Journey drummer Deen Castronovo successfully performed a complete 29-song concert at Texas’ Frost Bank Center on Saturday night, marking his return to the stage just 48 hours after a medical incident forced him to leave a previous show. While the specific nature of his health issue remains undisclosed, band members and fans expressed relief and praise for his recovery.
The medical scare occurred on Thursday night in Tulsa, where Castronovo was assisted offstage after only two songs and subsequently admitted to a local hospital. The interruption caused an approximately 25-minute delay before the band resumed with drum technician Steve Toomey filling in. Keyboardist Jonathan Cain urged the audience to pray for the drummer before the music restarted, and the remainder of that evening’s performance was shortened from 29 songs to 19 due to the disruption and Toomey’s inability to replicate Castronovo’s lead vocal duties.
By Saturday, Castronovo had made a full recovery. He not only played the drums for the entire set but also sang lead vocals on five songs, dispelling rumors that he was suffering from pneumonia. According to setlist reports from the San Antonio concert, he performed solo leads on “Lights,” “Keep on Runnin’” and “Precious Time,” while sharing vocal duties with Jonathan Cain on “Just the Same Way” and “Anytime.”
Guitarist Neal Schon praised the drummer’s resilience on social media early Sunday morning. Responding to fan inquiries on Facebook, Schon wrote that Castronovo “crushed last night,” and added on X that the drummer was “back in rare form.” Schon had previously reassured fans on Friday that Castronovo was “doing great” and encouraged attendance at the San Antonio show to welcome him back.
In a Facebook post released prior to the Saturday concert, Castronovo thanked fans for their support. “Thank you all for the overwhelming love, concern, well wishes, messages and texts over the past couple of days,” he wrote. He also expressed gratitude to Cain, Schon, and the staff at the BOK Center in Tulsa for their prayers and support during his absence, stating, “I’ll be joining Journey on stage in San Antonio tonight. Much love to you all!”
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