Journey keyboardist Jonathan Cain shed some light on the band’s “grueling” farewell tour and explained why he’s looking forward to pursuing different musical ventures at its conclusion.
“It’s a grind. This is a ‘one off, two on, one off, two on,’ so there’s a lot of that,” Cain said in a new episode of the Rock & Roll High School podcast, which you can find below. “And so you’re getting consumed getting to the gig, and then playing the gig. And then when we have four shows in a week, it’s pretty grueling. And we’re doing ‘evening with’, so it’s two hours and 15 minutes every night. … There’s no support [act], no. So it makes it doubly hard for Arnel [Pineda].”
Cain revealed in 2025 that he planned to leave Journey at the conclusion of the band’s Final Frontier tour, which is scheduled to end on Nov. 28 in the band’s hometown of San Francisco. He’ll be ending a 45-year tenure that began with 1981’s diamond-selling Escape.
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Jonathan Cain Says Journey Is ‘Just Repeating Ourselves’
Cain said he’s excited to step down from Journey and focus on his Christian solo music career, though he’s grateful for the fans who have been with them every step of the way.
“I think the only reason I’m still out here is the fans,” he added. “It’s time for me to close the chapter, it’s a beautiful time to say goodbye. We are at 45 this year; I’m so honored to celebrate 45. After playing the stadium tour with Def Leppard last year [2024], I just felt like we’ve done it. And we’re just repeating ourselves.
“The new albums don’t seem to move the needle,” Cain continued. “That’s why I’ve gotten into Christian music, because I can still sing a melody there and praise the Lord, and it still gets received. … I’m leaving something behind, and I get to express my melodic and spiritual self there. So it’s a good place for me to be right now.”
Journey guitarist Neal Schon, meanwhile, has said he’s “nowhere near done” playing the band’s music. He recently submitted an application with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for the name Journey Beyond, which should cover sound recordings, video releases, live performances and merchandise.
Listen to Jonathan Cain’s ‘Rock & Roll High School’ Podcast Interview
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Gallery Credit: Nick DeRiso
