
Deen Castronovo — Drums, backing and lead vocals
Arnel Pineda — Lead vocals
Jason Derlatka — Keyboards, backing and lead vocals
Todd Jensen — Bass, backing vocals
Setlist:
1.) Be Good to Yourself
2.) Stone in Love
3.) Ask the Lonely
4.) Only the Young
5.) Just the Same Way
6.) Lights
7.) When You Love a Woman
8.) Of a Lifetime
9.) La Do Da
(Drum solo)
10.) Escape
11.) Girl Can’t Help It
12.) Precious Time
13.) Chain Reaction
14.) Dead or Alive
15.) Anytime
(Piano solo)
16.) Who’s Crying Now
17.) Open Arms
18.) Never Walk Away
19.) Keep On Runnin’
20.) Suzanne
(Guitar solo)
21.) Wheel in the Sky
22.) Faithfully
23.) Don’t Stop Believin’
24.) Lovin’, Touchin’, Squeezin’
25.) Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)
26.) Any Way You Want It
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Elliott is a music photographer covering shows in Atlanta, Georgia, and the surrounding area. The highlight of his photography career was back in the early ’90s, when he sold Neil Diamond the rights to his negatives from a show and then purchased a set of tires for his 1979 280ZX during college with the money.