Journey had to exit the stage mid-concert due to an electrical fire at a Texas venue.
The band was making their way through their hits at Houston’s NRG Stadium on Friday, March 14 when, in the middle of the fifth song in their setlist — the band’s mega hit, 1981’s “Don’t Stop Believin’” — audio cut out entirely, a fan-captured video on X shows.
As Journey founder Neal Schon, 71, shredded on guitar and lead singer Arnel Pineda, 57, took the crowd into the chorus, sound — along with some onstage visuals — stopped abruptly, leaving just audience voices echoing as confusion broke out, as seen in the footage.
According to fans at the show, an announcer told the crowd that the unplanned pause was due to an electrical fire and said Journey would continue the show, ABC 13 Houston reported. But the rockers did not return to the stage, and the gig was subsequently canceled, the outlet said.
Another witness told Houston outlet KPRC that the band exited the stage before the song was over, and several people later inspected the stage with fire extinguishers. Photos shared by ABC 13 show staff investigating an area under the drums.
Kirby Lee/Getty
Journey has not addressed the cancellation on social media, but Rodeo Houston, which hosts its rodeo held in the multi-purpose Houston stadium, later shared an official cancellation announcement on Facebook, citing an electrical issue.
“Due to an unforeseen electrical incident under the stage area, we regretfully announce the cancellation of tonight’s Journey concert. We sincerely apologize to all fans for this disappointment,” the company later made an official announcement on Facebook.
“Our team is working diligently to assess the situation, and we will provide updates regarding rescheduling options and refunds as soon as possible,” the announcement concluded.
Several local outlets, including KPRC and ABC 13, reported that the “incident” in question was an electrical fire — and fans were not happy, to say the least.
Journalist Paul Gallant, who also captured the moment the concert cut out on video, shared the clip on X and wrote, in part, “The sound died in the middle of THAT tune. Rock bottom for NRG, truly the worst concert venue in town.”
People later shared their frustration — and understanding — at the incident in response to Rodeo Houston on Facebook.
“I am here right now,” one person wrote. “People are upset, but unforeseeable things happen in every day lives. I am so glad everybody is safe and everything was under control.”
A different fan echoed this, stating that they are “so glad no one was hurt” during the incident. “A [sic] electrical fire is very dangerous,” they wrote, “and in an area with that many people it could have been really bad.”
“We truly thought that it was a part of the show. 70,000 people singing ‘Don’t Stop Believing’ perfectly in unison, unprompted was beautiful!” another fan shared. “I’m glad everyone in the band and crew are ok. I’m thankful all of us at the show are ok. Count your blessings folks, things just happen sometimes.”
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The day after the concert, Saturday, March 15, Rodeo Houston announced that their show scheduled for that evening would go on as scheduled — and promised updates for those awaiting news about the canceled Journey show.
“Howdy! We are excited to host RODEOHOUSTON® and welcome Warren Zeiders today as scheduled,” the company wrote on Facebook. “The stage will be operating as normal, and we will host all activities in the stadium and on the grounds as originally planned.”
“For those who attended the Journey concert, we’ll follow up with more information soon,” the post concluded. “Thanks, and see y’all at the Show!”
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