No one is saying what caused Journey drummer Deen Castronovo to have been assisted off stage after two songs and admitted to a Tulsa hospital Thursday night. What they were saying, though, was that he had recovered from whatever hit him and was ready to resume action. That seemed to hold true Saturday night, as Deen played a full 29-song show with the band in San Antonio, as promised earlier in group members’ social feeds.
“He crushed last night,” guitarist Neal Schon said in a comment on his Facebook feed early Sunday morning, in response to a fan query about how Castronovo weathered his return to the stage at Texas’ Frost Bank Center. On X, Schon said the drummer was “back in rare form.”
Not only did he perform the full show on drums, but — seeming to bat down rumors that he was suffering from pneumonia — Castronovo sang lead vocals on the same five songs he usually takes the lead on every night on tour. Saturday in San Antonio, according to user contributions on Setlists,fm, he sang the sole lead on three numbers, “Lights,” “Keep on Runnin’” and “Precious Time,” and also shared lead vocals with Jonathan Cain on two more, “Just the Same Way” and “Anytime,” as has been the norm on this tour.
On his own Facebook page, Castronovo posted a message to fans Saturday prior to the concert. “Thank you all for the overwhelming love, concern, well wishes, messages and texts over the past couple of days. While I haven’t been able to respond to everyone personally, please know how much your kindness and support mean to me. Tulsa, I’m so sorry I couldn’t finish the show with you all. Thank you to Jonathan Cain, Neal Schon and everyone at the BOK Center for lifting me up in prayer that night. Hearing about that touched my heart deeply. I’ll be joining Journey on stage in San Antonio tonight. Much love to you all!.”
On Friday, Schon had assured fans that the drummer would be be back for the San Antonio show. “Deen is doing great” the guitarist testified at the time. “Come out and help welcome him back! Your prayers truly worked.”
When the drummer was compelled the leave the stage Thursday in Tulsa, there was some confusion during an approximate 25-minute break before the music resumed with Journey’s drum tech, Steve Toomey, taking over. “Get your prayers ready for Deen Castronovo, folks,” Cain asked of the crowd before they resumed. That night’s show was reduced from 29 to 19 songs, between the concert running late from the interruption and Toomey likely not being able to duplicate Castronovo’s lead singing moments as well as his drumming.