2016 Dave Mason-Journey-Doobie Brothers Tour To Kick Off In California At Irvine Meadows Amphitheater On May 12

American rock legends Journey and the Doobie Brothers have announced the confirmed dates for a combined tour in press releases on their respective websites. The bands announced that the tour will be named “San Francisco Fest 2016” and that Dave Mason will join them as a special guest.

The tour includes 46 stops in more than a dozen states and major cities including Dallas, Memphis, Atlanta, Toronto, Syracuse, and Oklahoma City. The tour is scheduled to end on August 30 in Chula Vista, California.

Tickets are reportedly going to be available to the public on December 5, with a special fan pre-sale beginning on November 30.

Journey is currently comprised of lead vocalist Arnel Pineda; guitarist and vocalist, Neal Schon; keyboardist and vocalist, Jonathon Cain; bassist and vocalist, Ross Valory; and drummer and vocalist, Deen Castronovo, according the band’s website. There have been several past members as well. Wikipedia actually maps out the band’s long and complex line-up changes over the years.

Well-known hits by Journey include “Don’t Stop Believin’,” “Open Arms,” and “Who’s Crying Now.” “Don’t Stop Believin'” was even featured in a popular episode of Family Guy.

Neal Schon, the one member of Journey to remain with the band since its inception, spoke about his and the band members’ love of touring and performing before live audiences.

“The one thing that remains the same is live performances,” Schon was quoted. “So that’s why we’re still here doing this. It’s the one thing that can’t be hacked and one thing that you absolutely have to show up live to be able to do. And so I still love it.”

Joining Journey on the North American tour will be classic rock icons, the Doobie Brothers. Based in Northern California, and also like Journey, possessing a vast number of former members, the Doobie Brothers have an entire Wikipedia page dedicated just to past members.

The Doobie Brothers formed when John Hartman and Tom Johnston met in 1969. Hartman left the band in 1979, but Johnston continues with the Doobie Brothers today. Other members include saxophonist Marc Russo; bassist and vocalist, John Cowan; guitarist and vocalist, Patrick Simmons; guitarist and vocalist, John McFee; drummer Ed Toth; and keyboardist and vocalist, Guy Alison, as well as drummer Tony Pia.

“And the songs that people all know, be it ‘Listen to the Music’ or ‘Black Water’ or ‘China Grove,’ are still getting played,” Doobie Brothers co-founder Tom Johnston was quoted. “Any song that stands the test of time for 40 years or is getting played around the country on a daily basis – that to me is a testament to the quality of the tunes.”

Both Journey and Doobie Brothers songs have remained rock standards for over 30 years, drawing new fans with each successive generation of listeners and musicians alike.

In addition to the tour dates with Journey, the Doobie Brothers are scheduled to play at the Warren Hayes Christmas Jam in Asheville, North Carolina on December 12. The band then takes a break through the winter until May when they play Stagecoach California’s Country Music Festival in Indio, California, on May 1, perhaps as a warm up for the tour with Journey.

Journey also has two concerts booked in May before the “San Francisco Fest 2016” tour gets underway. On May 5, Journey is scheduled to play in Nassau in the Bahamas at Carnival Pride. Then on May 6, the band is set to play Carnival Victory in Nassau.

Special tour guest Dave Mason formerly played with Traffic, which included Steve Winwood, as reported by Rolling Stone. Mason is the author of the Traffic song “Feelin’ Alright” that was later covered by Joe Cocker and famously performed at Woodstock. Mason has a number of shows scheduled in early 2016, before the start of the Journey-Doobie Brothers tour listed on his website.

[Feature Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images]