Drummer Deen Castronovo of the classic rock band Journey has hit some personal legal turbulence, but their Prince George show will go on.
The allegations against Castronovo are serious and to answer for them requires him to be absent from the band's Canadian tour. This includes a stop in Prince George on July 15.
The band was prepared for this turn of events. Although the news of Castronovo's incarceration broke in the media on Tuesday, Journey had announced a replacement drummer four days prior to that. Castronovo's initial arrest took place in mid-June.
They didn't have to look far and they couldn't have chosen a more decorated drummer had they drawn up a wish list. Omar Hakim was chosen to pound the skins for Journey in the interim. He was the principal drummer on the seminal Dire Straits album Brothers In Arms; he was also a band member of David Bowie's; the house drummer for the Saturday Night Live Band for awhile; and also had a prolonged stay with Sting's band The Blue Turtles. He was a regular member of the pioneering jazz-fusion band Weather Report at the start of his career.
He has done session work with the likes of Madonna, Michael Jackson, Mariah Carey, Celine Dion, Daft Punk, Kate Bush, Bryan Ferry, Miles Davis and many more.
Hakim made two solo albums over the years, one of which was nominated for a Grammy Award. He is now with fellow musicians-to-the-stars keyboard player Rachel Z and bassist Solomon Dorsey in an act they call The Trio Of Oz.
Journey didn't need to go far to get Hakim's services. He was going to be along for the whole Canadian tour anyway, as the drummer for opening act (and Journey founding member and guitarist) Neal Schon.
Hakim got a few practice concerts in with Journey prior to their departure for the north side of the border. His first was a high-profile annual fundraiser at the Hollywood Bowl two weeks ago to raise money for the Los Angeles Philharmonic's community outreach programs. Journey's show raised an event-record $1.6 million.
Schon and Hakim will be doing heavy workloads each night of Journey's journey through Canada.
"I'm very happy I was able to bring Omar Hakim in to help us pull together a very elaborate and complex show at the last minute (at the Hollywood Bowl)," Schon said.
"It was a nearly impossible feat, and tall order for anyone, but with Omar's musical integrity and talent, we pulled it off and had a blast."
