Journey Drummer Deen Castronovo Hospitalized Mid-Show in Tulsa

By Elena Vasquez

Journey stopped their Tulsa concert after two songs on Thursday night because drummer Deen Castronovo suffered a medical emergency and was hospitalized, according to Tulsa World.

The show took place at the BOK Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Keyboardist Jonathan Cain addressed the crowd after the other band members had left the stage.

"We're going to see what happens as this progresses," Cain said. "It's an unfortunate situation. We're very sorry. We're hoping it's only a delay, but please — I'm sorry. Don't worry. Have your prayers ready. Have your prayers ready for Deen Castronovo, everybody. Thank you."

Local sports reporter Eric Bailey shared a video from the concert.

How did the show continue?

Founder and guitarist Neal Schon returned to the stage 10 minutes later and told the audience Castronovo had been taken to the hospital, per Tulsa World. The band played on with Castronovo's drum tech behind the kit.

"Give a big hand for Steve Toomey," Schon said. "We love you all. We're very sorry for the inconvenience."

After the concert resumed, Schon addressed Castronovo directly from the stage: "This concert is for Deen. I think he's going to be fine."

A representative for Journey did not immediately return a request for comment.

Where does this fit in the tour?

The Tulsa date falls inside Journey's Final Frontier farewell tour. The tour launched in Hershey, Pennsylvania, on Feb. 28, and later added 40 North American dates. The current leg kicked off Sept. 12 in Los Angeles and concludes Nov. 28 in San Francisco.

Schon has described the reception in enthusiastic terms. "The energy has been incredible every night," he said in a previous statement. "Seeing these crowds sing these songs with us after all these years has been powerful. We're excited to bring The Final Frontier Tour to even more cities this fall."

The tour has roughly two months of dates remaining, through Nov. 28, and the band has given no indication the Tulsa incident will alter that schedule. In plain terms: the show went on Thursday, and the band expects it to keep going.