5 highlights from Journey's Oklahoma City stop on 'Freedom Tour 2022'

Within the first 15 minutes of their Oklahoma City "Freedom Tour 2022" stop, Journey urged the Paycom Center crowd to "Don't Stop Believin'," sending the packed house into an ecstatic sing-along with just a few notes of that oh-so familiar piano opening.

It was a bold move, slotting one of the most enduring rock anthems of the 1980s in the third spot on the set list. But it's a testament to the Rock and Roll Hall of Famers' impressive catalog that they had huge hits to spare for the March 17 show.

Mix in the seasoned musicians' consummate showmanship, top-notch lighting and video designs and a shared joy of experiencing a massive concert again after two years of pandemic living, and Journey easily kept the all-ages audience — which ranged from grade-schoolers to Baby Boomers — shouting, wailing and dancing along for the full hour-and-45-minute set.

Here are five highlights of Journey's March 17 OKC show:

1. Neal Schon's homecoming

Born on Tinker Air Force Base, guitarist and founding Journey member Neal Schon clearly digs his Oklahoma roots, and his Sooner state fans have happily returned his affections.

"I was born about 15 minutes from here," Schon told the cheering crowd just after admirably keeping the midnight train of "Don't Stop Believin'" ebulliently chugging.

"The last time I played in OKC, it was just after my mother died, so it's a special place for me."

Removing his dark sunglasses, the 2013 Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame inductee requested that the crowd light up their cellphones for an ardent rendition of "Lights," creating a truly dazzling moment.

Schon has been making music professionally for 50 years — he played in Santana before co-founding Journey in 1973 — and both his passion and his prowess are unabated. He frequently wowed the crowd with his sizzling solos.

Grinning broadly around the pick clamped between his teeth, Schon elicited howls of approval with his extended intro for the epic "Wheel in the Sky."

2. Arnel Pineda's energy

Journey lead singer Arnel Pineda is 15 years into his Cinderella story — Schon famously discovered the Filipino vocalist on YouTube, and in 2007, the band flew Pineda, then a lounge singer, to the U.S. so they could hire him — but he still seems utterly enchanted with his gig fronting the arena rock giants.

Affectionately dubbed the "Thrilla from Manila" by his bandmates, Pineda, 54, lives up to the nickname; he worked so hard he had to change shirts twice during the show.

He continually dashed around the mammoth stage, leaped into the air with rock star style and waved his arms like a conductor as the fans belted along — all while delivering the impassioned high tenor vocals the Journey discography demands.

3. Deep cuts

Although the rockers could have slammed out their radio hits and called it a night, they kept the set list interesting by mixing in some deep cuts. Even better, they used those less-familiar numbers to showcase each highly capable musician on the current Journey lineup.

Deen Castronovo was a thrill to behold as he did dynamic double duty on drums and vocals for the dramatic ode "Mother, Father." Keyboardist and singer Jason Derlatka also played on while spelling Pineda on the yearning ballad "Suzanne."

Jonathan Cain showed off skills every bit as flashy as his red piano, not only on his traditional pre-"Open Arms" solo but also on the story song "Dead or Alive."

4. Hit parades

When they did roll out their signature songs, Journey cannily lined them up in high-octane hit parades, zipping through two or three smashes with hardly a pause in between. Although it's practically impossible to beat the one-two punch of "Don't Stop Believin'" and "Lights," Pineda's playful performance on "Lovin', Touchin', Squeezin'" provided a fun contrast to an emotional rendition of "Faithfully," which the band dedicated to U.S. military servicemen and women, that was followed by the fervent love song "Open Arms."

The band opted to skip the usual false formality of an encore, instead sending the crowd home on the strength of a fiery version of "Separate Ways," the upbeat live staple "Be Good to Yourself" and the irresistible crowd-pleasing closer "Anyway You Want It." Along with a veritable downpour of confetti, the band members seemed to relish showering the fans with guitar picks, drumsticks and free T-shirts.

5. Toto showcases OKC musician

Fellow hitmakers Toto warmed up the crowd with a surprisingly eclectic set, including the longing love song "Roseanna," the percussive power ballad "Hold the Line" and an extended version of their lasting ode to "Africa."

Keyboardist Dominique "Xavier" Taplin, who grew up in OKC, got an extra share of the spotlight for his hometown show, and he shined on his bluesy arrangement of "Georgy Porgy."

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Journey brings 'Freedom Tour 2022' to OKC; here's our highlights