Journey is gearing up for a lengthy U.S. trek with Toto dubbed the 2022 Freedom Tour that kicks off on February 22 in Pittsburgh.
Journey keyboardist Jonathan Cain tells ABC Audio that the two bands have a familial connection, because his daughter Madison is engaged to Toto guitarist Steve Lukather's son Trevor. The couple is slated to be married early this year.
"It's all in the family now," Cain jokes.
Meanwhile, Jonathan notes that this will be the first time that his group and Toto will hit the road together, and he says he feels the two acts are a good pairing.
"We did one show with Toto years ago," Cain recalls. "And, you know, both crowds seemed to dig each other's music, so we thought, 'Why not?'"
Journey and Toto both feature virtuoso rock guitarists — Neal Schon and Lukather — and Cain says there's a good chance that the two musicians will hit the stage together to jam during the trek.
"I'm sure that will happen a bunch," he notes. "Been buddies for a long time and looking forward to it."
The 2022 Freedom Tour will mark Journey's first full-length tour since the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020.
"We are pleased as heck to be in the arenas [again]," Jonathan declares. "It's a risky deal, but we're going to follow the [COVID] protocol precautions for safety for the crew and the band."
The tour is plotted out through a May 11 show in Hartford, Connecticut. Billy Idol originally had been announced as opening act for the first portion of the trek. However, sinus issues forced Idol to bow out of the tour, so Toto now is opening the entire trek.
Visit JourneyMusic.com for the full list of tour dates.
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