Journey to headline Xcel Energy Center in March with support from Billy Idol

Ross Raihala, Pioneer Press, St. Paul, Minn.
·2 min read
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.

Nov. 15—Classic rock band Journey will return to the road in 2022, with a March 14 stop booked at St. Paul's Xcel Energy Center.

Tickets, at prices to be announced, go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday through Ticketmaster. Citi cardholders have access to a presale starting at 10 a.m. Tuesday.

Journey formed in 1973 as a jazz rock group. But they didn't find serious success until they hired vocalist Steve Perry in 1977. Over the next decade, Journey sold more than 25 million albums and scored a series of hits including "Wheel in the Sky," "Lights," "Any Way You Want It," "Who's Crying Now," "Open Arms," "Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)" and the group's signature song "Don't Stop Believin'."

In 1987, Journey went on an extended hiatus and members pursued other projects. They reunited in 1995, but Perry left the group three years later. The band tried several new lead vocalists before settling on Filipino pop singer Arnel Pineda, a vocal dead ringer for Perry who they discovered on YouTube.

In the time since they hired Pineda in 2007, Journey has rebounded in popularity and toured heavily. They've played seven major shows with Pineda in the metro, at Target Center, Xcel Energy Center, Target Field, Treasure Island Casino and the Minnesota State Fair Grandstand.

Journey's lineup will look a bit different when they return to the road. Last year, guitarist Neal Schon and keyboardist Jonathan Cain fired the rhythm section (Ross Valory and Steve Smith) after accusing the pair of trying to take over control of the band. They've been replaced with former "American Idol" judge Randy Jackson (who was briefly in the group in the mid '80s) and drummer Narada Michael Walden.

Punk rock veteran Billy Idol will open the show. He's best known for his string of hits in the '80s, including "White Wedding," "Dancing with Myself," "Eyes Without a Face," "Flesh for Fantasy," "To Be a Lover" and "Cradle of Love." In September, he released the EP "The Roadside," his first new music in seven years.