Journey brings believin' to Wells Fargo Arena with Toto on 50th anniversary tour stop
Rock royalty Journey brought believin' to Wells Fargo Arena during a Tuesday night tour stop.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Famers are on their 50th anniversary tour and celebrated with a lively Des Moines audience. The rockers shined during their first stop in the city since appearing alongside Def Leppard in 2018.
Special guests Toto, rock legends in their own right, opened the nostalgia-tinged show with hits like "Africa" before animated Journey front man Arnel Pineda took the reins.
The show-stopping performance by Pineda, combined with Toto's entrance, created a nostalgic night to remember for the downtown Des Moines crowd.
More:Journey and Def Leppard brought rock nostalgia to life in Des Moines. Here are the highlights.
Toto blesses Wells Fargo Arena audience with 'Africa' and more
The show began with an electrifying performance of “Afraid of Love” before the group sang “Hold the Line,” lit with cell phone cameras galore as a spotlight shone on the band’s lead singers.
Audience members got on their feet during a performance of "I'll Supply The Love" followed by popular hits including electric performances of "Home of the Brave" and "Rosanna."
Longtime members Joseph Williams and Steve Lukather were joined on tour by John Pierce, Dominic "Xavier" Taplin, Warren Ham, Robert "Sput" Searight, and Steve Maggiora.
Nearly the entire crowd rose on their feet as Toto’s set ended while the ’80s band blessed the mid-40s degree day in Iowa with a performance of “Africa." The crowd sang the song acapella at one point.
More:Classic rock bands Journey and Toto to play Des Moines in March 2023
Journey takes Wells Fargo crowd on a nostalgic journey
Folks of all ages stood up for the rockers' opener, "Only The Young," sang by Journey's Pineda, followed by a soulful, animated performance of "Stone in Love" from Pineda featuring jumping and throwing a microphone toward the sky.
"Don't Stop Believin'" featured a lyric change to "just a city boy raised in South Des Moines" that elicited crowd cheers as thousands sang along to one of the era's most nostalgic songs. Then, hundreds of smartphone flashlights were held up while Pineda crooned to "Lights," flanked by a video that played scenes of San Francisco and the Bay Area on an elevated platform.
Songs like "Lovin', Touchin', Squeezin'" followed as the audience rose to their feet and sang along with drinks in hand while sway dancing around as Pineda led a hyper-interactive performance. A slow-burning piano solo by the band's famed pianist Jonathan Cain followed shortly after.
Des Moines received the beloved ballad "Open Arms" with open arms as hundreds sang along.
"Good people of Iowa, how do you like it so far?" Cain asked to cheers before dedicating "Faithfully" to U.S. servicemembers as the metro area audience applauded before singing along to the fan favorite love song.
Hits such as "Who's Crying Now," a guitar solo by Neal Schon, and "Wheel in the Sky" played after with an epic light show ending, before the band performed the universally loved hit "Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)" as Pineda jumped off of various on-stage platforms.
The kindness-peppered popular track "Be Good to Yourself" caused the downtown Des Moines audience to rise to their feet swaying, swinging, and clapping while Pineda later hugged and embraced audience members in the front row.
Journey's journey in Des Moines was bookmarked the only way they know how: with "Any Way You Want It." At the concert's end, streams of confetti rained down from above — a perfect closing moment for a night featuring Toto.
Jay Stahl is an entertainment reporter at The Des Moines Register. Follow him on Instagram or reach out at jstahl@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Journey shines with special guest Toto at Wells Fargo Arena tour stop
