The Hollywood Bowl 2015 season opened on June 20 with an iconic performance by Journey and their first-ever show with an orchestra.

The band opened the season with a set accompanied by the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra. The milestone for the band began with a 12-hour rehearsal followed by time with the press. The hours of preparation and hard work helped the group raise funds for the Los Angeles Philharmonic, whose education and outreach programs benefit each year from opening night. This year the funds hit historic records with  $1.6 million raised with the previous record being $1.4 million in 2011.

Journey’s set list included deeper cuts like “City of Hope” and “Winds of March”, which were chosen based on their compatibility with the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, as well as expected hits like “Faithfully.”

“We are playing for the first time with an orchestra and chorus, so we dug deep for songs that fit, that we haven’t played for a long time.”

The performance at the Hollywood Bowl also marked the debut of drummer Omar Hakim, who was added in after the arrest of Deen Castronovo.