Deen Castronovo Sings Journey Lead at 49ers Halftime Show as Arnel Pineda Stays in Philippines
Updated
Updated · Rolling Stone · Jun 5
Deen Castronovo Sings Journey Lead at 49ers Halftime Show as Arnel Pineda Stays in Philippines
1 articles · Updated · Rolling Stone · Jun 5
Summary
Dec. 28, 2025, saw Journey drummer Deen Castronovo take lead vocals at the San Francisco 49ers-Chicago Bears halftime show while singer Arnel Pineda remained in the Philippines.
Pineda was away dealing with the aftermath of a messy divorce, extending a period in late 2025 when Journey were temporarily without their frontman.
Castronovo, who also sings a couple of songs on the band’s current tour to give Pineda vocal rest, handled the dual drumming-and-singing role without issue.
Nov. 28 is set to bring Journey’s Final Frontier tour to a hometown close at San Francisco’s Chase Center, though Pineda said he had nearly left before the tour amid mounting personal problems.
Journey’s history of cycling through singers while guitarist Neal Schon remains the constant suggests the band could keep going even if Pineda’s tenure is nearing its end.