Iconic 80s band Journey was forced to cut their show in Houston, Texas, short this weekend after just five songs due to an electrical fire.
The dramatic turn of events came as they performed at the RodeoHouston event at NRG Stadium, which can seat around 70,000 people.
In a moment of bizarre timing, the band had just started playing their legendary hit Don’t Stop Believin’ when all sound at the venue suddenly cut out.
Fan-captured video from the event, shared on X, shows lead singer Arnel Pineda reaching the second verse of the beloved track before everything went silent and the projector screens went dark.
Fans thought it was all just a part of the show as the entire stadium took over singing the lyrics.
But it soon became evident that something was wrong as the band left the stage and staff with fire extinguishers rushed to the drum riser.
Shortly after, an announcement informed fans the band would not return that evening as an electrical fire had damaged equipment too severely for the show to carry on.
Drummer Deen Castronovo wrote in a social media post that things were more dire on stage than they appeared.
Castronovo posted: ‘Hey, Houston. An act of God tonight. Fire broke out underneath the stage – right under my drum riser!
‘I was literally on fire for 4 ½ songs, all the power cables melted, and the show was a bust! That doesn’t mean we won’t be back soon, because we love you all – and we will return. God bless you all!’
Fans were left confused and upset by the sudden turn of events, with X user @JakeAsman writing: ‘I lived in Houston for six years and went to over 30 rodeo concerts—but I’ve never seen anything like this. Journey was in the middle of ‘Don’t Stop Believin’ when the stadium speakers blew out. The entire concert is on hold!’
@jmgrand posted: ‘Journey just blew the power out at @HoustonRodeo. Crowd just kept singing…we all thought it was a part of the show!’
Stacy Martin-Daniels commented on Castronovo’s Facebook post: ‘Houston we had a problem! Crowd thought you wanted to hear us sing 🎤 😆 Everyone was so disappointed, including myself! Glad everyone is safe, we can’t wait to see you again! ❤️’
Tracie Cortez Ross agreed, writing: ‘We were devastated when the show got cancelled. I raised my daughter to be a huge Journey fan and this was her 16th birthday gift…to finally see y’all in concert. That being said, so very glad none of you were hurt.’
Joining the band in 1998, Castronovo is the band’s longest-serving drummer to date.
Journey was formed in 1973 with Neal Schon on lead guitar, Gregg Rolie on keyboards and lead vocals, Ross Valory on bass, rhythm guitarist George Tickner, and Prairie Prince as drummer.
After some reshuffling, the band’s most iconic lineup came together in 1978 and was comprised of Aynsley Dunbar, Steve Perry, Gregg Rolie, Neal Schon, and Ross Valory.
Perry’s voice became synonymous with the band’s sound, but the rocker left the band in 1987 and rejoined the band in 1996 before departing again in 1998.
Currently, Neal Schon is the only original member still performing with the group, who are now made up of Neal Schon, Jonathan Cain, Deen Castronovo, Arnel Pineda, Jason Derlatka, and Todd Jensen.
The band’s worldwide sales have reached over 100 million records globally, making them one of the world’s best-selling bands of all time.
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